I can't relate too much to what you endured Dan. I grew up in Canada in the 60's - I know I am aging myself but you'll get there too one day -everyone will.
I found your story bittersweet - altho grateful for having a roof over your head, food in your belly and cool shoes....you didn't complain about the lack of freedoms or the oppressive government.
I was a mom of three teenagers in the 90's and there wasn't much peculiar except not being able to breath until they came home at night. Or holding my breath when they got their drivers license and would go out for the first time. Raising kids today is way tougher in my opinion.
So glad you outran those little snots. You called them dull boys. That's a new term for me....what does it mean?
Hey Deb :)
Actually, I can't complain about the oppressive government much because I was 6 years old when they took it down - I didn't have the chance to experience the oppression myself.
I am not a parent, so I can't relate too much to what you describe, but I remember how worried my mom was sometimes. Why do you think it's tougher to raise kids nowadays?
By dull boys I meant not very smart ones :)
I figured the dull thing out last night as I was trying to sleep....
Kids today, at least in North America, have too much stuff!! And with that comes boredom and the want for more. Plus they are on ipads, phones, computers, tv most of their waking hours and their attention span for imaginative play, reading, writing, playing, sports is poor to say the least.
Empathy and gratitude and consideration of others ranks low as well. They are all about themselves. Everything they do is "awesome", "amazing", "beautiful", "smart". They don't seem to know about failure and how to learn from it. Suffering? Oh boy, don't even think about that....they don't need to suffer or have hardship at all.
Instant gratification is the main staple for this generation of children unfortunately. Kid's rights was an idea that grew into monster proportions. Parent's have no "rights" and are held to an impossible standard. Put under a microscope, they are monitored, manipulated emotionally, and judged.
Kids today have not learned the importance of not saying everything they think, feel, or whatever opinion is going through their mind in the moment. When I say kids, I mean from talking age to 18.
I value what they say, don't get me wrong. But there is a different attitude today. Some of it is very good but most of it is self serving.
There is a lack of respect, I think for the most part. Respect for others - whether other's opinions, needs, beliefs and so on.
I've seen a lot of parents struggle with raising their children, feeling unsure of their skills and worry about the liberal influence from other parents, school doctrine and so on.
Parenting has never been easy....it requires a lot of self sacrifice and consistency.
These are my observations from watching my grandkids grow and act with their friends and attending programs at their school. Also, what I pick up from children's tv programming.
I know it sounds all doom and gloom - I don't mean it in that way. It's just a very different time we live in and there are many more obstacles for parents to maneuver around.
Aren't you glad you asked? hehe.....no dull boys or girls here!!
I totally agree with you, dear! I have two boys and struggle to raise them! If you are trying to teach them “old fashioned values”, you are risking to ruin their happiness, because society and their peers will marginalize them and they will probably be bullied...and the kids, including my own, are spoiled rotten with the attention span of a goldfish.
😂soooo true!!
Stand firm with your parenting....it's YOUR parenting not someone else's. You won't ruin their happiness with rules or boundaries. They want it from you. Their will always be bullies to attack you through your kids and make them feel bad for having parents who won't let them do this or that.....
One day they grow up and have kids of their own and have to make the same decisions you are making now.
Then you can sit back and laugh. ;)
Hehe, I wanted to read the perspective of someone who has experience in these matters :) Most of my friends are in their 30's and have little kids, and what they complain about (most of the time) is that their children want more and more, and that they super easily get bored of their toys and stuff. Just what you described.
I was talking to a friend of mine last weer - her nephew is 2 years old and still cannot talk. However, he knows how to play videos on YouTube, how to skip the ads, take pictures with the camera and even switch to the front camera for a selfie. Weird?
I don't know if I will ever have kids, but it's good to be aware of these things.
That's sad.... Yes that's weird about the 2 year old who can't talk but knows how to operate electronics. He has no need to talk. I'm just shaking my head here. Poor little one.