Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Parenting Isn't What It Used To Be!

We're all aware of what models often do to stay as slim as necessary for their work. They starve themselves. Bulimia. Anorexia. It's often tragic and totally unnecessary as far as the people who purchase what they are selling are concerned. Most of us don't look like they do nor would if we could!

Fashion. I often wonder how trends get started. Copying celebrity I understand. However, the current trend here, wearing next to nothing, ie; shorts, flip flops and the like in winter weather, is sheer stupidity and laziness on the part of the parents. And the kids.

The rationale is, one, they won't catch cold because it's a virus; two, school lockers aren't large enough to accommodate winter wear and they don't want to have to lug it around; three,  parents allow it because it's the latest fashion!

Funny, when I was in school our lockers were plenty big enough to accommodate winter coats. Perhaps there is too much other 'stuff' kept in them?

As for fashion? Well, the kids have their ideas. My parents had theirs too and when it was too 'far out' it was nixed. I would never, ever have been allowed to dye my hair any number of colors from magenta to purple. And never, never ever would I have been allowed to pierce my nose, lips or any other body part except maybe my ears. Forget tattoos! The interesting thing, and puzzling, is that I would never have questioned my parent's authority on this. Or anything else for that matter.

Now to the practicality of the matter. Running around in shorts and flip flops may not cause healthy youth to catch the virus. Note I say healthy. Those who sit behind computers all day don't tend to develop good immune systems.

Then there are the what ifs. What if Mom's car breaks down on her way to pick up junior. He's left standing in the cold for a half hour or an hour rather than five or ten minutes. What if it begins to snow. There are possible results far worse than a cold. Hypothermia. Frostbite.

Understand this. We're not talking about temperatures in the mid-30s. We're talking about temperatures hovering around zero. The weather people are always cautioning us about leaving our pets out too long in these temperatures. And they have coats!

No, when a parent says you have to choose your battles with your kids, the generational gap is glaring.

No. You're the parent. I'm sorry my Mom and her generation aren't around to give a few pointers.

3 comments:

Margie's Musings said...

Oh, do I agree with you!!!

Kids nowadays wear the most godawful stuff...and their hair! As you say, dyed every color of the rainbow! I would have beat my kids (or threatened same) half to death if they did such a thing...and they knew it and so they didn't even try.

You're right! Parenting is not what it used to be. Children reared in daycare don't really get any family values and parents are abdicating their responsibility for teaching the anymore.

Dr. Spock stated this trend with his "you may damage their id" stuff. He's right! I damaged my kids id a lot but let me say they are some of the nicest and best mannered kids around. (kids: one is 55, one is 53 and one is 50).

Word Tosser said...

I have blogged on this in the past.. when did the parents give up their rights? My kids KNEW not to buck me... and the standing saying was.... I don't care what Ruthie (put in what ever name you want) parents let her do, you aren't Ruthie and I am not Ruthie's parents... under 18, under my roof, under my rules... end of story..

Margie's Musings said...

At least we knew how to say "no" and mean it in our day. My kids would not dare argue with me.