So, all of us already know that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the greatest shows ever made, right? Not only does it have romance, action, horror, and wit, it’s packed full of timeless themes that stay relevant. One of those themes being that growing up sucks.
Here are some of my juu coming-of-age lessons we can learn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer about those trans-formative years.
No means no 
This one might be a little controversial, but let's forget the MAJOR Spike blip in season 6 for now. For the most part, Buffy knows how to stand up for herself when it comes to personal boundaries and grabby men. I'm not trying to advocate for violence here, but she threw a dawati at Xander when he was possessed kwa a Hyena in S1 The Pack, and she introduced Cameron's face to a steering wheel in S2 Go Fish. At least she gave them fair warning.
Acceptance
Ok, the onyesha didn’t have a lot of racial diversity in its cast until the final season, (I guess we can just assume Sunnydale is pretty whitewashed, and as a small SoCal town that’s not a terrible stretch!) but there are still plenty of examples of inclusivity and acceptance. There’s a lot of variety as far as witches and mtu-bweha and demons being in the Scooby Gang, but Buffy is also famous for being the first onyesha to feature a same-sex couple in the main cast. Go Willow and Tara!
March to the beat of your own drum 
It might seem fairly easy to look at early life as having a roadmap - high school, college, career and so on. But the truth is, life isn’t a one-size fits all situation. While Willow thrives in college, Xander is never accepted and struggles to find his footing before eventually settling into a construction career. Buffy is forced to drop out of school to take care of her family and tries lots of odd jobs, but even so, eventually manages to snag a job as a school counselor.
You are enough
The fate of the world rests on Buffy's shoulders, and time after time she manages to find it in herself to rise to the occasion. Take her fight with Angelus in S2 Becoming. Beaten into a corner and taunted about how her resources are gone, she finds inner strength to look past her blind spot (her affection for Angel) and kick his ass.
Sharing is caring
Even though “a bunch of old men made up a rule” about the slayer being alone, Buffy has never been alone. She’s had the Scooby Gang, and in the finale she beats the First kwa sharing her power with all the potential slayers around the world. 
Here are some of my juu coming-of-age lessons we can learn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer about those trans-formative years.
No means no
Cameron comes on a little too strong
This one might be a little controversial, but let's forget the MAJOR Spike blip in season 6 for now. For the most part, Buffy knows how to stand up for herself when it comes to personal boundaries and grabby men. I'm not trying to advocate for violence here, but she threw a dawati at Xander when he was possessed kwa a Hyena in S1 The Pack, and she introduced Cameron's face to a steering wheel in S2 Go Fish. At least she gave them fair warning.
Willow and Tara interrogated kwa the Council
Ok, the onyesha didn’t have a lot of racial diversity in its cast until the final season, (I guess we can just assume Sunnydale is pretty whitewashed, and as a small SoCal town that’s not a terrible stretch!) but there are still plenty of examples of inclusivity and acceptance. There’s a lot of variety as far as witches and mtu-bweha and demons being in the Scooby Gang, but Buffy is also famous for being the first onyesha to feature a same-sex couple in the main cast. Go Willow and Tara!
March to the beat of your own drum
Buffy's in a time-loop in S6 Life Serial
It might seem fairly easy to look at early life as having a roadmap - high school, college, career and so on. But the truth is, life isn’t a one-size fits all situation. While Willow thrives in college, Xander is never accepted and struggles to find his footing before eventually settling into a construction career. Buffy is forced to drop out of school to take care of her family and tries lots of odd jobs, but even so, eventually manages to snag a job as a school counselor.
The fate of the world rests on Buffy's shoulders, and time after time she manages to find it in herself to rise to the occasion. Take her fight with Angelus in S2 Becoming. Beaten into a corner and taunted about how her resources are gone, she finds inner strength to look past her blind spot (her affection for Angel) and kick his ass.
Sharing is caring
Even though “a bunch of old men made up a rule” about the slayer being alone, Buffy has never been alone. She’s had the Scooby Gang, and in the finale she beats the First kwa sharing her power with all the potential slayers around the world.
Make your choice. Are wewe ready to be strong?
Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland)
