Okay Pagey, you sent me on a tale-spin over this one! Why didn't I get anything out of Alateen at 10????
I thunk I got it: The meetings were held just like AA meetings. They used big words, they did the readings of the steps yadda, yadda, I didn't understand anything. Nobody explained it to me either. Had there been someone who would have sat with me, say 15 minutes after the meeting to draw me out and answer just a couple questions, it probably would have made all the difference. But since my Step-dad was in the AA meeting, I had nobody to discuss the meeting with afterwards.
But, I was really, really, really shy. - Someone would have had to take the time to get me to open up and ask questions.
I've spoken at youth centers and the younger kids are great! It's more of a relaxed atmosphere. After my story - They raise hands to ask questions! It's so cute. :-) I think that's how kids work best - Being able to ask questions. But in AA it's considered cross talk. Maybe they've since bent the cross talk rules for kids in Alateen.
Okay, all done! ;-)