Everything we want?

It is amazing the challenges that families have today. Compared with the hardships that our ancesters had one would think that we should be living a life of leisure. Well...let's review.

Recalling how are children were raised I am amazed that they turned out as well as they did. We were so brutal with them. I am surprised we don't have the police at our front door with warrants for our arrest because of our "neglect."

Case in point: our oldest son was the proud owner of a Nintendo. Not a lot of games, a few to get by. One evening had someone sleepover. During the course of the evening he came sheepishly up stairs to ask a very important question- "Dad, can we hook the Nintendo to the family T.V.? My friend doesn't know how to play Nintendo on a black and white T.V." I was shocked. I was concerned that my son's friend may return to his family and report us to the authorities. I stiffened my spine, though, and said- trying not to laugh too hard- "You got to be kidding me. Tell him to suck it up!"

Truly my wife and I should have been hung by our thumbs for such an atrocity!! If not that time surely we should have been a few Christmases later. Our youngest son was excited when he opened his present that particular Christmas...Santa came through!! It was an awsome thing.

Then my son looked up at us- us with grins from ear to ear, he with questioning face, "There are no games with this X-Box." Perhaps it wasn't my youngest favorite Christmas, but it was definitly a memorable one. For some reason I remember a sore tongue...who new Santa had a sense of humor. I still look at my rear view mirror expecting to see Dog, the Bounty Hunter.

I still don't sleep well at night because of that.

So where is this going? As I meander around I recall discussions with my bride about our children not being able to communicate well at school because they wouldn't have a base of discussion with there classmates because we didn't allow them to watch T.V. during the week. They would be ignorant in the happenings of the T.V.s fodder of the day. Yes...we were brutal parents.

So...would I allow my children to have a cell phone before they can drive? Nope. Would I let them have a facebook account? Nope. Would I let them watch T.V. during the week when school is in session?Nope. Yep...we were brutal parents.