Let's make parenting even harder....
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Totally made me laugh, so sharing...
Is it me or has parenting become exponentially more difficult in the last 10 years? When I was a kid, I remember spending my days eating Spaghetti-Os, watching marathons of Muppet Babies, and playing outside for hours and hours with no adult in sight. You know what that's considered now? Neglect.
Maybe this is always true of the current generation, but we seem to have deemed ourselves parenting experts and consider everything our parents did to be wrong. In some ways, this is a good thing (e.g. Riding in the backs of pick-up trucks). In other ways it's just absolutely ridiculous. For example:
1. Birthday Parties
What in the hell has happened here? I remember going to birthday parties as a kid. We simply played for a bit, sang "Happy Birthday", ate some friggin' cake, and watched our buddy open up some presents. Why on Earth have these things morphed into themed parties that take hours of planning, hundreds of dollars and are only appreciated by the people who aren't being celebrated? It's crazy! For HJ's first birthday, I fell victim to this whole fiasco. We had a Milk & Cookies theme and I stressed myself completely out as I accounted for food allergies, activities for older kids, balloons during a helium shortage, and the perfect shade of pink in every corner. I was still so stressed out by the experience that HJ had a grandparents only party the next year.
2. Elf on the Shelf
Simply singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" used to be enough to put kids in check. Now they have a snitch. Not just any snitch, but one in which Mom and Dad have to place in humorous and cutesy positions every night to entertain the kids and remind them to be good. Because completing Christmas shopping, baking for holiday parties, seeing family, going to light shows, and wrapping presents isn't enough to keep us busy during that month. We need to add a stupid elf to the list. (Full disclosure: HJ and B's elf is currently in my closet, ready to make her debut this Christmas.)
3. Organic EVERYTHING
Yes, organic is the best way to feed a family. Avoiding pesticides, GMOs, additives, and other preservatives is preferable, obviously. I get it. That being said, I still need to be able to afford to actually feed my family. Have you noticed how organic food is nearly double the price? AND everything can be organic these days. There's organic t-shirts, organic cleaners, and organic candy. There's even organic diaper bags. Seriously? We really need the bag that carries my kid's poopy diapers to be organic? Are we eating it later?
4. Kid's Sports
I played sports as a kid. I was in dance, gymnastics, tee ball, softball and volleyball. The difference between kids' sports back then and now is the fact that our sports didn't eat up every free friggin' moment of every day. Thankfully my kids aren't old enough for this yet, but I have seen it from family and friends. As soon as their kid starts a sporting activity, I NEVER see them again because it never seems to end. They are always at practice, a game, or a tournament. As soon as the summer league is over, then the fall league starts. Fall's over? Oh, great! The spring league is here! I don't blame parents. I blame the coaches and league organizers. Do these people even have kids?
5. Pinterest
As much as I love it, I have to admit: Pinterest is an a-hole. It further perpetuates the notion that parents must do everything perfectly and be the best at everything. Just the other day I saw a pin that taught parents how to apply tattoos to bananas for school lunches. Are you kidding me?! It's not enough to make lunch for your children, but now we have to decorate it? Ridiculous. Also, because of Pinterest, I am guilted into thinking I should have a water table, a colored rice sensory table, make my own finger paints, sew pillowcase dresses, put lunches artfully into cute little bento boxes, and that I should be setting up monthly photo shoots with my wiggly kids. No. No. And no. It's difficult enough to keep them alive, fed, clothed, bathed, and away from my secret candy stash.
Can we collectively agree to take it all down a notch?
Source: http://wellcommons.com/weblogs/larryvillemom/2013/aug/21/5-ways-were-making-parenting-harder/
Is it me or has parenting become exponentially more difficult in the last 10 years? When I was a kid, I remember spending my days eating Spaghetti-Os, watching marathons of Muppet Babies, and playing outside for hours and hours with no adult in sight. You know what that's considered now? Neglect.
Maybe this is always true of the current generation, but we seem to have deemed ourselves parenting experts and consider everything our parents did to be wrong. In some ways, this is a good thing (e.g. Riding in the backs of pick-up trucks). In other ways it's just absolutely ridiculous. For example:
1. Birthday Parties
What in the hell has happened here? I remember going to birthday parties as a kid. We simply played for a bit, sang "Happy Birthday", ate some friggin' cake, and watched our buddy open up some presents. Why on Earth have these things morphed into themed parties that take hours of planning, hundreds of dollars and are only appreciated by the people who aren't being celebrated? It's crazy! For HJ's first birthday, I fell victim to this whole fiasco. We had a Milk & Cookies theme and I stressed myself completely out as I accounted for food allergies, activities for older kids, balloons during a helium shortage, and the perfect shade of pink in every corner. I was still so stressed out by the experience that HJ had a grandparents only party the next year.
2. Elf on the Shelf
Simply singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" used to be enough to put kids in check. Now they have a snitch. Not just any snitch, but one in which Mom and Dad have to place in humorous and cutesy positions every night to entertain the kids and remind them to be good. Because completing Christmas shopping, baking for holiday parties, seeing family, going to light shows, and wrapping presents isn't enough to keep us busy during that month. We need to add a stupid elf to the list. (Full disclosure: HJ and B's elf is currently in my closet, ready to make her debut this Christmas.)
3. Organic EVERYTHING
Yes, organic is the best way to feed a family. Avoiding pesticides, GMOs, additives, and other preservatives is preferable, obviously. I get it. That being said, I still need to be able to afford to actually feed my family. Have you noticed how organic food is nearly double the price? AND everything can be organic these days. There's organic t-shirts, organic cleaners, and organic candy. There's even organic diaper bags. Seriously? We really need the bag that carries my kid's poopy diapers to be organic? Are we eating it later?
4. Kid's Sports
I played sports as a kid. I was in dance, gymnastics, tee ball, softball and volleyball. The difference between kids' sports back then and now is the fact that our sports didn't eat up every free friggin' moment of every day. Thankfully my kids aren't old enough for this yet, but I have seen it from family and friends. As soon as their kid starts a sporting activity, I NEVER see them again because it never seems to end. They are always at practice, a game, or a tournament. As soon as the summer league is over, then the fall league starts. Fall's over? Oh, great! The spring league is here! I don't blame parents. I blame the coaches and league organizers. Do these people even have kids?
5. Pinterest
As much as I love it, I have to admit: Pinterest is an a-hole. It further perpetuates the notion that parents must do everything perfectly and be the best at everything. Just the other day I saw a pin that taught parents how to apply tattoos to bananas for school lunches. Are you kidding me?! It's not enough to make lunch for your children, but now we have to decorate it? Ridiculous. Also, because of Pinterest, I am guilted into thinking I should have a water table, a colored rice sensory table, make my own finger paints, sew pillowcase dresses, put lunches artfully into cute little bento boxes, and that I should be setting up monthly photo shoots with my wiggly kids. No. No. And no. It's difficult enough to keep them alive, fed, clothed, bathed, and away from my secret candy stash.
Can we collectively agree to take it all down a notch?
Source: http://wellcommons.com/weblogs/larryvillemom/2013/aug/21/5-ways-were-making-parenting-harder/
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Replies
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sounds to me like you just need to step up your game.0
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sounds to me like you just need to step up your game.
I made butterfly snakes with ziplocs, pipe cleaners, individually painted clothespins and googly eyes. I'm good.0 -
I could have written this rant myself. I have so many friends that complain how hard it is to be a mom and then they list off all these assnine activities that are completely uncessary. Here's how I do it:
1. Birthday parties = cake, ice cream, shenanigans with friends.
2. Elf on the Shelf? My kids have never heard of it. And I really find it creepy.
3. Organic--don't get me started. My step-kids mom buys them organic "pop-tarts". Are you kidding me? My step-son still runs around like monkey on crack whether the sugar is natural or comes from alien-DNA-implanted GMO corn mush.
4. Ok, we're guilty of the sports thing. We all just love our sports so much. :blushing:
5. Pinterest. *sigh* I have a love/hate thing with Pinterest. I find such great stuff, but sometimes I can't make it work like I saw on Pinterest. Then I feel like such a failure. Pinterest, you're a passive-agressive b****.0 -
I could have written this rant myself. I have so many friends that complain how hard it is to be a mom and then they list off all these assnine activities that are completely uncessary. Here's how I do it:
1. Birthday parties = cake, ice cream, shenanigans with friends.
2. Elf on the Shelf? My kids have never heard of it. And I really find it creepy.
3. Organic--don't get me started. My step-kids mom buys them organic "pop-tarts". Are you kidding me? My step-son still runs around like monkey on crack whether the sugar is natural or comes from alien-DNA-implanted GMO corn mush.
4. Ok, we're guilty of the sports thing. We all just love our sports so much. :blushing:
5. Pinterest. *sigh* I have a love/hate thing with Pinterest. I find such great stuff, but sometimes I can't make it work like I saw on Pinterest. Then I feel like such a failure. Pinterest, you're a passive-agressive b****.
Have you visited here? http://www.pinterestfail.com/0 -
I could have written this rant myself. I have so many friends that complain how hard it is to be a mom and then they list off all these assnine activities that are completely uncessary. Here's how I do it:
1. Birthday parties = cake, ice cream, shenanigans with friends.
2. Elf on the Shelf? My kids have never heard of it. And I really find it creepy.
3. Organic--don't get me started. My step-kids mom buys them organic "pop-tarts". Are you kidding me? My step-son still runs around like monkey on crack whether the sugar is natural or comes from alien-DNA-implanted GMO corn mush.
4. Ok, we're guilty of the sports thing. We all just love our sports so much. :blushing:
5. Pinterest. *sigh* I have a love/hate thing with Pinterest. I find such great stuff, but sometimes I can't make it work like I saw on Pinterest. Then I feel like such a failure. Pinterest, you're a passive-agressive b****.
Have you visited here? http://www.pinterestfail.com/
No, I had never seen that! Sqeeeee!0 -
My poor kids are deprived.
1. For their birthday they get one gift and their choice in restaurant for a birthday dinner.
2.I don't do Elf on a shelf and barely do Santa. I also have already told them there is not an Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy. I guess I'm mean.
3. I don't do organic on purpose. If I find an organic product that is cheaper than one not labeled organic I will buy it, but that's it.
4. We play football and basketball in the yard. That is it. If they want to do sports when they are older that will be fine.
5. I don't get on Pinterest at all, but if I happen to see a cute crafty thing we can all do together I will make it happen. It's pretty rare though.
Raising kids is hard enough. I don't let other people's expectations make me feel pressured about how I parent.0 -
I think a lot of it has to do with competition between parents not so much kids expectations....I'm not sure a 2 year old knows the difference between a $10 walmart cake and a $80 trendy bakery cake....but you know, you have to make sure your facebook pictures look great!0
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I totally agree with this. My kid is only 6 and has already been to more birthday parties than I ever did. I finally got my wife on board with letting him play outdoors without us being right next to him at all times. At least now I can just sit outside with a beer, and yell when it's time to come home.0
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No Pinata? What kind of monster are you????sounds to me like you just need to step up your game.
I made butterfly snakes with ziplocs, pipe cleaners, individually painted clothespins and googly eyes. I'm good.0 -
I love this.
I have a 9 year old but I have no idea what "Elf on a Shelf" is.0 -
Haha... You are too right! Pintrest makes me feel inspired and inadequate all at the same time. What the h**l is that all about? And I have a friend who has the organic diaper bag, and all I can think is that a sucker is born every day.0
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I could have written this rant myself. I have so many friends that complain how hard it is to be a mom and then they list off all these assnine activities that are completely uncessary. Here's how I do it:
1. Birthday parties = cake, ice cream, shenanigans with friends.
2. Elf on the Shelf? My kids have never heard of it. And I really find it creepy.
3. Organic--don't get me started. My step-kids mom buys them organic "pop-tarts". Are you kidding me? My step-son still runs around like monkey on crack whether the sugar is natural or comes from alien-DNA-implanted GMO corn mush.
4. Ok, we're guilty of the sports thing. We all just love our sports so much. :blushing:
5. Pinterest. *sigh* I have a love/hate thing with Pinterest. I find such great stuff, but sometimes I can't make it work like I saw on Pinterest. Then I feel like such a failure. Pinterest, you're a passive-agressive b****.
I *hate* the elf. By Christmas eve I'm already exhausted from weeks of staying up to move the elf. I don't know how you escaped, since at age 2 my daughter came home from her friend's house demanding to know why Santa hadn't sent us and elf.
The one good thing I did do is tell her she was scared of the leprechaun when she was little (true) and I told them not to ever come to our house. Seriously?! Santa, easter bunny and tooth fairy. AND elf. I refuse to add leprechaun.0 -
Wow...I just figured out how long I have been a parent (still have 2 at home). I have done without pinterest, please. My children have walks and talks, dates with Dad (yeah I want them to have a certain expectation of behavior form their dates), taxi cab drives with dad as the taxi driver, and sometimes sitting quietly in the same room just to enjoy being with them. The ones now out of the house call home, check in and tell Dad we are alive, healthy and not too bad. Translation: don't worry yet dad I will let you know.
I hate the orgasmic birthday parties the family gets lost while the children try to pretend this is the best of the best. Yet in the end what do you remember the most about your parents?
What do you want your children to remember about you?
I sometimes get friend requests on facebook because my children were telling their friends about their Dad. I like that compliment. Please don't invite my chlidren to the orgasmic parties it sends the wrong message.
Consider me weird for having travelled the world as a child and am glad for my family which kept me grounded so I want my children to know their family.0 -
No Pinata? What kind of monster are you????sounds to me like you just need to step up your game.
I made butterfly snakes with ziplocs, pipe cleaners, individually painted clothespins and googly eyes. I'm good.
BUTTERFLIES! *LOL*
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funny thing is, I USED to be uber creative and bake and go all out and had the cutesy themed parties and perfectly sculpted homemade cakes shaped into castles, football fields, fishbowls, etc... and then they got older. Now, they're lucky they get a joint birthday celebration weekend at the beach with my mom.
And, just say no to Elf on a Shelf.0 -
Wow...I just figured out how long I have been a parent (still have 2 at home). I have done without pinterest, please. My children have walks and talks, dates with Dad (yeah I want them to have a certain expectation of behavior form their dates), taxi cab drives with dad as the taxi driver, and sometimes sitting quietly in the same room just to enjoy being with them. The ones now out of the house call home, check in and tell Dad we are alive, healthy and not too bad. Translation: don't worry yet dad I will let you know.
I hate the orgasmic birthday parties the family gets lost while the children try to pretend this is the best of the best. Yet in the end what do you remember the most about your parents?
What do you want your children to remember about you?
I sometimes get friend requests on facebook because my children were telling their friends about their Dad. I like that compliment. Please don't invite my chlidren to the orgasmic parties it sends the wrong message.
Consider me weird for having travelled the world as a child and am glad for my family which kept me grounded so I want my children to know their family.
Tell me more about these "Orgasmic Parties"0 -
I agree with all of this.
My son's best birthday party was at our house -- no theme, just all his friends running around like crazy.
I see how some parents get into each and every holiday and celebrate each and accomplishment and I am in shock.
Can we add graduation parties in there. Do we really need to have a huge celebration for each and every transition -- PreK, K, Elementary, Middle, High School. Frankly, I don't consider graduating PreK to be an accomplishment, its kinds expected....
Really, if every tiny think is cause for a lavish celebration, how do you celebrate the true accomplishments.
We are guilty of being sucked into the sports. I thought we escaped it with DD, but high school sports turn out to be as crazy, if not more, than my son's club soccer. In the case of my son, I would much rather him be playing multiple sports than focusing on one, but kids are being forced to specialize and focus at younger and younger ages.0 -
Hmm, orgasmic parties. That could be all kinds of fun. Not kid friendly, though.
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Can we add graduation parties in there. Do we really need to have a huge celebration for each and every transition -- PreK, K, Elementary, Middle, High School. Frankly, I don't consider graduating PreK to be an accomplishment, its kinds expected....
Yes. Yes we can.0 -
Did someone say "orgasmic parties"!?!?!?
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