Originally Posted by Country Kids:
What I find funny is what did parents do in the past? They didn't have date nights, vacations, me time, etc.?
I'm not saying they were perfect,happy, etc., but I'm think the majority was. They had no choice but to raise there kids. I'm still trying to figure out when all this started.
My parents didn't do vacations without us kids...actually we didn't do too many family vacays, either. Except to visit my aunt in IL. Now that they are retired, they don't go anywhere either...I think they just weren't into vacations. But they did go on date nights where we stayed home with a teen age babysitter. Our favorite sitter was the one who would play train with us. We would hold on to her shirt and she would run around through the kitchen/dining room in a circle as fast as she could and we would fly off...we thought it was hysterical. She's also the one who brought games to play with us! My parents were happy to have a night out and we kids had fun with someone who actually had the energy for us...lol!
Mom also got "me" time when she sent us out to play. We would be with friends for hours outside or at each others' houses. I think parents today are more micro-managing with their kids' time so they don't necessarily get time without the kids if they don't leave the house. My siblings and I didn't have all the lessons and sports that the kids all do now. We just played. So my parents weren't constantly running with us.
My parents are 80 and 81 years old now so I would think that is in the past. And I don't think they were the only ones of their generation that hired sitters so they could go out. I had many parents I babysat for when I was a teen, too, while they went out. I don't think that is new to this generation.