Do you think children have it better or worst than we did?

Question

Children today miss out on the good ole trick-or-treating, we did. Now-adays about 75% of the people don't do it. There seems to be more weirdo's and sicko's, now children can't ride their bikes to the neighbor park alone. Now-aways school's want to take away a child's individually with school uniforms. We didn't have school busing, we went to our neighborhood school and parents were more involved in the school. Children now-aday's don't go to other children's birthday parties, like they did when I was young. My daughter's school even banned passing out birthday cards. I think children today miss out on the simplier happier days and simplier pleasures. So personally I think they are miss out and have it worst. What do you think?

Sluggo
Sorry I don't get the see where you answer comes close to the question asked. It was rather sorry "off base".

Answer 1

Kids today are really deprived of all the good things that life has to offer. Ice skating on ponds, playing ball in a park, going to the movies alone. I could go on and on but won't! As parents we have to watch everything they do because there are so many strange people in the world, drugs are on every street corner and made too available to the kids, drive by shootings...we can't give our kids the freedom that we had so they are deprived of all the fun we had. School's have to do things like you said...ban birthday cards? what was the reason for that? maybe a racial thing, I don't know. Trick or treating is out because you never know if they get drugs in their candy! they sit at a computer or in front of tv all day playing video games! Parent's work all day and kids don't have a decent place to go or have to be in their house alone doing nothing until the parents get home. It's turned into a sick world and we have to protect our kids, thus taking away their freedom and fun!

Answer 2

I think children have life easier today then when I was a child. I grew up with no indoor plumbing, in the summer my brother and I walked approx 1/4 of a mile back into the mountains to carry our drinking water from a natural spring. We lived beside a creek and had to carry all the water needed for baths laundry, dishes, etc. On the weekends I arose at 5 am to go back in the woods to help my dad cut fire wood so that we could have warmth in the winter. In the snow, we had to retrieve wood from the pile when the box in the house go low. My dad would have wrapped my butt up around my shoulders if i had even thought about wearing some of the clothes most of our young girls wear today. I don't think uniforms are fair in public schools, but when the cheeks of the tail are hanging out and the breast get more attention than the teacher does in the middle of class. I think a line has to be drawn sometime. Banning birthday cards in schools sounds a bit far fetched to me, but there must have been a good reason for deciding this. I don't think anyone is trying to take away our childrens individuality but if the parents can't control what the children wear when they leave the home, then the school should not be criticized for making them be more respectable looking when in class. Next thing you know the schools have a bad reputation. My children have color t.v., an assortment of video games, satillite, transportation for sports after school. Many of the fun things such as trick or treating, sleep-overs, birthday parties are not like they used to be, but sex seems to be a higher priority in our teens today than education or fun.

Answer 3

I'm a busdriver and I see a whole different side.The children here seem to do all the things I did when I was young but I live in a small town.Alot has to do with where u live.They have alot more things then I had when I was young.Like cell phones and all kinds of eletronic things like xbox and cd players and the list goes on. Plus I have to pick kids up that live only 2 blocks away.I think kids are to spoiled now adays.Things come to easy for them. They get to much material things and not enough attention from there parents. Just my opinon from what I observe.

Answer 4

I think I agree with you. In trying to be politically correct as well as keep kids safe parents, schoolboard etc have gone way overboard. And when you have people like John Mark Karr and the ilk running loose it's understandable.

In our day we probably had the same kind of problems in some households, alcoholism, incest,
some drug addiction,even divorced parents but it wasn't as out in the open. As my sil likes to say it was a Beaver Cleaver life but that wasn't real. Well for some kids it was and it would be nice to go back to that but we can't.

Kids today have far more psychological scary stuff to deal with than we ever did. The worse thing you did in school was either chew gum or talk back , no guns, no bombs , no gangs.

Economically people have more things but I 'm not sure they're happy or feel secure as a matter of fact I think less so on both counts.

I wouldn't want to be a kid or a teenager or even in my 20s today, and there's no amount of money could pay me to go and try.

Answer 5

I think I was part of the last generation to really go trick-or-treating--this was in the late 70s, mind, and we still had to have our parents check the candy to see if it was tainted. I get what you're saying, but every generation has it's problems, you just have to learn to adapt. I think overall, today's children have it better, despite the problems, but individually, it's all a matter of perspective, or rather where you live--there are places where it's relatively safe, as opposed to more dangerous areas; personally, I prefer the safe areas, but even there children are only as safe as the protection provided by the parents and other adults surrounding them.

I agree, to a point, that school uniforms can take away a child's individuality if the child lets it, but uniforms are generally introduced out of safety concerns, to combat gang activity; if I were a parent, I'd rather sacrifice a little individuality than hear that my child had been attacked by a gang member for wearing the wrong colour clothing.

I don't know where you're going with busing, but if parents want to become involved in their neighbourhood schools, they're perfectly free to; in fact, in many cases, I think parents interfere in the teachers' jobs too much, to the detriment of the kids.

I also remember birthday parties, but believe me, they were overrated--I always enjoyed private family gatherings more than hanging around a crouwd of kids playing boring games and gorging myself on birthday cake. As for birthday cards, that's another thing that's better kept within the family.

I think kids today can still enjoy themselves, if we aduts just get out of the way and let them. Trust me, the "good ol' days" weren't really as good as we like to think, so don't worry about children "missing out," because they're not.

Answer 6

I agree with you. Its too bad they cant leave the house early Sat. morning on there bikes to go exploring for the day. These days i feel as though I have to watch my son walk to the neighbors house. The uniforms at schools i agree with. The purpose of them is so kids dont get beat up and shot for their shoes and clothes off their back. Sorry to hear about the school you are dealing with. I guess I am blessed with a great elementary school. Lots of involvement from the community.

Answer 7

I think children have it worse. I mean they aren't even allowed to be children anymore. I feel they loose their innocence way too early now days. I feel like society exploits so many things that it forces the children to grow up too fast!!!!! When I was younger I had an abundance of family bond, a stable family life, I had a complete house hold (raised with both parents and all my siblings live there and we all had the same parents)! Holidays came around and we celebrated them traditionally and had appreciation for everything we got! There is a lack of discipline in the children which I feel won't allow them to become responsible adults! I mean now the children talk back, speak their mind, tell you what the aren't going to do in your house hold that you work to support, run the streets all hours of the night, and have sex with whomever they please, and expect the parents to support them. A vast amount of today's generation has learned helplessness. I feel like the technology (video games, computers, t.v. and cell phones) are raising the children and causing them to be lazy (not going outside and lacking social developement)! I am raising mine very different fortunately, I had older parents so I have traditions, and morals most mothers my age don't have! Today's society is so self consumed tomorrows future doesn't seem too bright to me if parents don't in steel morals, support their creativity, embrace their individuality, bond and spend quality time with them, stop pacifying and spoiling them, and work at demonstrating responsibility, and to work at sustaining a healthy marriage as an example for their children to learn from!

Answer 8

To say "children" takes in a lot of territory. There are the abused kids who suffer beatings and cigarette burns, and often aren't sent to school at all because the parents don't want the scars discovered. Then there are those who grow up with parents who don't give a damn about them, who grow up with no self respect, no discipline, and no social skill, and little or no education because they're under no pressure to make their grades. Those kids don't have it better than anybody.

The lucky ones are those who are raised in households with loving, supportive, encouraging parents who demonstrate respect for one another and the kids. These youngsters are taught dignity, responsibility, and boundaries. They make good grades and, if they never go to a birthday party or ride their bikes in the park, they participate in class projects, and extra curricular activities, and sports. The biggest crisis they'll face until they're out of college is a break up with their boy friend or girl friend. And, when the time comes they'll be ready to face the cold, cruel world and meet its challenges. No, I don't think they necessarily have it worse than we do. I think they'll be alright.

Answer 9

overall, i agree with you. i remember being able to play outside without supervision at 5 years old! even in high school, yes there were kids that you knew did drugs, but it wasn't like EVERYONE even knew anything about drugs back then!

kids years ago were still in danger of being abducted or molested, and I believe that there might even have been just as many back then. The difference is that it wasn't plastered all over the news every day making everyone paranoid. (which in some cases isn't necessarily a bad thing if it keeps someone safe)

Answer 10

I think in a way you are right but in a way not. Kids now can't do those things because of other kids. Parents don't raise there kids any more. They let the streets do it for them. Kids now are doing far worse things to themselves and other people than kids when we were little would have ever thought of going. And because of those kids and there Parents, our kids ( the few who have parents who actually raise there kids) Can't do much of what they should be aloud to do! It is a shame really.