Parenting out the window

I was born in 1965, so I was too young to enjoy free love and all that. I do embrace that time in history though, often wishing I could have been an original hippie. I was born in the Midwest in middle class America. I was taught manners, had a mom that was always home, and chores. Something has shifted though and I can't quite put my finger on what it was. Somewhere, parents stopped parenting. We moved from the simple life to I MUST HAVE THAT! This in turn has moved us from the stay at home mom, to the, "we bought so much crap now we both have to work". I don't know...I'm not sure if it is even all the consumerism that is the cause for 2 income families or if its the economy itself. In any case, moms aren't home and when we are we are too tired to do anything, let alone deal with Johnny's temper tantrum properly. We give in and let him have whatever he wants or promise to buy it for him if he will just shut up or go play somewhere else. Just watch Supernanny...I don't remember my friends pitching fits and getting what they wanted....and I KNOW I didn't. Swear to God, my mom chased me around the coffee table to give me a spanking...I have no idea why, but I was naughty and that was my punishment. She started laughing (it was quite comical) and so I thought, "mom's laughing, she's not mad anymore, I must be off the hook." Nope, still got spanked. While I don't agree with spanking (personally I did time-out or take away prized possessions as punishment) the point is she followed through. She didn't decide it wasn't worth her physical exertion to teach me a lesson...she knew if I was to grow up and be a decent human, I needed to learn life lessons when the consequences were easier to handle, rather then when I'm older and a consequence could be prison.

When I was young, schools were safe. We played outside all day and all the moms in the neighborhood watched out for us kids. There was community and we didn't even stop to consider that the world wasn't a safe place. We rode bikes with out helmets or pads...we played kick the can after dark...I morn the passing of my youth and the fact that my child cannot have what I had. I know where he is at all times...I teach him to open doors for ladies, and say yes please, or no thank you. I look around and I see kids my children's ages and they are rude, self serving and spoiled. Now believe me, my kids are far from perfect, as am I, but at least try to be kind in front of strangers, know what I mean. And let me tell you, when these kids do get a job, they suck. Work ethics are out the window, they want their money just cause they showed up..."what do you mean I have to actually do work for my check?"....AAhhh I don't know....