Today some of my co-workers and I were discussing how families and family values have changed over the years. I'm not that old (even if my nieces think otherwise LOL), and I have noticed a huge difference in how families operate these days. When I was growing up, we had supper together every night, at the table. Not in front of the TV, not reading a book or the paper, not in our own rooms. We ate, we chatted about our days at work and school, and we shared clean-up duties.
I see a lot of families now that eat on the run, eat in front of the TV, or that eat on their own, independent of each other. How on earth can that foster communication between family members? How will you know what's going on in your parents'/kids' lives otherwise? Too many kids seem to be adrift in society . . . no anchor in their home life to keep them stable, and no values coming down from parents.
I'm not a parent, so commenting on parenting techniques is just going to sound lame and out of place. I get that. But it drives me crazy to see kids (of all ages) hanging out at bus stops, in parks or at the mall. No supervision, and nobody to answer to. Kids texting frantically, desperate for the next piece of gossip or celebrity news. Why aren't they at home, learning about household chores or spending time with their family? What good can come from hanging out with no distinct purpose?
You know what scares me? The fact that I'm a young person and yet most people would think that I sound ultra-conservative and like a fuddy-duddy. It's so frustrating!
And that's my rant for the day ;)
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2 comments:
this post hit home to me. We were just talking about this the other day. While I make dinner, EVERYONE is in the kitchen with me. It's when my daughter and I have our most personal talks and we all hear what happened during the day. EVeryone ends up helping me, we load up our plates, and then all go in different directions. I made the announcement that we are ALL going to start sitting down at the table together and start eatting as a family. I don't know when we even all started doing this because when the kids were little we ALWAYS sat at the table. Things have definatly changed since I was a kid~ with texting and the internet, teens chat together 24/7. My daughter has to turn her cell off and have it on the counter at 9pm every night (which she doesnt' mind or it would be going off thru midnight). It's sad, I don't think parents have a clue what is going on in their kids lifes really. They are aloud to grow up way too fast and they are not ready for that kind of responsiblity yet.
Times they have a changed for sure!
I am ultra conservitive that way too. We sit down together for dinner... AT THE TABLE!!! The TV is off. When my kiddos are done eating, they ASK to be excused from the table. Even though they are little kids, it is still their responsibility to clean their plate off and put it in the sink.
Todd and I were talking the other day how our children will not be having their own cell phones until they can pay the bills themselves... even then we will have rules with them. We will get an extra one or two "family phones" that we will hand out to the kids when they are going to be out... but it will not be "THEIRS"... I might even disable texting... oh how the craziness of texting bugs me. I'll admit that I occasionally use it, but I may send/receive 10 in a day... and that is on a busy day!
My boys, as they get a bit older will also have daily, Saturday, ect chores. There will be chores that you do "just because you live in the house and you would like to have a bed to sleep on" and then there will be the over and above ones that they can earn some spending money for.
Good post Kelly!
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