Bubble children and helicopter parents

[vraiblonde]

Do you think it's actually laziness that makes nervous Mommies hover over their spawn? Hear me out:

Back in the day our Moms had to kiss countless boo boos; sometimes take us to the emergency room to get us stitched up; and be annoyed when we got to playing, lost track of time, and she had to stub out her cigarette, go outside, and yell for us to come home.

Today's mommies don't have to do any of that because Jr. never leaves her sight, and is completely padded and helmeted to prevent any boo boos from happening.

So what do those lazy beeches do all day now?

 

[kwillia]

Do you think it's actually laziness that makes nervous Mommies hover over their spawn? Hear me out:

Back in the day our Moms had to kiss countless boo boos; sometimes take us to the emergency room to get us stitched up; and be annoyed when we got to playing, lost track of time, and she had to stub out her cigarette, go outside, and yell for us to come home.

Today's mommies don't have to do any of that because Jr. never leaves her sight, and is completely padded and helmeted to prevent any boo boos from happening.

So what do those lazy beeches do all day now?

Believe it or not... its been my observation that they spend their day entertaining their kid(s). Their kid(s) have no clue how to play by themselves or be in a different room by themselves.

 

[Vince]

We had to have a clock in our head. Had to be home at 5pm sharp for dinner. That's when Dad walked through the door and you'd better be at the table when he sat down. Emergency Room?? Nope. If you needed stitches, the local Doc did them. Picture Mayberry and that's the kind of small town I grew up in.

 

[kwillia]

We had to have a clock in our head. Had to be home at 5pm sharp for dinner. That's when Dad walked through the door and you'd better be at the table when he sat down. Emergency Room?? Nope. If you needed stitches, the local Doc did them. Picture Mayberry and that's the kind of small town I grew up in.

If the TV was on it was usually a show my mom or dad wanted to watch. Nowadays it seems that if you are visiting a house that has a kid in it the TV is on and its a kid's show whether there is a tyke paying attention to it or not. Also, we played with our toys in our bedrooms. Rarely was the living room trashed with our stuff. Nowadays folks seem to actually be keeping toy boxes in the living room and there are typically toys of some sort everywhere.

 

[Misfit]

So what do those lazy beeches do all day now?

Post.

 

[JeJeTe]

Believe it or not... its been my observation that they spend their day entertaining their kid(s). Their kid(s) have no clue how to play by themselves or be in a different room by themselves.

Not mine. He occupies himself very well whether it's outside or indoors. Especially the last two days since I've been sick. I can't entertain him all day long. I don't have time for that as harsh as that might sound.

If the TV was on it was usually a show my mom or dad wanted to watch. Nowadays it seems that if you are visiting a house that has a kid in it the TV is on and its a kid's show whether there is a tyke paying attention to it or not. Also, we played with our toys in our bedrooms. Rarely was the living room trashed with our stuff. Nowadays folks seem to actually be keeping toy boxes in the living room and there are typically toys of some sort everywhere.

The living room TV is mine. We'll usually watch something together but if I want to watch something on it then he can go watch tv in his room or go do something else. I don't understand the need for playrooms of toys. You have a room. Keep your toys in there and play. I don't get that.

 

[RareBreed]

I am proud to say that I raise my kids "old school" and take all kinds of ribbing from other parents about not being a good mom because my kids aren't constantly under my watch. If it was good enough for me, it's good enough for my kids!

 

[kwillia]

We had to have a clock in our head. Had to be home at 5pm sharp for dinner. That's when Dad walked through the door and you'd better be at the table when he sat down. Emergency Room?? Nope. If you needed stitches, the local Doc did them. Picture Mayberry and that's the kind of small town I grew up in.

You are right... we learned "time management" at a single digit age long before "time management" was a trendy thing to say...

 

[Hank]

Post.

 

[vraiblonde]

Nowadays it seems that if you are visiting a house that has a kid in it the TV is on and its a kid's show whether there is a tyke paying attention to it or not.

To be fair, most of what's on TV for adults these days is all cusswords and porno.

 

[KDENISE977]

I'll admit to playing with my kid, not "entertaining" him. I make him go and play with his toys or if I'm making dinner, go watch the tv... it's hard when he constantly says "Can't I be your helper" makes me feel bad to say no, but I do, I can't stand him under my feet and I feel I do get harsh with him "get OUT of the kitchen"

I also feel the guilt of only having one so I take the blame he doesn't have a sibling to play with, but not bad enough to have another

 

[kwillia]

I'll admit to playing with my kid, not "entertaining" him. I make him go and play with his toys or if I'm making dinner, go watch the tv... it's hard when he constantly says "Can't I be your helper" makes me feel bad to say no, but I do, I can't stand him under my feet and I feel I do get harsh with him "get OUT of the kitchen"

I also feel the guilt of only having one so I take the blame he doesn't have a sibling to play with, but not bad enough to have another

Does he typically stay in the same room with you when he's playing by himself or can he play fine in his room alone?

 

[KDENISE977]

Does he typically stay in the same room with you when he's playing by himself or can he play fine in his room alone?

When he plays with toys he's in the room with his toy box, not his bed room because that's on the 2nd floor and he's only 3. Not in the living room...last night was perfect example, husband and I were watching tv, he was in the next room playing with his toys, yes we could see him, but he wasn't in the room with us. Typically if we're all 3 watching tv it's him on an ipad and my husband and I watching something. But theres also times when cartoons are on because me and my husband are on our ipads and aren't even paying attention to the tv. Oh, and NO toys are not all over the room, he cleans up after himself and only usually gets one out, puts one back.

 

[kwillia]

When he plays with toys he's in the room with his toy box, not his bed room because that's on the 2nd floor and he's only 3. Not in the living room...last night was perfect example, husband and I were watching tv, he was in the next room playing with his toys, yes we could see him, but he wasn't in the room with us. Typically if we're all 3 watching tv it's him on an ipad and my husband and I watching something. But theres also times when cartoons are on because me and my husband are on our ipads and aren't even paying attention to the tv. Oh, and NO toys are not all over the room, he cleans up after himself and only usually gets one out, puts one back.

Cool. I was only asking because if he hadn't learned how to be in a room playing by himself yet that could be one thing you could work on at home that might make his daycare/school situation a little better.

Vrai's original post was pretty spot on. Sometimes its just plain easier for us to take the lazy route rather than apply the discipline necessary for our kids to become independent. I was a working mom and I know I can look back at things I let mine get away with out of pure exhaustion...

 

[SG_Player1974]

Post.

Reply of the day! You win the internetz!!

 

[KDENISE977]

What I don't understand are the parents that think every waking moment of a Saturday or sunday needs to be spent at Chucky Cheese, or at a park or doing something for your kid... I don't remember my parents taking me anywhere every weekend??? It's like you feel BAD if you're not going to do something "special" for them every weekend like everyone else is. Go to every fair all summer, go to every amusement park... whose got time for that?

 

[terbear1225]

personally, I find it an exhausting full time job keeping my kid out of the emergency room. Then again, he's got coordination issues and very little fear of pain.

 

[Vince]

What I don't understand are the parents that think every waking moment of a Saturday or sunday needs to be spent at Chucky Cheese, or at a park or doing something for your kid... I don't remember my parents taking me anywhere every weekend??? It's like you feel BAD if you're not going to do something "special" for them every weekend like everyone else is. Go to every fair all summer, go to every amusement park... whose got time for that?

You got something special on your birthday or Christmas. Weekends were for work. Mowing the grass took two of us with the old manual mower. No, I'm not talking gas powered either. The people powered one that you pushed and it went round and round and cut the grass. Dad finally got a gas powered one and it still took two of us on the handle to mow.

 

[KDENISE977]

As a parent of a young child I can also attest to the saying "spend time with them now, in a few years they won't want you around" being CONSTANTLY drilled in your head since they were born !!!

 

[SG_Player1974]

Bill Cosby once said that 2 adults with just 1 child are not REAL parents.

If something goes wrong... you already know who did it! :shrug: