Parental regulation in the old days was telling kids to get out of the house, and don’t come back in until whatever the next meal was. I’d leave on my bike in the morning, with no idea where I was going, so my mom certainly didn’t know. Or care. Sometimes I’d come home for lunch, sometimes not. Always home by 5 for dinner, though.
I’d leave on my bike with empty pockets, no money, no ID, no phone, no watch, nothing. If I got thirsty, I’d knock on a door and ask for a glass of water. Or the time. Sometimes a kid would knock on our door and ask for a glass of water. Or the time. And we’d give it to them. That was parental supervision in the old days.
I actually bought a video game console, and we played some. He was in Cub Scouts, and all the kids there were fanatics. They would even have Cub Scout parties where the kids would bring their consoles and favorite games to play, and he couldn’t really participate much, because he was the only kid who didn’t play video games (I was trying to get them to get together for star-watching parties with telescopes, but they all though that was dumb, including the parents. Scouts has changed a lot). So I tried to encourage him to play, just to be able to relate to these other kids.
He loved Legos, and he loved Star Wars, so I got him a Lego Star Wars game, and he played to the very end, closed it, and walked away. Didn’t ask for another one, didn’t start looking into what other games they had, etc. Just stopped. I kept playing for a while (I like shoot’em ups like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor), but I like video games too much, I could EASILY get hooked, so I generally avoid them. We still have the console in a box somewhere. I recently asked him if he wanted it, and he said No.
He’s always been self-regulating. No drugs, no smoking, no alcohol, no pregnancy scares, nothing. Always chose to hang out with other smart, mature kids (who also weren’t into video games or social media either). Hanging with him and his friends was like talking to adults. When I got around other kids his age, I would be startled at how childish they were.
He was pretty much a dream kid, I got super lucky.
Raising kids is easy. Just love what they love, and they’ll love you. And if they love you, they’ll trust you, and truly understand that you are just trying to help them stay alive, and will mostly cooperate with that agenda.
That’s what’s fun about this, conversations start, and branch off. If it interests you, stick around. If not, move on. That’s how Conversations work, vs. Lectures, which I have been known to do, as well.
Not a Boomer, but I don’t understand how following a conversational thread is “Boomer.” Don’t you understand how conversations work? When you are with your friends, do you generally declare a topic, then scold them if they wander off topic?
Because that’s not how friendly conversations work. You never really know where they’ll lead, and that’s what’s enjoyable about them. The guy sitting at the table and telling people to stay on topic is a real buzzkill, and right now, that’s YOU.
Parental regulation in the old days was telling kids to get out of the house, and don’t come back in until whatever the next meal was. I’d leave on my bike in the morning, with no idea where I was going, so my mom certainly didn’t know. Or care. Sometimes I’d come home for lunch, sometimes not. Always home by 5 for dinner, though.
I’d leave on my bike with empty pockets, no money, no ID, no phone, no watch, nothing. If I got thirsty, I’d knock on a door and ask for a glass of water. Or the time. Sometimes a kid would knock on our door and ask for a glass of water. Or the time. And we’d give it to them. That was parental supervision in the old days.
I actually bought a video game console, and we played some. He was in Cub Scouts, and all the kids there were fanatics. They would even have Cub Scout parties where the kids would bring their consoles and favorite games to play, and he couldn’t really participate much, because he was the only kid who didn’t play video games (I was trying to get them to get together for star-watching parties with telescopes, but they all though that was dumb, including the parents. Scouts has changed a lot). So I tried to encourage him to play, just to be able to relate to these other kids.
He loved Legos, and he loved Star Wars, so I got him a Lego Star Wars game, and he played to the very end, closed it, and walked away. Didn’t ask for another one, didn’t start looking into what other games they had, etc. Just stopped. I kept playing for a while (I like shoot’em ups like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor), but I like video games too much, I could EASILY get hooked, so I generally avoid them. We still have the console in a box somewhere. I recently asked him if he wanted it, and he said No.
He’s always been self-regulating. No drugs, no smoking, no alcohol, no pregnancy scares, nothing. Always chose to hang out with other smart, mature kids (who also weren’t into video games or social media either). Hanging with him and his friends was like talking to adults. When I got around other kids his age, I would be startled at how childish they were.
He was pretty much a dream kid, I got super lucky.
Raising kids is easy. Just love what they love, and they’ll love you. And if they love you, they’ll trust you, and truly understand that you are just trying to help them stay alive, and will mostly cooperate with that agenda.
This story, through your chain of comments, has really gone off the rails from the post topic, that’s for sure.
That’s what’s fun about this, conversations start, and branch off. If it interests you, stick around. If not, move on. That’s how Conversations work, vs. Lectures, which I have been known to do, as well.
LOL. There it is.
I knew you were a boomer, but now you’ve gone an’ done boomed.
Not a Boomer, but I don’t understand how following a conversational thread is “Boomer.” Don’t you understand how conversations work? When you are with your friends, do you generally declare a topic, then scold them if they wander off topic?
Because that’s not how friendly conversations work. You never really know where they’ll lead, and that’s what’s enjoyable about them. The guy sitting at the table and telling people to stay on topic is a real buzzkill, and right now, that’s YOU.
BoOm!
:D
This little freak out make you feel better? Youre just making up a story
Freak out? You’re the one yelling boom. Calm down, Junior.