I was born in 1977. I grew up in the 80’s. I think it was the best decade in which to grow up. My summers were filled with parents dropping me off, yes, they dropped me off and left, to swim team practice, coming home for a few hours, and heading back to the pool with my sister and my mom, where she laid out and relaxed. My sister and I knew she wasn’t going to “watch this” or get in the pool and we didn’t care. We just wanted her to give us money for penny Swedish Fish and pizza. After an afternoon in the pool, we’d head home where my sister and I would promptly get on our dirt bikes and find friends to play with. We played fort in our backyard, formed games of baseball in the street, and begged our mom to let us eat dinner on the front porch so we wouldn’t have to go inside and miss out on the fun.
My kids finish the school year in three days. I’m already dreading their moans of, “I’m bored”. Being a parent in 2019 kind of sucks. Somewhere along the line my generation thought that our parents had it it all wrong. We thought that paying attention to every “watch this” was going to make our children feel nurtured and important, and it did. They actually act like they’re Jesus Christ Superstar himself.
I will regularly be fighting “mom guilt” all summer. Am I doing enough? Am I paying them enough attention? I know they like their friends’ houses better than mine because that mom drops everything to do anything for her kids. I will fight that guilt because it’s absurd. My kids have a pool in their backyard, every electrical riding toy you can imagine, a gymnastics quality trampoline, a basketball hoop, a hot tub, and an enormous park all within 100 yards of our front door.
Parents, let’s all pretend it’s 1984 again. Let’s ignore our children a little this summer. Let’s not cater to their every whim. Let’s be like our moms and watch the Young and the Restless and kick our kids out of the house. Let’s make them microwave some “Kids Cuisine” frozen meals (if you’re my age you remember these).
We are doing our children a disservice. Our generation was adventurous and we learned how to hold our own at a young age. We had to because our parents weren’t there for our entertainment. They were there to love and care for us but they weren’t Ringling Brothers and Barnum Circus. I know our parents weren’t perfect, but we have swung too far in the other direction when it comes to entertaining our children.
I felt VERY loved as a child and LOVED my childhood and all the memories I have. I cherish them and sometimes wish I could have one more carefree summer day in the 80’s. For the record, I love my children like only a mother could. I had children because I wanted to share in their childhood and all the fun, not be the fun. Childhood is the most magical time in every person’s life. It is idyllic in and of itself. You really don’t have to run yourself ragged to constantly make sure they’re entertained. Let them be bored!
I know I’ll get some flack from some people about this post, but I don’t care. You’re not my kind of people anyway and your kid is probably an asshole. To the moms that like the thought of 1984, come on by my house one afternoon this summer and we can enjoy some margaritas while we ignore our children.
