Living in a bubble

Do you want to know how much our kids are pampered and coddled these days?  Well never mind, I am sure you do know.  It’s clearly visible every single day.  As a daddy, I am scared of what they are going to be like when it’s their turn to run this world.

Just a few weeks ago, I was at a bbq and happened to notice that one of the kids had a weird contraption that looked like a hand-held fan.  On the table was a shallow container with soapy water.  It didn’t take my rusty brain long to figure out what it was.  It was a bubbles maker!  You dip the fan-like thing into the soapy water, turn it on and voila! you’ve got bubbles without wasting a breath.  Heck, one could still keep up with their texts while blowing bubbles now.  Are you kidding me?

Our kids are missing the point on life.  It’s not about the bubbles, it’s the effort it takes to let out just the right amount of air to give you that perfect bubble.  Can’t our kids get a chance to break a sweat over anything anymore?  The schools work around them and allow them to be tardy and underachieving.  For example, at a meeting with one of our foster son’s teachers, he was told by the teacher not to worry too much about the work that he did not hand in during the term as he could always drop them off after exams and get his mark changed.  Now what is that doing to us who are trying to instill in him, the value of getting his work done and handed in on time?  What is this kid learning here?  That the world waits on him and he could get away with anything?

In sports, our poor over-worked children are taught not to compete.  Don’t keep scores and leave the nets empty. (no goaltenders).  It’s all about the fun of the game.  Who cares about developing the kids early? Thank goodness Wayne Gretzky and Tiger Woods didn’t grow up in this.   Coincidentally, recent studies are showing that obesity is a growing concern among kids.  They are not active enough.  Duh.

Back in the islands, we made our own toy cars and trucks.  We blew bubbles using our breaths, even though I was asthmatic, I was right in there with the best of them.  We played sports and yelled and celebrated when we scored or won a game.  No kid was traumatized by losing.  We knew our limitations so it didn’t bother us  that we weren’t the best player.   We kept playing.  Our teachers marked us ‘fail’ or ‘pass’ and nothing we did after the fact could change that mark.  Now look at me now.  Ok, maybe I’m not exactly a good example so don’t look but yeah, you get my drift.

(Do you know that they now have an app that blows bubbles for you?).

Our kids today are pampered, spoiled, coddled and over-protected.  I fear that they are ill-prepared to deal with the real world that awaits them when the bubble bursts.  But what do I know? It’s just my take.

Related articles

• Really Big Bubbles – I Mean Really Big! (francineclouden.typepad.com)
• Why innovation flourishes in a bubble (cbsnews.com)
• Our Schools

My Take On The No-Kids Movement

It seems that as much as we take a step forward as a society, we take two backwards.  We keep this up and pretty soon we would be back in the dark ages.

Did you know that there is a  No-Kids Allowed Movement out there? Until recently, I didn’t either.  I just found out that it has been around for some time now and is growing in leaps and bounds.  The movement even boasts its own Facebook page.  Does this remind you of anything? Think racism.  Think of the signs that used to read ‘Whites only, no blacks allowed’.  (Sorry, I normally hesitate on using my color as example but in this case it helps to underscore my point).

Some  restaurants, theaters, hotels and even grocery stores are already banning kids from their establishments.  Yep. Just when you thought we were over this BS.

I am a dad of three little boys so I can’t fathom this nonsense.  This is not only a strike against my kids but also against me.  If you cannot accept my kids then you cannot accept me.  We are a packaged deal.  If I can’t take my kids with me, would you babysit them? I didn’t think so.

I understand the argument that kids can sometimes be nuisances especially when  in public places like stores, restaurant, church etc.  but isn’t this going too far?   Should we keep them away from school too as they are a bother to teachers? How about church? I am usually interrupted by a crying kid while in the sanctuary.  Is this an excellent reason to put up the ‘No Kids’ sign?  You have to agree with me that is it a bit much.

Having kids is a choice that not everyone makes.  Some who does make that choice  should have opted not to.  In some cases, they are the ones who make it bad for us parents with good intentions and parenting skills.  Those who exercise their rights not to bear children sometimes try to impose their choices on others.  This No-Kids nonsense is one such imposition.

Children learn from their environment and keeping them away from establishments does not serve any purpose.  They are too loud on planes, too unruly at the grocery stores and movie theaters, well have you seen some adults lately? Maybe even yourself?  Some of us are not exactly model citizens and are worst than some kids.

Kids are not second-hand smoke, we can’t go around putting up ‘No-Kids’ signs.  What do you think that would do kids? What would it do to you if suddenly you were banned from places because of your sexual orientation? How about autistic adults who operates at the intelligence level of a child? Ban them too?

Let’s see, instead of putting all this on the kids and letting them pay such harsh penalty, how about we put the blame where it belongs? On bad parenting. Parents who let their kids roam unchecked.  Parents who breed kids like a kitty mill just so they can take advantage of the system. Parents who are kids themselves.  Why not go at them more aggressively?  Make them more responsible.  If they are on social assistance, discourage them from having kids.  Enlighten them.  Let them attend parenting workshops as part of their requirements for getting assistance.   These are just some ideas but there are more.  Do what you must but leave our children alone.

Related articles

• http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/the-no-kids-allowed-movement-is-spreading-2516110.html
• http://michaeldouglasjohnson.com/2011/07/28/the-no-kids-allowed-movement-is-spreading/
• http://suburbanturmoil.com/the-no-kids-allowed-movement-is-spreading-and-im-glad/2011/07/27/