Times are a-changin’! It is to be expected. Our kids are growing up in a different world than we did. Sometimes that is a good thing … sometimes I’m not so sure. Check out this list and see what you think!
1. Using the library or an encyclopedia for research
Topics for high school research papers used to be limited to only those headings found in an encyclopedia. Famous historical figures, countries, or animals were always a good bet. I would have loved having the Internet in college and avoided trudging to the campus library, digging through old stacks and trying to make microfiche machines work.
2. Waiting for photos to be developed
If your kids ever wonder why some of grandma’s old photos aren’t very good — it’s because we didn’t have the delete and retake option! Photography was like a box of chocolates – you never knew what you were going to get.
3. Missing a movie or TV show
Remember how it used to be? If you didn’t see a movie at the theatre, you had to wait a year before it maybe showed up on TV for a one-night showing. If you missed that, you were out of luck. No DVR, no DVD, no nothing — you just had to read the book.
4. Being bored
Today’s kids have computers, iPods, iPads, Youtube, 250 channels on TV, Netflix, etc. No chance of being bored on a long car trip or a rainy summer day. I’m not so sure this is a good thing — when we are bored, our imagination comes alive.
5. Renting a VHS
It was a special Friday night when we rented a VHS enclosed in a hard plastic carrying case. With fingers crossed we waited and hoped that dad could figure out how to hook it up to the TV. Thank God for today’s inexpensive DVD players.
6. Exploring beyond your safe little neighborhood
My husband talks about riding his bike all around town and playing on railroad tracks as a kid (gasp!). I remember doing the same (minus the railroad tracks). I can’t believe we survived. Our kids rarely venture out of the driveway. Sad.
7. Turning off the TV because nothing good is on
Remember waking up early on Saturday mornings so you could catch the only two hours of cartoons? After Wonder Woman, the only choices on your 3-4 channels were news, soap operas or talk shows. That was when we gathered the neighbor kids and went to play on the railroad tracks. Maybe hiding the remote is a good option.
8. Your parents not knowing your grades until they get your report card
With the click of a mouse I can look at my kids’ grades 24 hours a day down to the very last assignment they turned in (or forgot to turn in). When I was in school, it was a mystery until the report card came. This online tool can be hazardous for an obsessive micromanaging parent. It’s like cheesecake … must be consumed in moderation.
9. Sitting in the astronaut seat
If you grew up in the 80s and had a station wagon (and I know you did), then you probably had a special third-row seat that faced out the back. We called it the astronaut seat. For some reason, it was inexplicable fun to sit in the astronaut seat on road trips. (On a different note, will our kids even know what an “astronaut” is?)
In the end, change is inevitable and thankfully it comes and keeps us from getting stuck in a rut. As parents, we can embrace it, enjoy it, and keep teaching and loving our kids through the good and the bad.
Anne Blankenbiller
K-12 & Teens
Most of my mornings, afternoons, and evenings are spent driving the kids here and there—and then back to here again. Every child is a gift on loan from God. As parents, our job is to raise that child to be an independent adult who can contribute to the world using the gifts and talents he or she was given. It is hands-down the most important job on earth!
