On Monday afternoon, I did one of my favorite things - I went to a matinee. By myself. I've talked about this before - I love going to movies by myself! I went to see a chick flick called "Love Happens." Was a decent movie, especially since I only paid $5 to see it! I hate paying full price for movies!
I knew I'd want something to snack on while watching the movie, so I cut up a nectarine and brought it along in a ziplock baggie. It totally satisfied my sweet tooth and was a healthy, delicious afternoon snack.
I didn't see alot of movies when I was a kid - it was definitely a treat to go to the movie with my parents. I have great memories of packing all of us kids into our dorky van and heading to the movie theater. I can't blame my parents for not taking us to a lot of movies, though. After all, there were 5 kids in my family, so it was quite the expense to take us out to a movie. We usually went to Pizza Hut for dinner after going to a movie - which was also a treat since we rarely ate out.
The thing I remember most about going to these movies is the fact that we NEVER went to the concession stand. Ever. My mom was thrifty. She had to be - raising 5 kids is not cheap! So before we went to the theater, my mom would make a big batch of popcorn and split it up into our own little brown paper bags. Then she'd pack the popcorn and some juice boxes in a big purse and we'd head out to the theater.
My mom was thrifty (and practical) like that. You need to find a way to cut corners when you have that many mouths to feed. I look back on my childhood and I can definitely say I never wanted for anything. I realize how incredibly lucky I am to say that, though - I know there are alot of kids out there who went to bed hungry and didn't get nearly as many gifts as I got as a child.
One thing that I notice these days is how spoiled kids seem to be! I don't really know what changed or why, but man oh man - kids have so much 'stuff' these days. I mean, we never had a toy room when we were growing up! But we didn't need one because we were entertained for hours by running through the sprinkler, riding our bikes, or swinging on our swing set. Actually, one of my favorite memories as a child was playing in the ditch. The drainage system between our ditches looked like a little cement stove - so my cousin and I would spend HOURS playing house in that ditch.
But these days it seems like kids have every gadget and game that comes along. It's kind of sad because I think kids aren't forced to be creative like we were when we were little.
Am I alone in this? Or do you agree that kids kind of are a little too spoiled these days?
Oh my goodness, I couldn't agree with you more on all points made in this post. Cheap movies, sneaking in snacks, spoiled kids... oh my. I keep telling people that the only "toys" my future children will have will be a box of markers and some cardboard boxes. It's amazing how creative kids can be when you give them nothing. And they won't appreciate the gadgets when they get older anyway. I could go on about this forever... so just know that you are not alone.
ReplyDeleteKids are SO spoiled! My cousins (whom I grew up with & were like my siblings) have 5 kids between the 2 of them. At Thanksgivng 3 of the children (aged 7-16) are PAID to get off their iPhones/NintendoDS and have DINNER with the FAMILY. The other two are so used to passively BEING entertained that they don't know how to entertain themselves...or how to sit quietly. Watching my nephew try to play with them is kind of sad - he's only two but his language skills surpass the youngest 2 and he can turn anything into a toy...his parents make it a point NOT to spoil him with toys as they don't want him to be cerebrally stunted. So far, it's definitely working.
ReplyDeleteMy cousins, brother and I spent most of our time on our grandparents farm (which they no longer won) riding horses, gathering eggs and making up games that involved a lot of imagination. Kids today don't have to imagine ANYTHING!
Oh, and we were a sneak-it-in-mom's-purse family, too :-)
Totally and completely agree. There's so much extra "stuff" made for kids these days - it starts when they're babies and just gets worse as they get older. One of my absolute favorite things to do when I was little was play with blocks. Plain, old, wooden blocks. Building things and knocking them down never gets old. (I'm smiling right now just thinking about it).
ReplyDeleteAnd I totally hear you about sneaking things into movies. It's a minimum $20 for Ben and I to go see a movie now so we have to really want to see it, and I def. bring a big purse. :)
I definitely agree with you Lisa! It drives me crazy the lack of creativity that kids today have!
ReplyDeleteThank you for vocalizing this, it's nice to know I'm not alone!
i totally agree! kids are way too spoiled now compared to when we were kids. i remember how excited we would get if we got to go to mcdonald's for breakfast on a sunday morning after church. now mcdonald's is normally a staple in a lot of kid's diets!! we got to go there maybe once every 6 months and it was such a big deal!! we never had the cool electronic toys or games, we played outside. we never got bored playing tag or ghost in the graveyard!! i really hope i'm able to raise my kids in the same way i was raised.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree even though I was a very spoiled kid myself, me and my brother were AlWAYS playing outside or I was playing barbies - which takes a lot of imagination. I think my biggest problem with kids today is that kids as young as THREE are already using the computer. I mean, I spend a lot of time on the computer, but I didn't start using it at all until I was 13 or so, and even then I didn't use it THAT MUCH.
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to live somewhere where my kids can play outside when I have children and I also plan on closely monitoring their TV and computer time!
I also make my own popcorn when I go to the movie. I REALLY like having popcorn at the movie but the stuff there is both too expensive and too fattening!
Agreed! The other day I was at the little coffee shop down the street from our house studying. A group of little (maybe) ?8 year olds? came in. There was so much wrong with the picture.
ReplyDelete#1 - What 8 year old goes to a coffee shop?
#2 - The 8 year olds were comparing the coffee to Starbucks. (What 8 year old drinks starbucks...)
#3 - They all had cell phones and were texting each other.
Above their unnecessary materials. They were dressed like little whores. And were loud and obnoxious. Granted I was obnoxious as an 8 year old--I was riding my bike, and playing kickball with my friends....or...playing in the ditch! (Maybe that was a few years back..but you get the point)
I am so glad mom made us thrifty. I do the same at the movies. I also pack my own lunches when I have a busy day of running errands so I don't have to eat out.
SO agree. Not only are they spoiled, but many are quite lazy. When I was little we played outside. We ran around and rode our bikes. Kids now are sitting in front of the television playing video games. It's sad.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's because more parents are lazy. Give them television and a room full of toys so they can entertain themselves...
There were only two of us growing up but it was also special to go out to eat, to see movies or to go on trips! Having that at your disposal, no matter how big the family is can certainly make a kid/family spoiled!
ReplyDeleteI remember my first encounter with a toy room; I was 20. Yup, 20. I was a new nanny and these kids had a whole basement full of toys in addition to what they had in their room. It was insane.
My parents were very careful about spoiling us and I appreciate it. One of my favorite adult things is going to see a matinee movie. Love that it's so much cheaper (saves like $4 bucks!) and that it's usually quieter.
I really want to see that movie!!! I always wait til they are on demand so I can pay $5 and sit on my own comfy couch haha. When I do go to the movies I DEF bring my own food and water (bottled water at the movies is ridiculous).
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree with you 1 MILLION percent about kids being too spoiled. It DEFINITELY has made them not creative because kids will have 1 second of free time with me and be like "WHAT CAN I DO NEXT" and I'm like CALM YOURSELF. I know it must be hard to say "no" to your kids but people REALLY need to do it. We are doing them NO favors by spoiling them and kids should learn early you can't always have what you want. Kids should also learn early how overpriced food is at movie theaters haha.
WAY too spoiled! I find 2 major problems with this 1) stimulus overload: its just too much to process and 2) the neglect of fun in nature. I also loved playing in the "woods" behind my grandparents house and many of my fondest memories are of entire days spent reading a book in a tree!
ReplyDeleteOH trust me. You are absolutely right. I see "tween" girls daily in my store and the amount these parents buy them is sometimes absurd! I can't complain though, because it puts money in my pocket. You are so, so, so right though ... they get whatever they want and are hardly like we were when we were kids. In the summertime we spent hours outside playing with the simplest things. Like your ditch story! :)
ReplyDeleteKids are a lot different now than what my friends and I were. I never wanted for anything, was spoiled but not to the extent of todays youth. My friends 12 year old daughter has it all and then some. She doesnt really appreciate it either which makes me mad. Hell I still sneak drinks and food into the theater in my purse.
ReplyDeleteYou are NOT alone. I look at kids and I can't help but wonder what they're going to be like. I wonder if our generation is going to have a reaction against the giving kids all the stuff they could possibly want. Because everyone I talk to around our age is horrified by the materialism kids are being taught at a young age.
ReplyDeleteHi, stumbled upon your post via Crystal's blog: Learning How to Sail My Ship. My personal opinion? We never go to the movies at all because the price is absolutely ridiculous! Talk about being thrifty! We buy the movie when it first comes out for under $20 (unless you want the fancy new Blu-Ray) and then watch it as many times as we want with as many people as we want--we could even have a steak dinner while we watch if we want to! My parents, my sister, and my own family of four all live on 30 acres where we always pass around the newest movie that one of us has just bought. So, for ~$18, 11 people (if it's kid-friendly--only 6, if not, which is still an awesome "deal") get to watch a movie as many times as they want in the comfort of their own home with as many snacks or drinks as they have available in the kitchen! Plus, you can pause for bathroom breaks or rewind because you didn't quite catch what was said...can't beat that, in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteAs far as how spoiled kids are--I totally agree! However, I don't think it's just kids--Americans as a whole are spoiled rotten! With this awful economy crisis, I've realized how "spoiled" I am! The past couple of generations have been conditioned to attitude of we want it all and we want it right now. Hopefully, reality will hit the majority, and it will be the one good thing that comes out of this crisis...alas, I'm afraid that only a full-fledged depression will cure us from this materialistic, "keeping up with the Jones" lifestyle that nearly all Americans are living.