Anybody feel like I do? (Kids these days vs old days)

[Drain Bamage]

When I look around these day the kids seem like they run their parents lives

I was practically raised by wolves compared to kids nowadays

Only thing my parents would do is ask me if I did my homework

Beyond that me and my brothers would just ride our bikes in hills and creeks and stuff, having to avoid snakes and vermin and electric fences (i accidently grabbed one once)

Kids these days dont really do much unsupervised from what i can tell, adults always breathing down their necks giving them trophies for participation

But maybe my sample size is skewed because im in "progressive Seattle" I bet its still a lot more old school in the middle of the country

 

[bobgeese]

They're going to have a big wake up call when they enter the real world. Nobody gives a fuck about your gender studies nonsense. Show up on time, and keep your mouth shut.

 

[Thai Domi]

Kids these days are weak ass bitches.

 

[Scerpi]

Yeah, leaving kids unsupervised these days is less of a thing. My parents did it because they had to, we just didn't have the money.

I was walking home from school in the 4th grade and staying home alone during Christmas or Spring break, we were on our own. I would watch my bro, who is three years younger than me.

I was able to talk my wife into letting our twin daughters take the bus home after school now and stay home alone for the approx two hours until she get's home from work. They are also in the 4th grade.

She was reluctant, but agreed after we installed a home security system so she could check on them and got them a phone to call us in case there's a problem. The phone makes sense because we don't have a land line anymore.

Either way, we're way ahead each week because after school day care runs $75/week... for each. So we're saving $600/month.

The first month paid for the home security system.

 

[Dogstarman]

Yeah, leaving kids unsupervised these days is less of a thing. My parents did it because they had to, we just didn't have the money.

I was walking home from school in the 4th grade and staying home alone during Christmas or Spring break, we were on our own. I would watch my bro, who is three years younger than me.

I was able to talk my wife into letting our twin daughters take the bus home after school now and stay home alone for the approx two hours until she get's home from work. They are also in the 4th grade.

She was reluctant, but agreed after we installed a home security system so she could check on them and got them a phone to call us in case there's a problem. The phone makes sense because we don't have a land line anymore.

Either way, we're way ahead each week because after school day care runs $75/week... for each. So we're saving $600/month.

The first month paid for the home security system.

My 11 year old son stays by himself for stretches at a time. My wife is reluctant to leave the 8 year old. I think they will both do fine but she doesn't want to. We are lucky my Mother in law watches them after school. I still pay her for doing it but not as much as a day care.

 

[I Am Legion]

I'm a parent of a 13 year boy and a 16 year old girl. We give them as much freedom as we can. My son leaves with his friends on his bike like we used to. He has a phone and gps tracks him. My daughter has a few good friends and they stay out of the party scene where the girls are brutal to each other. Social media and texting has created a whole new tripe of bully. So in some ways these kids have it tougher. What's also changed is the amount of 2 parents working so many parents handle their guilt through spoiling. If I ever talked to my parents the way I see some of my kids friends talk to theirs I would have been beaten. My kids know I don't play. I give you enough rope just as long as you don't hand yourself. I have seen adults get into fights because their kid wasn't invited to something...instead of letting the kid grow from it. Helicopter moms are out of their minds....I'm seeing the kids enter the workforce with no clue about reality.

 

[mjmj]

No way in fucking hell I would leave my kids home alone until they're 11-12 or so. I sure as fuck don't baby my boys, but they're nowhere near old enough to handle an emergency. My oldest sons intermediate school (3rd-5th) has an after school program where kids can stay and play dodge ball, kick ball, do homework, etc... until parents get off work.

A buddy and his wife decided to try leaving their kids home alone for a couple hours after school for a while, I think they were 11 and 8. Their house is back in the woods and one day he got a phone call from his daughter that someone was walking around outside and knocking on the door. As he was talking to her she let out an "Oh my God!" and the phone went dead. He was 2 hours away and couldn't get an answer when he called back.

 

[Drain Bamage]

I'm a parent of a 13 year boy and a 16 year old girl. We give them as much freedom as we can. My son leaves with his friends on his bike like we used to. He has a phone and gps tracks him. My daughter has a few good friends and they stay out of the party scene where the girls are brutal to each other. Social media and texting has created a whole new tripe of bully. So in some ways these kids have it tougher. What's also changed is the amount of 2 parents working so many parents handle their guilt through spoiling. If I ever talked to my parents the way I see some of my kids friends talk to theirs I would have been beaten. My kids know I don't play. I give you enough rope just as long as you don't hand yourself. I have seen adults get into fights because their kid wasn't invited to something...instead of letting the kid grow from it. Helicopter moms are out of their minds....I'm seeing the kids enter the workforce with no clue about reality.

Oh man, i couldnt imagine going to high school in this instagram world we live in

 

[RhinoRush]

No way in fucking hell I would leave my kids home alone until they're 11-12 or so. I sure as fuck don't baby my boys, but they're nowhere near old enough to handle an emergency. My oldest sons intermediate school (3rd-5th) has an after school program where kids can stay and play dodge ball, kick ball, do homework, etc... until parents get off work.

A buddy and his wife decided to try leaving their kids home alone for a couple hours after school for a while, I think they were 11 and 8. Their house is back in the woods and one day he got a phone call from his daughter that someone was walking around outside and knocking on the door. As he was talking to her she let out an "Oh my God!" and the phone went dead. He was 2 hours away and couldn't get an answer when he called back.

Umm... Then what happened?

 

[mjmj]

Umm... Then what happened?

Yeah, I left that part out on purpose. The "Oh my God" was when she walked around the side of the house and walked right into a strange dog. Turns out the people were some weird neighbors looking for the dog. It all turned out fine in the end, but imagine being two hours away when something like that happened. The kids don't stay home alone any more.

 

[Phlog]

I used to cycle home from primary school aged 6-7. Country life tho.

I think it's part of column A+B. The evidence suggests that more adult time correlates with higher development. It's also important that kids have time to be bored.

I think my 3yr olds noticeably level demeanour and lack of any bad behaviour is somewhat due to the great amount of time both I and their mother spend with them ensuring they never feel abandoned.

I'll likely let them roam about after we move to a nicer area and they're 5 or 6. Depends on how responsible they are.

 

[Phlog]

I'll probably keep a tag on them so I can trace them or listen in to them.

 

[MikeMcMann]

No way in fucking hell I would leave my kids home alone until they're 11-12 or so. I sure as fuck don't baby my boys, but they're nowhere near old enough to handle an emergency. My oldest sons intermediate school (3rd-5th) has an after school program where kids can stay and play dodge ball, kick ball, do homework, etc... until parents get off work.

A buddy and his wife decided to try leaving their kids home alone for a couple hours after school for a while, I think they were 11 and 8. Their house is back in the woods and one day he got a phone call from his daughter that someone was walking around outside and knocking on the door. As he was talking to her she let out an "Oh my God!" and the phone went dead. He was 2 hours away and couldn't get an answer when he called back.

So very different.

I'm older than the average sherdogger at 49, but as a kid age 8 (grade 3) I was given the freedom to walk to school with friends (no parents) and we played outside out of the view of adults every free minute of the day. For us it was down at the 'dead end' which was a local swampy area where we could catch frogs and tadpolls and catch and make fighting beetles, fight. The swamp was not a 'safe' as it had potentially hidden high water points and tangly roots but no kid pushed the limits too far.

We knew to be home for meal times and homework time and before 'it got dark' but beyond that we were free to explore life and figure out stuff for ourselves including the challenging stuff.

 

[mjmj]

So very different.

I'm older than the average sherdogger at 49, but as a kid age 8 (grade 3) I was given the freedom to walk to school with friends (no parents) and we played outside out of the view of adults every free minute of the day. For us it was down at the 'dead end' which was a local swampy area where we could catch frogs and tadpolls and catch and make fighting beetles, fight. The swamp was not a 'safe' as it had potentially hidden high water points and tangly roots but no kid pushed the limits too far.

We knew to be home for meal times and homework time and before 'it got dark' but beyond that we were free to explore life and figure out stuff for ourselves including the challenging stuff.

Same here, and I give my boys a long leash when at home on the farm. As long as me or their mom is home.
But leaving them home alone isn't something I would consider. Kids just aren't prepared to handle emergencies.

 

[BEER]

I grew up with a single mom, so I basically raised myself.

I'm sure there is still plenty of that going on. There have always been overbearing parents. That's not particularly new.

 

[Loiosh]

When I look around these day the kids seem like they run their parents lives

I was practically raised by wolves compared to kids nowadays

Only thing my parents would do is ask me if I did my homework

Beyond that me and my brothers would just ride our bikes in hills and creeks and stuff, having to avoid snakes and vermin and electric fences (i accidently grabbed one once)

Kids these days dont really do much unsupervised from what i can tell, adults always breathing down their necks giving them trophies for participation

But maybe my sample size is skewed because im in "progressive Seattle" I bet its still a lot more old school in the middle of the country

I have no idea how old you are, but I bet the generation before you had it twice as tough. And the generation before that twice as tough as that.

You should reads scouting manuals from the forties and fifties. You wouldn't believe the shit they were expected to know.

I grew up in the seventies, and I know for a fact we were pussies compared to earlier in the century. Most people don't know how pussified they are compared to our ancestors.

 

[weed]

kids need to get off of IG & FB, & make their lives wholesome by joining us here on SD.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

All I know is kids these days don't play outside with each other. When I was a kid, my neighbors and I played either baseball, football, basketball, or hockey on the street every fucking day we could. Now, I live on a street with nothing but families, yet nobody is ever outside playing.

 

[IIIIIIII]

When I look around these day the kids seem like they run their parents lives

I was practically raised by wolves compared to kids nowadays

Only thing my parents would do is ask me if I did my homework

Beyond that me and my brothers would just ride our bikes in hills and creeks and stuff, having to avoid snakes and vermin and electric fences (i accidently grabbed one once)

Kids these days dont really do much unsupervised from what i can tell, adults always breathing down their necks giving them trophies for participation

But maybe my sample size is skewed because im in "progressive Seattle" I bet its still a lot more old school in the middle of the country

i grew up the same way. but that's because i grew up in a small neighborhood where your neighbors were actually your friends. i stayed the night at my friend's house all the time, and vice-versa. our parents knew each other well. you don't come across these types of neighborhoods anymore. things have definitely changed.

 

[Mondo Freaks]

I dont even know what this thread is supposed to mean. Are you saying kids are coddled these day? or are you saying kids go unsupervised?

I rather have a kid who was raised in a good family than a broken down family. Parents who keep a close eye on their kids usually mean well and the kid doesnt turn into a fuck up.