Sunday, March 18, 2012

Losing Life's Simple Pleasures

We had a Spring Break stay-cation. Slept in every morning. No real chore structure. Ate fast food a few times. Generally lazed around.

We did try to do a few activities, though. Thursday afternoon I took the kids to see "The Lorax." It was fun, all of the kids watched the entire movie--oldest to youngest--and no one threw up. I counted that as a victory.

Last Sunday night, we asked the kids what one activity they would like to do during the week, and everyone overwhelmingly voted for bowling. So we schlepped the entire tribe to the bowling alley and then to pizza for lunch.

What got my dander up during these three activities was this: Why does every activity not satisfy kids on its own merits any more?

We go to the movie theater, and Hyrum and Micah beg to play the stupid arcade games, on top of movie tickets and snacks.

We go to the bowling alley, and before we'd finished the sixth frame all the kids were begging for junk food from the snack bar or vending machine and Evie couldn't be torn away from the video game with a steering wheel.

We left the bowling alley and headed to the pizza parlor, where Eve proceeded to melt down because she wasn't allowed to sit in the stupid token-operated Minnie Mouse car. Hyrum cried and cried when his balloon blew away.

What has happened to our society? No one is satisfied with simple pleasures any more--it's always MORE stuff and MORE excitement and MORE noise and MORE technology. more, More, MORE.  It can't just be brownies---where's the ice cream? It can't just be watching a movie--where's the special treat?

Not to sound like an old lady or anything, but I remember when going to McDonald's was a huge outing. I am the oldest of four kids, and my dad wouldn't give us many options on what we could order when we went--either a cheeseburger or hamburger (before the invention of McNuggets--I know. How did we survive?) and a small, non-refillable drink. Our family got two small orders of fries (really small), which we all SHARED as we sat around the table and ate, not raced through the meal so we could climb all over the play place and then cry when we lost a piece of our 25-cent Happy Meal toy in the ball pit.

I was annoyed. Here I thought I was providing some quality time for my family, doing things we don't do frequently, and they were left wanting more. I wish society would allow me to shelter my kids from all the bells an whistles of modern life and let me take them back to the days when I was young.  Where is this possible, anybody know?

Now I really sound old.

Saturday we spent much of the day working--cleaning out the garages, Saturday chores, cleaning Brad's office building, and picking dozens of oranges and juicing eleven gallons of juice to freeze (any idea how many oranges that is?  It's a lot, let me tell you.)  I love it when I can find real situations where my kids can do actual work and experience what it feels like to accomplish something worthwhile.  Not that they love it or anything, but I hope one day they will look back on these experiences with fondness and a desire to punish their own kids the way I punished them.

After all was said and done, Dad pulled out the kite--a simple pleasure of my windy Idaho childhood that my AZ kids rarely get to enjoy.

The video says it all.

Gone for good.

That's okay.  We won't have another perfectly windy kite day for at least eight months.

21 comments:

  1. Amen on the rant. Amen and amen.

    And oh, that Evie is cute!

    =)

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  2. Did he just tell her to "get out in the street?!". You don't hear that from parents often.... ;)

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  3. Oh my gosh...that video is precious!

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  4. We share more than a cowboy past. I'm always fretting about teaching my kids to work and whether they know how to "appreciate".

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  5. 11 gallons? WOW! I hate it when my kids get all whiney and feel entitled to everything. But since I NEVER buy them treats at the movies, they pretty much know that is out. Since my youngest is now 8, we've kind of cut down on the amount of tantrums. They know when we say no to whatever they are begging for that the answer is no.

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  6. Yes, I think we all remember "good old days" no matter how old we are. Simpler times - there is something good to be said about them.

    Loved the windy kite video. Reminded me of simpler times.

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  7. I think you have just about summed it up for all us parents. Can I reassure you that you are definitely not alone.
    I think a good strong dose of family work day (juicing oranges, lemons, or doing whatever)from sun up to sun down makes my family more appreciate. The funny thing is, we seem to enjoy the simple things and appreciate being together more when we are at home working together. That must be why kids who grew up on farms or around live stock seem to be more in touch with the simple things.
    I'm so sad that Evie's kite flew away. At least it didn't fly away with her on the other end, she's just a little bit of a girl.

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  8. If you figure out how to make them appreciate the task at hand please share! I have such a hard time with this. *sigh* Glad they all liked the Lorax. I want to go see it but obviously not if the kiddos aren't going to enjoy it!

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  9. So fun to see Evie in action. I had to laugh when daddy says "don't fall down", so she falls down.

    A friend of mine threw her daughter a fun birthday party and she said the kids could not enjoy the fun activity they were doing at the moment...they always wanted to know what's next. Reminded me of your rant.

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  10. Oh my, I've missed a lot around her. Love, love, love your new header! I'm not sure what to say about the wanting more. I was thinking it's just human nature. I figure we all have a little Magpie in us. But then you wrote about how you were as kids. I think sometimes it's just that as kids we have to be reminded to be thankful. We were talking to our kids about how special Sundays were because it was the only night Disney was on, and how disappointing it was if it was a re-run. We didn't have DVD's or Youtube. Our girls can watch anything they want any time. I'm not sure how to combat it, other than talking about expectations beforehand I guess : )
    And all the black and whites? Lovely. Funnily enough I tried shooting in BW for a lot of this past week. Off to watch your video now.
    Have a great week Jen... Jenny!

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  11. the reason i avoid bowling alleys is the arcade that my kids always end up in after 10 min of bowling.

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  12. Yes to the rant. If that makes you sound old, then I am right with you, sister.

    We live in a very overwhelmed and entitled society. How we are ever going to raise structured, kind, and decent kids is beyond me. Here's to hoping.

    Evie and the kite, though, is dang cute.

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  13. Brenn is not allowed to hold the kite anymore due to that very reason!

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  14. Brenn is not allowed to hold the kite anymore due to that very reason!

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  15. I call it the Disneyland Principle...well, actually I just made that name up...

    I once took my kids to Disneyland. It cost a lot of money but we had a wonderful day. At the end of the day, one of them asked for something and I said "NO". I was given the reply, "I hate you". (Mind you they were very young.) The next day I took the kids to the beach. For practically nothing we enjoyed the sunshine, the water and making sand castles. We ate pizza and splurged a little on ice cream. No tantrums, no begging for more. Again we had a wonderful day and I was a good mom again. I don't do Disneyland anymore.

    I have heard of people cutting way back on "special treats", so when kids get them, they really appreciate them.

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  16. I call it the Disneyland Principle...well, actually I just made that name up...

    I once took my kids to Disneyland. It cost a lot of money but we had a wonderful day. At the end of the day, one of them asked for something and I said "NO". I was given the reply, "I hate you". (Mind you they were very young.) The next day I took the kids to the beach. For practically nothing we enjoyed the sunshine, the water and making sand castles. We ate pizza and splurged a little on ice cream. No tantrums, no begging for more. Again we had a wonderful day and I was a good mom again. I don't do Disneyland anymore.

    I have heard of people cutting way back on "special treats", so when kids get them, they really appreciate them.

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  17. I wonder if our parents ever thought the same things.

    You are right and I agree. Totally one of the reasons I have always liked camping with the kids. They are forced to be outside and there is nothing to buy and no video games - it's the closest I've been able to come.

    Cute video :-D

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  18. Awwww, Evie... I'm amazed that she held onto the kite as long as she did. So cute.
    I'm with you on the entitlement. Seems like the more you give them, the more they want. My kids are starting to get it back from THEIR kids. It's kind of fun to watch.

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  19. No answers from here - but I think you're doing your best to combat that horrid need for more, more MORE. Keep at it!
    I can't believe that kite stayed in Evie's hand for so long!

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  20. So true! Why is it that kids are never satisfied with the major event. We have the same problem at baseball games...they want to do the amusement rides (yes! at the baseball park). I can't even take them to target because they want to get popcorn or a Starbucks. Crazy!
    Stay-cations are nice.
    Evie is soooo cute!

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  21. Have to say Im with you on this post .. Im only 41.. Far from old but I too miss the simpler more quieter days.. I dont' think it has so much to do with being old as it has that the world we live in today is SO busy an SO noisy all the time people even young people don't know how to just 'be'...

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