When did we become this?

Crazy to see how things have changed from when I grew up to now. It wasn’t uncommon to go to the fridge for your father to grab a beer or to be almost a full fledge bartender for your parents this was the norm. When we got out of line you either got a spanking or the belt and this was completely acceptable by society. You could stay outside all the way till a little bit past curfew, you didn’t want to come inside because outside was your domain and free. Playing night games on weekends and building jumps for your bikes. Not too much worry at all. The parents would get together and the kids would be playing all through the neighborhood. “The good ol’days.” As some would say. We have everything in the neighborhood the creepy house that no one ever seemed to be there but the lawn and trees were perfect. The crazy guy that never wore a shirt working on cars. Catching bees and butterflies or even praying mantis. The cool old veteran that would tell awesome stories. We had different religions Catholic, Baptist, Muslim, Evangelical, hell even had Mormon. That didn’t stop us from playing and rough housing around. No folks this wasn’t a dream or a wish, this was real, growing up in the 80’s.

Now day’s people are afraid to let their kids out of sight, I am even guilty of this. Kids have not so much freedom but don’t realize it because everything is just a screen away. Technology is great and we have embraced it as a culture but I feel that we are depriving the young ones on what it is to be a kid in a free nation. You can’t discipline like we were, most definitely need a background check on a babysitter and cant trust even your neighbor to do the next right thing. What happened? Where did our generation become so weak? I mean we were the first in a lot of things; first Nintendo, first Pagers, first true mobile phones, first wide use of the public internet, Napster, CGI, and the list could go on and on. Now we are for the most part lazy and undependable. Can’t teach our kids to have respect for teachers, cops, hell even us as parents. It is disappointing. I know that everywhere is different and even from town to town but what happened? Frankly I am worried about what will happen to my kids when they get out on their own.

We need to step back and look at what we are teaching the young one’s, go back to the basics. Teach them right from wrong and when they do something bad there will be consequences for their actions. I once broke some windows at a junkyard didn’t even think that it was a big deal cause they were at a junkyard. I was wrong and when the police came to my door and told my dad there was a good sit down and I think I got the belt on my ass. Was this right? or wrong? I don’t know, but I do know that I didn’t brake anymore windows that’s for sure. I think we should let them make a mistake once in awhile or they will never learn anything. Instead we coddle them and hold them so close that when real life happens they fall apart because they don’t have any coping skills that will guide them through a tough period. We need to be vigilant and honest and point out that life is just shit sometimes. There is an alarming rate of suicide in the youth of today it could be a sign that we have lost the connection between parent and child. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to talk to your kids, discipline when needed, and have open communication and hearts. Sure they can be mad at you that’s life, but don’t let them become silent and segregated from others. That seems to be a turning point.