The excitement and anticipation of Christmas is mounting around the house! The kids are crackling with nervous energy and it is pretty infectious (when I'm not worried about money and bills and family politics and fighting kids). I guess growing up brings new stress and new perceptions on the holidays. You realize just how much things changed since your childhood Christmases.
I asked one of my daughter's friends what she wanted for Christmas the other day - "Oh, just a lap top and a phone." Say what? From the mouths of babes?
So as I was dragging my 7 and 3 year old off the computer (It's Christmas on Club Penguin, you know), I yelled, "Go play with your toys! Or colour! Or play with your play-doh! For crying out loud!"
"But mooo-oooom! Why? We want the computer! Or can I go on the lap top? Why can't I get a lap top for Christmas?"
Suddenly I became my worst nightmare. I became a product of the olden days. Are you serious? I'm 30 something, and things have changed so drastically since my childhood, I am officially a dinosaur, and a lecturing dinosaur at that!
Big breath.....and GO!
"I didn't have a computer until I was FOURTEEN years old! And no internet, either! No Facebook, or chatting, or video games either. I was TWELVE when we got our first Nintendo for crying out loud. You know what I did when I was your age? I played OUTSIDE! I rode my bike and played GI Joe with the boys and Barbies with the girls. We used to make our own newspapers and tape record our own radio shows. We made up games and our whole day was a big long episode of made believe. I read books and wrote my own stories and did puzzles and never ONCE did I play on a computer at home until I was FOURTEEN! So no, you can't play on the computer and you will NOT get a lap top for Christmas whether you like it or not!"
Big breath in.....and end.
NOW. I have officially been inducted into dinosaur status, along with the grandparents and great grandparents. Although I didn't walk uphill in the snow both ways to school barefoot, I came pretty darn close for this generation. And although you will NEVER pry my beautiful lap top and Blackberry out of my cold, dead hands, there is no way MY kids will ever get either this Christmas, or for many to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment