I don’t think I was born in the right era: I wish I’d had my kids in the 1990s or 2000s. Actually, I wish I’d had my kids back in my parents’ day. Why?
Well, because I miss my childhood. My parents didn’t lecture us about sugar, waste, or illnesses; they weren’t afraid of us getting dirty. Our parents would put us to bed later so we could spend evenings with family or friends. Sure, there was a TV, but it wasn’t constantly on. Our parents didn’t give us tablets or cell phones when we threw tantrums; they handled it all with a short talk about our behavior, a few minutes on our knees in the corner, and then we’d apologize. They’d say no, and it really meant no. They’d give us hot dogs or pizza for dinner. Even better, after that they’d take us to rent a movie as a family, and we’d have a little soft-serve ice cream. Ah, those famous Twists with little candies! Yum!
You know what? My kids will be raised the ’90s way! I’ll scold them when they do something wrong, and they won’t have any technology until high school. We’ll give them pizza and candy; they’ll play in the mud; they won’t get any lectures about the environment at home. I want my kids to enjoy those soft-serve treats as a family, without feeling the stares of others who are eating frozen yogurt or gelato because it’s “healthy.” There’ll be meat at home, and I couldn’t care less about the comments we’ll get—everyone has their own way of raising their family. They’ll have to do chores; they’ll help out around the house. As long as my kids are under my roof, they’ll have rules to follow.
Do you know what really gets under my skin about parents these days? It’s the ones who judge and dictate their rules to others. How many times have I been judged because, for us, co-sleeping is a big no-no? Because I gave my kids bottles instead of breastfeeding. Or because I let my kids fall asleep on their own, and sometimes they cry without me going in to them. Of course, there are even judgments about our values and how we raise our children. We eat meat and don’t treat recycling like a religion. And it’s even worse when I say that positive discipline just isn’t for me. Can’t we follow our own rules in our own homes?
Anyway! I think other parents place a little too much importance on what others think. We tell our kids not to be conformists, to be unique, and to live however they see fit. Why expect the same from parents? Personally, I’d never judge other parents because I don’t know their lives or their world.
We need to stop judging and criticizing each other! Be modern parents, tech-savvy parents, old-fashioned parents, old-school parents, or even ’90s-style parents—but just be parents; who cares what kind you are!
My kids weren’t born in the right era! It used to seem so simple!