Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Born in 1941 just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have seen several generations grow up while their parents talked about how easy the kids have it today, and how spoiled they are.
My gramma and grampa thought my generation was spoiled because we had radio to listen to and cars to ride, while they had to make their own entertainment and either walked or rode the family horse or mule to get from here to there.
The world and times change rapidly and people change with the times, but kids still have imaginations that we as parents now days need too allow them to use and develop when they are young. They will be the grown ups in the next generation and will need the imaginative nature to build, repair, invent, and create things and ideas to repair what damage prior generations may have done, and what we will have to entertain us and make life easier for the next generation.
Just like my generation did when we grew up and gave you the TV, the eight tracks, the first hand held games and taught you how to use the keyboard in high school for the future of the early computer that was growing and evolving so rapidly in the world of business and Government usage and soon to be so advanced that every home and business would have one in the future and believe it or not we could have instant communication anywhere in the world where there was availability
It's hard not to over indulge our kids with what they want since we love them so much and we want them to be happy. Especially if there cousins get new toys or something we tend to buy them the same thing so that they won't feel left out (we're a very close family). I try to implement a reward system wherein if they do good in school or if they do house chores they get a little in return so that they would know the value of hardwork.
I remember when women had the leisure time to make their own clothes. The "Simplicity" company sold "dress patterns" which were outlines printed on very thin paper and folded inside of large envelopes. Women would cut fabric based on the outlines, and then sew the pieces to make a dress. People would mend holes in socks by stretching the sock over a wooden bulb and then sewing over the hole using a needle.
I remember when colored images of any kind were rare. Childrens books like Winnie the Pooh, were illustrated with just simple line drawings. The same with Readers Digest and other magazines, each article might have just a very small pencilled sketch. For that reason, I was attracted to Stamp collecting which was one of the few sources of color images, along with "National Geographic". Now, magazines are absolutely bursting with color and flashy graphics all over every single page. Boys would be thrilled with a balsa wood airplane, or would make paper airplanes. Children would weave "pot holders" with a kit consisting of stretchy fabric loops strung over a metal frame using a special kind of knitting needle that would alternate over and under each loop.
A year ago I had my 2001 4Runner on the market since I was moving. It was in really good shape, looks and performance-wise, and honestly I didn't want to sell it. A father came by to look at it for his high school daughter and after test driving it, wanted to get it for her but said he needed to check with her first. He called back later and said she didn't want it because it had to be either a used Lexus or Range Rover.
You can replace the model and year of the cars in the above paragraph and it could relate to any generation, today or 'yesterday', and I believe it comes down to a parent establishing right from wrong, entitlement vs deserved, and many of the factors others have posted. I'm sure there are many parents who regret getting their kids that Lexus/RR...
I remember when women had the leisure time to make their own clothes. The "Simplicity" company sold "dress patterns" which were outlines printed on very thin paper and folded inside of large envelopes. Women would cut fabric based on the outlines, and then sew the pieces to make a dress. People would mend holes in socks by stretching the sock over a wooden bulb and then sewing over the hole using a needle.
I was born in early 1938, and, thus, my childhood was the WWII years and the early post-war era.
Regarding your comment that women had the "leisure time" to use dress patterns to make dresses, I am very certain, would earn you a good slap in the face from some women of that era! Leisure time, indeed!!! This was part of a woman's work for many, and homemaking was a much longer day than it is now by many hours. Working Class mothers worked RELENTLESSLY in the home, in large measure because much of the work was done by hand or with many fewer and cruder mechanical aids. Women with kids worked their butts off physically without end and seven days a week....and no friggin' whinging about driving them soccer matches.
Quote:
I remember when colored images of any kind were rare. Childrens books like Winnie the Pooh, were illustrated with just simple line drawings. The same with Readers Digest and other magazines, each article might have just a very small pencilled sketch.
I remember kids books as different, mine were filled with colored prints. Comic books, of course, were all in color.
The Reader's Digest seems to have been frugally illustrated with small drawing for decades. The adult magazines (eg. Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, etc.) Had colored prints and photos, but certainly far less than today (one big one at the beginning of an article and one or two small ones), and, of course, many b&w ads and illustrations too.
Quote:
For that reason, I was attracted to Stamp collecting which was one of the few sources of color images, along with "National Geographic". Now, magazines are absolutely bursting with color and flashy graphics all over every single page. Boys would be thrilled with a balsa wood airplane, or would make paper airplanes. Children would weave "pot holders" with a kit consisting of stretchy fabric loops strung over a metal frame using a special kind of knitting needle that would alternate over and under each loop.
Essentially my childhood era (partly because of social class) was one predominantly of toys and games made of cardboard or wood, and those awful celluloid toys that soon broke. Some small toys were made of metal. My wealthy cousins had a number of metal game toys, which struck me as a bit strange at first.
And, indeed, National Geographic was just a wonder with those endless, and exotic, colored photos. I wonder if it was expensive for those times as I knew no family that subscribed. I encountered it only after I was able to go to the library and sneak into the adult section.
The mother's on my street were grateful for the cemetery that ran behind our houses, as it provided a close-by "playground" for the younger children.
Consumer goods are very cheap nowadays and that's part of the problem. But people also use credit cards more than they did 30 years ago. Wants have become "needs". My my child is it is McDonald's. She wants to go there every day, and doesn't understand why she can't. When I was growing up, we only ate fast food if were were on car trips. Otherwise, the expense wasn't justified. We saw movies at the theater maybe once every other year, even though we just lived down the street from a movie theater.
My husband was seeing movies, every single weekend, for a while and I finally put my foot down. It just costs too much money.
I guess I'm one of the harsh parents. When my kids want something, I ask, "What are you willing to do for it? Are you willing to sweep the garage? pull weeds?"
My younger son had to make a Family Crest for school. For the family motto he wrote (in Latin) LIFE ISN'T FAIR - GET USED TO IT
My real indulgence is that we take them on fabulous vacations. I would rather give them memories than "stuff".
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
