I found this awesome "meme" that totally sums up the way my generation was raised.
"I'm Part of the Generation that:
... Respected Our Parents
... Drank From The Garden Hose
... Stood For The Flag
... Played Outside
... Had Toy Guns
... Got Spanked
and I Survived!"
Oh how is all of this so ever true!
Growing up my brother and I, along with my cousins were always outside playing. You had the occasional weirdo that would lurk around that you had to be a little "scared" of, but overall life wasn't that scary back then. Of course though, it was probably more the parents that were worried about these weirdos than the kids, because it was the parent's job to worry.
Even though you grow up and now it seems like there is more of that going on, and you're now the parent worrying, it isn't the reason kids nowadays don't go outside and play like back in the 80s and 90s.
Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo, Fortnite... Sounds more of the reason right?
Last summer, my oldest son got a pool pass and literally used it every day. Well every day it didn't rain and ruin the summer like it has been the last several years. This year his video gaming has completely over taken his life!!! He got a pool pass this summer. Considering how often he went last year, I thought for sure it would get the use out of again this year. Boy was I wrong. He went MAYBE a handful of times. Definitely didn't get my money's worth this year that's for sure. The crazy thing is, he asked for it. I didn't just get it for him and assume he would use it. He asked for it, so I assumed he would use it.
Anyway, growing up, I didn't have a large yard. We had a "small" yard but large enough to have a pool for us to use. We also had an alley and a large empty lot by our house too to utilize. It didn't stop there. Because of being in a group of kids, we were able to go to the local park and creek to play as well.
Grown up me, I don't know if I would be okay with this now. There is so much going on in this world that would make me think twice. Are my kids going to be okay? Obviously not at their ages right now, but in a few years. But, how many weirdos are out there today? And playing in a creek or a place you don't frequent yourself, the dangers of lingering drug use paraphernalia. It is so scary nowadays!
My younger kids like to go to the play parks (obviously with us). They do have their video gaming though that they do enjoy as well. My brother growing up was the one for the video games, though he even still played outside often. Back then it seems like you had time for both. Now it's like it's one or the other and unfortunately technology wins.
Even making my older son go outside and do something, it's like his life is going to end. I had to actually tell him to go to the pool the few times he actually went. I can't imagine how my grandkids are going to be... is the life of the "olden days" going to come back around or is it going to get worse with the technology?
Growing up you respected your parents or your ass or mouth got smacked! It was okay back then. The whole thought of Children & Youth & Families wasn't as out there as it is now. We grew up. Even though there were cases that CYF or DCS would need to step in, and thinking back to my childhood, I definitely knew of a few cases, you didn't really see or hear much about that. It was acceptable to smack your child's butt or tap their mouth when they talk back. I remember my mom would swing her arm to the backseat while driving because someone lipped off. Like a mad lady batting at a fly. That was okay, that was acceptable. The crazy part is, the same people that grew up during that are now the ones who find it unacceptable. Probably the same children who disrespected their parents and got the butt spanks. Why is it that I respected my parents, with the occasional back talk, with the occasional smack across the mouth or butt, but I still feel like it is okay to smack your child's butt if needed. My children are more likely to get yelled at and put in time out and/or grounded than their butt smacked but sometimes a child needs it! You shouldn't be afraid to swat your child's butt out in public or be stern with them when they are talking back or acting out. Why is it so unacceptable now? Why is it that CYF/DCS is now more in the picture, more heard now? What the heck has changed?
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