Today’s post has no angle, no big topic and no affiliate links. Just the totally non-sponsored observations of a mom watching her son and friends at the skate park.

I snapped this pic and all I could think was, “The peanut gallery at the skate park.”
They oohed and ahhhed over the tricks. They shrieked and screamed “WOW” whenever anyone pulled off a fancy move. They heckled the skaters when they fell, pointing and laughing like they’d done something hilarious. Then they picked their favorite skaters and broke down why they liked them. The reasons ranged from “He works at Duncan Donuts” to “I like his socks.” But mostly they were just excited to be there, watching these teenagers skate, and I had fun just sitting back and watching them.

Someday they’ll be teenagers too

These little guys are all 6 and 7-years-old. None of them know how to skateboard, but they sure like to watch and make commentary on the situation. Anyone catching air gets an excited squeal. Anyone who falls gets a good laugh. At one point I heard my son shushing the other boys because he could tell his favorite skater needed to “focus.” All I could do was laugh and wonder where he heard that from. Had I shushed him at some point because I needed to focus?

I’m sure the skaters noticed the little trio of fans, but they didn’t let on. We go to the skate park often, as spectators, because it’s right next to the playground. On some days you get a good group that’s fun to watch and doesn’t act out, and some days you get teenagers who think they are extra cool by using every curse word they know. And sometimes you get real a-holes who try and do tricks where the board could easily fly right into the bleachers. There’s plenty of room at the park to not do that.

And just sitting back and watching all that, makes you wonder what your little kid is going to be like as a teenager. Is he going to be one of those little jerks putting the kids in danger and dropping f-bombs because he doesn’t have anything better to say? Or will he be one of the cool ones, that actually skates and shows the little kids how it’s done? What will he be like when mom isn’t around?

A bit of motherly advice

I remember being a teenager. And I remember doing some stupid stuff because I thought I was being cool. Like driving through my quiet neighborhood blaring Nine Inch Nails so everybody could hear how awesome my taste in music was. Now I won’t even play the music on my phone too loud when I’m on my bike. I just like to respect other people’s personal space, and that includes the sounds they’re subjected to.

So it’s really interesting watching how hard these teenagers try to be cool, but come off so juvenile. So if I have any advice to give my son when he gets a little older, it would be “Don’t try so hard to prove you’re cool to others.” And maybe also to be nice to the little kids and the moms when they pop up at the skate park.

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About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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