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You know, I had a really wonderful childhood. At least for the 16 and only years I lived at home. I probably lived in at least 15 different communities, in 5 or 6 states, and three different countries, on two continents. Wouldn't have had it any other way.
But growing up is different now. Last night, while I was looking for the best value in pre-cooked meals at the grocery store deli, I noticed a lady in her late sixties, pushing a cart full of groceries, with about a 3-year old strapped in the seat. I presumed the adult was the grand mother of the child of her methhead child. It seems to be very prevalent around here to see people raising their children's children for what ever reason.
Granny asked the kid, "What would you like with your steak tonight, Dear?" Holy crap! Since when are 3 year olds competent enough to make a decision like that. But then, after seeing the T-bones in the cart, I thought maybe the kid selected them too.
Thinking back, I can't ever remember even eating a steak while I lived at home, unless you count a pot roast as steak. And I don't think my children had steak more than a half dozen times in my house, unless you count skirt steaks (actually they were pretty tasty). My kids were lucky to be able to chose the flavor of the Kool Aid we'd buy for them!
And then, during my first introduction to our most recent grand daughter last week, her father showed off a closet he built special for Isabella. Holy crap! The child, less than 3 weeks old, had a wardrobe larger the the entire amount of clothes my children owned through high school.
I could go on and on. The toys, activities, computers, cars, electronics, etc., are now so more available than ever before.
Isn't it great? So great that listening to Louis Armstrong sing, "What a Wonderful World" brings tears to my eyes.
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I bet you "could go on and on"...and I bet you will! Tell me more, oh wise one!
ReplyDeleteOh, and it is great growing up in "our" generation. We get all the greatest stuff...including rib eye steaks..mmmmm. You're obviously jealous...and you should be!
-ap
i can remember the text book for a home ec. class we were forced to take in the 8th grade that said it was healthy to allow children to choose...what they wanted for dinner, what they wanted to wear, and so on. i believe it just may be what has led to the demise of civilization as we know it.
ReplyDeletegive me the days when "children were seen, but not heard", "good little boys and girls", and were most happy when they "sat in their places with bright, shiny faces". Yeah. i think walking to school uphill three miles in the snow with no boots was a healthy time.
you know what else was neat for white men...slavery! too bad anybody ever questioned that idea!
ReplyDeletei hope it wasn't that the parents of that child you saw in the grocery store didn't die in some accident... Because if I died at work or something, I'd hate to think of my mom being judged in how she chose to raise my child by some complete stranger. Given, of course, if I could ever even find me a hubby and start pumpin out the chillins like we good women folks should be!
I LIKE TAKING MY 3 AND 4 YEAR OLD GRANKIDS TO THE GUN SHOP AND SEEING THERE EYES LIGHT UP AT ALL THE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, (SEMI AND FULLY), I ALSO ENJOYED THE QUESTIONS THEY ASK ABOUT WHICH ONES I THINK THEY CAN SHOOT, I SAID, WILL STICK TO THE 22 AUTOS FOR NOW AND THEN WILL GRADUALLY MOVE UP FROM THERE, LAST NIGHT WE TURNED THE CARTOONS OFF AND I PULLED OUT MY 16" BOWIE KNIFE AND WE HAD A KNIFE SHARPNING LESSON. THEY BOTH SAID TO ME ARE YOU GOING TO CUT OUR TBONE STEAKS WITH THAT KNIFE GRANPOP, I THOUGHT WOW, THESE GRANKIDS ARE REALLY COMING ALONG AND THESE KIDS WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE SURVIVE,
ReplyDeleteWhew! And some say I've lost my mind. Maybe you stole it. That's awesome. Bring those kids camping with you. I've got the axe and they can split the wood to keep a hot fire for us.
ReplyDeleteI hope someone's teaching your grandDAUGHTERS how to sew and cook!
ReplyDelete-ap
One day I was in a store shopping with Grace and someone asked me how old my granddaughter was.
ReplyDeleteAnother day someone told Ro how cute his grandchild was.
You know what they say about assumptions.
I can agree with your general feelings about grandparents raising their grandkids but jumping to conclusions about specific situations is just - to me - asinine.
Perhaps she was the grandparent after all, and perhaps the child was visiting her for a week and being spoiled and loved on - as my children did with you a couple of years ago.
Perhaps it was a babysitter, or an aunt, or a thousand other possibilities that have nothing to do with a meth-head parent.
And maybe your point is about the steak. Just wanted to let you know that my kids eat steak regularly. Not daily, but often.
And, often as well, I even ask them what they'd like to have with it.
Doesn't mean they make all the choices here, or that I'm one of those liberal parents who allows the child to run the household. It just means that from time to time I like to know (and fix) what they like.
Please understand that while I often agree with your general sentiments - too many grandparents raising grandchildren; kids are way more spoiled than generations before (even though that's how it has been throughout history I believe); etc. - making assumptions about individual people is, to me, unfair and prideful.
By the way...? My 3 year old is probably competent enough to not only tell you what she wants with her steak but just about competent enough to tell you how to fix it.
and according to the latest commercials, we can all afford steak if we shop at walmart supercenters
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