TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Doctors and Dentist never wore latex gloves.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned
HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
AMEN!
We don't have cable - I won't get it. They watch TV at Gma's or not at all.
The PS2 is only used by kids when they are sick or it is raining.
We slap the first sunburn of the year - it's a tradition.
Kids learned to fish by 3 years old. We go swimming when the fish won't bite. Need to replace the old rope swing, tho, because the little one (4 y/o) can't reach it without help.
Camping is with a tent. No electricity.
Kids pick up after themselves, make their own sandwiches, and have chores.
We're such mean parents.
AMEN!
We don't have cable - I won't get it. They watch TV at Gma's or not at all.
The PS2 is only used by kids when they are sick or it is raining.
We slap the first sunburn of the year - it's a tradition.
Kids learned to fish by 3 years old. We go swimming when the fish won't bite. Need to replace the old rope swing, tho, because the little one (4 y/o) can't reach it without help.
Camping is with a tent. No electricity.
Kids pick up after themselves, make their own sandwiches, and have chores.
We're such mean parents.
I'm a mean mom too. I always have to know where my son is, who the friends and their parents are... God forbid he has to be in the house by 10pm.... My bedtime growing up was 9:00 and my mom.. before I could tell time used to wait until it got dark and then tell me it was 9:00.
i'm mean too, cause i won't let him have the $70.00 heeley shoes, I won't let him have his own cell phone. (what's wrong w/me??!!)
I won't let him go by himself on his bicycle to the park.. Jeez.. I'm such a bad mom!!!
I know alot of the local cops and they all know who my son is (not because he's bad) but because everytime i see them I remind the cops that they need to treat my son like they would their own.
such bad parents in the world today 
AMEN!
We don't have cable - I won't get it. They watch TV at Gma's or not at all.
The PS2 is only used by kids when they are sick or it is raining.
We slap the first sunburn of the year - it's a tradition.
Kids learned to fish by 3 years old. We go swimming when the fish won't bite. Need to replace the old rope swing, tho, because the little one (4 y/o) can't reach it without help.
Camping is with a tent. No electricity.
Kids pick up after themselves, make their own sandwiches, and have chores.
We're such mean parents.
I'm a mean mom too. I always have to know where my son is, who the friends and their parents are... God forbid he has to be in the house by 10pm.... My bedtime growing up was 9:00 and my mom.. before I could tell time used to wait until it got dark and then tell me it was 9:00.
i'm mean too, cause i won't let him have the $70.00 heeley shoes, I won't let him have his own cell phone. (what's wrong w/me??!!)
I won't let him go by himself on his bicycle to the park.. Jeez.. I'm such a bad mom!!!
I know alot of the local cops and they all know who my son is (not because he's bad) but because everytime i see them I remind the cops that they need to treat my son like they would their own.
such bad parents in the world today
i am this same way i dont care what society tells us we are suppose to do with our kids i do what i learned from my mom and that was to make 'em tough!!!
times are a changin' at my house
my 11 yr son has a PS2--he just gave it to his sis
has a cell phone---ONLY b/c I spent 1 hr looking in every place possible for his BUTT & still couldn't find him (& i was the one late after that)
BUT HERE'S WHAT CHANGED IT ALL:
the spoiled a** brat pitched a fit b/c he had to eat a turkey sandwich 2 or 3 day in a row for lunch last week. I thought i was going to hit the roof, boy did i lose my cool....Tonight i was informed that we needed to go grocery shopping b/c we didn't have anything......THE KID doesn't know what nothing is-------crap there's cakes mixes what else does he think we need 
now they both have a chore chart & will get paid only if it's all done correctly & w/out back talk (but he thinks his new allowance isn't enough b/c his cousin gets more)
he also has to pay me when he says smart mouth words
My mom always had to know who I was with and where I was going. My grandma always used to ask "Who are her/his folks?" I would reply--"Aw grandma, you don't know everybody."
Fast forward 30 years--I work in home health and many of my patient's ask what's my grandparents name..and you know what? She DID know everybody...LOL!!!
We could only spend the night with someone after they spent the night with us...and not more than one night until they spent the night with us again. Mom said it kept from wearing the folks out.
One evening we were sitting outside eating watermelon and my friend and I said (at the same time) "Oh, smell that honeysuckle?" The kids asked "What's honeysuckle?" Too much time indoors.
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now they both have a chore chart & will get paid only if it's all done correctly & w/out back talk (but he thinks his new allowance isn't enough b/c his cousin gets more)
he also has to pay me when he says smart mouth words
that is too funny that you say that!!! that' works for alot of families which is good....but it was never offered in my house. My mom used to threaten that my Grandma would come over and help me clean my room!! Needless to say I hightailed it to my bedroom!!
This is our experience!!...
My son has alot of friends who live w/in a few houses of us. Next door is one of them and he's an only child too. Well one day my son comes home and he's like mom the next time I get my hair cut.. you need to pay me for it or else I'm not getting it cut!! What? 
I'm sorry let me clean my ears for a sec.. After I registered what he said I explained that we don't "pay" people for grooming here and the next time he tells me that... I will just sit on him and shave him bald!!!! HIS CHOICE!! Yes he changed his tune real quick!!!
Yes..the child next door is pretty spoiled.. he can't join scouts cause his parents would have to go outside and they don't want to be bothered!! (that's straight from the parents mouth!! ) He also gets paid for report cards and to clean his room. Last christmas his mom told him that he could get a present early if he cleaned his room!!! My son asked if that could happen here and I laughed at him!!!
- we don't pay for good grades!!! (grandparents can ..but moms and dads don't) Good colleges (sp?) pay for good grades!
-we don't pay for chores or keeping the room clean... you live here too and if i clean your room, I throw things out!
-you eat what's on your plate or no friends or tv!! the more you complain about dinner you get another spoonful!!
I'm such a bad mom aren't I???
i would love to read what other parents have installed with their kids that their parents did!!
bodaisy---no you aren't a bad mom....& the allowance hasn't started here yet, so it might not work out, but he is always wanting money & is saving for vacation so with that i hope things do work, b/c his mouth is so bad he's gonna be broke soon --he does not cuss, he's just teaching his 5 yr old sis words like stupid, idiot, gay, fart & words that i just don't use & she wouldn't learn from me....DH says paying me wasn't that big a deal25 cent), but if he hears him he could pay (deduc.) $1.00 from said allowance---so he might not have any money at the end of the week---hehe--so see your not mean---i'm just gonna make mine use his own money on vacation for all the junk he wants. & i get help with the laundry.
Awesome to know I'm not alone in this. We sure grew up differently and I'm glad for it. Hopefully, I can instill some of it in my children. Crazy how things have changed.
bodaisy---no you aren't a bad mom....& the allowance hasn't started here yet, so it might not work out, but he is always wanting money & is saving for vacation so with that i hope things do work, b/c his mouth is so bad he's gonna be broke soon --he does not cuss, he's just teaching his 5 yr old sis words like stupid, idiot, gay, fart & words that i just don't use & she wouldn't learn from me....DH says paying me wasn't that big a deal25 cent), but if he hears him he could pay (deduc.) $1.00 from said allowance---so he might not have any money at the end of the week---hehe--so see your not mean---i'm just gonna make mine use his own money on vacation for all the junk he wants. & i get help with the laundry.
My son would be broke all of the time as well ... he's a spitfire. AND he's an Aries!!!!! So two Aries in one household means some nasty arguments!!!!!! That's were the money would go bye-bye!!!! I will say he's better w/like birthday money than I ever was!! This year he bought his own cleats, an armor shirt, a brand new baseball bat and "undergarments" for baseball. He didn't want the ones I could afford, so he bought the things he wanted w/his own money.
Good luck w/the allowance..
bo
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