What upsets you the most that your children won't get to experience things you had?

amystan · October 2014

About land lines... I kind of feel like maybe we will get one once the kids start getting older (if they still make them). I remember being 13 and getting my own phone line because I was talking so much on the phone. But I don't want my kids having private cell phones at that age... It's just so unnecessary I feel, and it gives them too much freedom to send dirty texts or chat with strangers. I miss the days when you would answer the phone and have to talk to someone for a few seconds even if it was just to give the phone to someone else. We lose so much contact that way.

edit: I also want to say that I think maybe our generation of new moms will be more considerate to the fact that things have changed so fast over the last few decades. I have a little faith that more and more new parents are going to want to slow things down and take things back to a more simple way of life. Fingers crossed.

ElizabethSwann · October 2014

I like choo choo soul. The message is awesome, and i love the educational songs. So does DS obviously.

Cat dog was like the most annoying show ever.

I miss Legends of the Hidden Temple.

drmrsmantis · October 2014

mbm1983 said:

Technology is all about moderation. Our kids will grow up with it all around them. Just remember it's a tool and not a babysitter and you will be fine. Don't hate tech too much. It's just a tool. And a really convenient and useful one at that.

I couldn't agree more. I think technology can be a cool learning tool/experience depending on how it is used. Like anything else in parenting (or life), it's how you use it and set guidelines--not inherently all good or all bad.

BabiesEverywhere · October 2014

ashleyinva said:
I want my kids to have the Christmas I had. We stayed home all day, played with our new toys and gadgets, watched the parade, and ate delicious food. We live far from family now, and I worry that our holidays will be spent on the road. H and I travel a lot to see everyone, and we always hit traffic. We spend more time in the car than we do with people. It wasn't fun last year. I put my foot down for Easter this year, and it wasn't well received.

We have some time to figure it out.

This is us, too. We always lived close to our extended family when I was growing up so we got to see them without traveling further than 45 minutes...but now our little family lives an 8+ hour drive away from family. I can't decide at what point we say it's not worth it for our immediate family to travel to see grandparents on Christmas. I'm sure it won't be well-received if we ever make that choice, too...

MagalinaH · October 2014

@superfudge00, I agree about board games, or just playing (non-video) games in general. I grew up playing cards with my dad at the kitchen table while my mom made dinner. We frequently played games together after dinner as well.

Travel is another one-I don't necessarily think it won't happen, but it probably won't happen as often as I'd like. The cost of traveling is just so high now, that I'm not sure how often we'll be able to do it. Growing up, we went somewhere every summer. We almost always drove and packed up the back with a cooler full of snacks and stayed in cheap motels along the way. I saw over half the country this way. It helped that we have lots of family spread out and could stay with them once we got to our destination to save on costs. It's hard enough now going on a trip just me and my husband. I can't imagine how hard it will be once kids/daycare/etc are in the mix.

TheWindCriesMary · October 2014

Have to agree with the playing outside all day. We only had a few channels growing up and the only time I watched tv was the Simpsons after dinner and cartoons on Saturday morning lol unless I felt like watching jeopardy (which now I actually do

RIngReady · October 2014

amystan said:

About land lines... I kind of feel like maybe we will get one once the kids start getting older (if they still make them). I remember being 13 and getting my own phone line because I was talking so much on the phone. But I don't want my kids having private cell phones at that age... It's just so unnecessary I feel, and it gives them too much freedom to send dirty texts or chat with strangers. I miss the days when you would answer the phone and have to talk to someone for a few seconds even if it was just to give the phone to someone else. We lose so much contact that way.

I work in an elementary school and I feel like kids don't know how to greet adults anymore either. I remember my parent's making us practice how to answer the phone "Hello, ______ residence, this is_____", and "yes sir, I'll get ____ for you, hold on. please." days almost everyone uses a cell with caller ID and we all just answer "Hey Sally."

bowman958 · October 2014

BabiesEverywhere said:

ashleyinva said:
I want my kids to have the Christmas I had. We stayed home all day, played with our new toys and gadgets, watched the parade, and ate delicious food. We live far from family now, and I worry that our holidays will be spent on the road. H and I travel a lot to see everyone, and we always hit traffic. We spend more time in the car than we do with people. It wasn't fun last year. I put my foot down for Easter this year, and it wasn't well received.

We have some time to figure it out.
This is us, too. We always lived close to our extended family when I was growing up so we got to see them without traveling further than 45 minutes...but now our little family lives an 8+ hour drive away from family. I can't decide at what point we say it's not worth it for our immediate family to travel to see grandparents on Christmas. I'm sure it won't be well-received if we ever make that choice, too...

We are in your shoes and starting this year we are doing the "if you want to see us, you have to come to us" thing for Christmas. We will still travel, but not for Christmas Day. We will go after.

RIngReady · October 2014

mbm1983 said:

RIngReady said:

amystan said:

About land lines... I kind of feel like maybe we will get one once the kids start getting older (if they still make them). I remember being 13 and getting my own phone line because I was talking so much on the phone. But I don't want my kids having private cell phones at that age... It's just so unnecessary I feel, and it gives them too much freedom to send dirty texts or chat with strangers. I miss the days when you would answer the phone and have to talk to someone for a few seconds even if it was just to give the phone to someone else. We lose so much contact that way.

I work in an elementary school and I feel like kids don't know how to greet adults anymore either. I remember my parent's making us practice how to answer the phone "Hello, ______ residence, this is_____", and "yes sir, I'll get ____ for you, hold on. please." days almost everyone uses a cell with caller ID and we all just answer "Hey Sally."

i personally don't think kids should be answering the phone or the front door for anyone they don't know. shit, i don't even answer the phone for numbers i don't know. my parents have a land line and everything goes to voice mail. they call back if they want to talk to you.

I completely agree, but I miss the manners that came with answering doors and phones. I feel like so many kids have so little ability to greet and openly interact with adults these days even when they are with their parents.

Puppies+Rainbows+Unicorns · October 2014

carter604 said:

My response here isn't a "thing" as in an item. My mom says that ours was the last generation of "free range" children and that's what I'm sad my kids won't experience. I was an early 80's baby and we grew up rural, with lots of animals and acreage. My sister and I would take a horse and a dog and head out all day on all sorts of adventures. Whether it was a stump fort bakery, ditch full of frogs or pocket full of nails and a hammer, those days we were told to go play outside hold some of my best childhood memories.

This. I would be afraid that my neighbors would call the police if someone were to allow their 9 year old to walk 1/2 mile home from school. I remember riding my bike and walking all around the neighborhood as a really young kid.

MagalinaH · October 2014

RIngReady said:

I work in an elementary school and I feel like kids don't know how to greet adults anymore either. I remember my parent's making us practice how to answer the phone "Hello, ______ residence, this is_____", and "yes sir, I'll get ____ for you, hold on. please." days almost everyone uses a cell with caller ID and we all just answer "Hey Sally."

i personally don't think kids should be answering the phone or the front door for anyone they don't know. shit, i don't even answer the phone for numbers i don't know. my parents have a land line and everything goes to voice mail. they call back if they want to talk to you.

I completely agree, but I miss the manners that came with answering doors and phones. I feel like so many kids have so little ability to greet and openly interact with adults these days even when they are with their parents.

This. I have "door duty" every morning and greet students as they come into the building. Only about 1 out of 4 actually responds when I say hello, or good morning to them. It's really sad. And you're right, it goes beyond just greeting, it's also about interacting with others in general, especially (familiar) adults.

Critter015 · October 2014

Not really a thing, but I am sad that my kids are growing up so far away from my family. When I was a kid I had a huge network of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who all lived in the same town as me. It was so great growing up with such a big support network. Now we live across the country from them. We are near DH's family but they have been slowly moving away. The only ones left are his grandparents who likely won't live another 5 years. I am sad that my kids will miss out on growing up knowing their family like I did, but it is part of the reason why I we are having more than just two kids, so that they will have each other.

ur_mom222 · October 2014

lneice0160 said:
I honestly hate how dependent kids are on electronics! Its rediculous! I mean it's great that kids are able to advance so quickly but come on now, no little kid needs an iPod, iPad, kindle, smart phone, Xbox 1/PlayStation, etc.

What happened to our e Nintendo 64s and colorless gameboys? Ferbies that you spent hrs trying to see if you got lucky enough to get one of the ones that said cuss words. The bears and dogs that you cold color on then your mom could wash it off.

Keenan and Kel, All That, rugrats, original Power Rangers, FACE, Doug, Hey Arnold etc, granted I do use our Netflix like crazy instead of the garbage kids shows on nowadays but it doesn't have everything and our DDs grandparents don't have it and the in-laws let her watch w/e bc that's what everyone else does...ugh I don't want my kids to have syrup for brains and no attention span whatsoever.

Can we just have our fun awesomeness back? I think its wonderful we've been able to make such progress but can we just slack off on the little kids?

All of this. Although unrelated to your post I will say I loved video games when I was little and the leapster is fucking awesome. I'm a 90s baby and still played outside all the time. My babies are not getting kindles or iPads or whatever until they're waaaaay older than 5.

SunnyBeachBum · October 2014

Do you remember how difficult it was to answer a question you didn't know?! You had to drag your butt to a library, find a book, or look in an encyclopedia. Now, every question has an answer in seconds, at the tip of your google finger. Our kids will never know the pain of REAL research... Which I guess is a good thing and not something I will miss.

mary62108 · October 2014

My inlaws bought my DD who is TWO an iPad. I could have died. They said they wanted her to have it so they could Facetime with her. Are you serious?????

Ncountrygal · October 2014

We didn't watch tv much as kids, just occasional family movies. My DH and I decided we'd do the same thing with our family. That goes for phones, computer, and video games too. We'll allow a little independent screen time as the kids grow up.

Things I'm missing on behalf of my kids? Simple stuff. Minnesota winters. Nothing like real snow you can count on until April! Growing up a block from the Mississippi. My mom's pie. We do have a bigger yard now than I did as a kid, with a creek, a bonfire pit, a giant cypress tree, and when my mom visits there's good pie. My pie is okayish and that will have to do!

Ncountrygal · October 2014

nomesy said:
Oh and they will probably never understand corduroy pants and how unfashionable and noisy they are

They are unfashionable? Oh...um yes, how right you are.

*goes off to donate all offending pantalones to the Salvation Army*

amandamarie2 · October 2014

Small town life- I lived in the same little town for 18 years and even if it sometimes felt too small knowing everybody was great. I had the same dance teachers for 15 years. Just stuff like that. Our kids won't have that because DH is military and we won't be in any place nearly that long.

kbehelr · October 2014

I fear that children in this generation will struggle to connect with other kids face to face. I played outside non stop growing up. You see less and less of this and now people rarely pick up the phone to call one another let alone visit in person.

canadianttc1st · October 2014

I'm sad my kids won't experience the same family closeness I did. As a child we always had large family gatherings. We live on the other side of the country so my kids won't be as close with their cousins growing up as I was.

bsdub · October 2014

@Lildoll513‌ dislike

How can they get rid of swings - that's criminal!

MagalinaH · October 2014

@NCountrygal, where in Minnesota are you from? I grew up and went to college in Minneapolis. MN will always be home to me, and it makes me a little sad that Baby H won't be getting the same Twin Cities experience.

Ncountrygal · October 2014

MagalinaH said:
@NCountrygal, where in Minnesota are you from? I grew up and went to college in Minneapolis. MN will always be home to me, and it makes me a little sad that Baby H won't be getting the same Twin Cities experience.

What part of Minneapolis? I grew up by St. Thomas University, St. Paul side of the river. I love my old neighborhood. It's so historic and pretty. There's nothing like it here in VA, unless you want to live in a pre-civil war house and can afford one that's not falling down ;-)

MagalinaH · October 2014

Ncountrygal said:

@NCountrygal, where in Minnesota are you from? I grew up and went to college in Minneapolis. MN will always be home to me, and it makes me a little sad that Baby H won't be getting the same Twin Cities experience.
What part of Minneapolis? I grew up by St. Thomas University, St. Paul side of the river. I love my old neighborhood. It's so historic and pretty. There's nothing like it here in VA, unless you want to live in a pre-civil war house and can afford one that's not falling down ;-)

Southwest Minneapolis. I grew up about 15 blocks east of Lake Harriet. For undergrad, I went to Augsburg College. I also taught in St. Paul for year (Longfellow neighborhood) before I moved to Iowa.

I agree about the historical aspect of St. Paul neighborhoods. I miss the lakes and parks so much living down here in the cornfields!

RIngReady · October 2014

Lildoll513 said:

Oh, you know, bsdub. Swings are sooo dangerous. Gotta keep 'em safe :-@

Our local school took out monkey bars a few years ago, because kids were falling from them.

Oh how I miss Red Rover Red Rover. Best playground game!

KayDeeKay81 · October 2014

My Grandma

Emillers · October 2014

Rainbow Chip

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