Children these days.

[xeevee]

If we were all allowed to just walk about town topless without people making us feel like crap, this topic wouldn't even exist ;3

[saply]

Fight the power! Be a nudist!

I just want to add that when I was breastfeeding, I would just... whip it out in public, no cover (it's Florida, after all), and nobody ever even said anything to me. I got some looks but hey, that's their baggage lol

[lovesbabysquirmy]

If we were all allowed to just walk about town topless without people making us feel like crap, this topic wouldn't even exist ;3

[xeevee]

Fight the power! Be a nudist!

I just want to add that when I was breastfeeding, I would just... whip it out in public, no cover (it's Florida, after all), and nobody ever even said anything to me. I got some looks but hey, that's their baggage lol

I did too.  Where I'm from if you try and stop a woman breastfeeding, even if she takes her shirt off to do it, you're violating her human rights, and can be prosecuted.

[tulagirl]

I have watched children for many years and yes I have seen a huge change in children.  I have worked with children now over 20 years.  When I was a kid we were still playing with dolls at age 12. I remember riding my bike along with another friend in the neighborhood with dolls loaded in our bike basket.  We would ride from my house to their house all day long.  We were 11.  No kid in school ever said anything to another one for the toys, dolls or items they were interested in.  The only harassment I have had was about clothing.  What I see now though is a very different picture.  When it comes to teen pregnancy that has been an issue for many decades.  Those teens can still raise beautiful children and be great mothers.  What is different now though is parents are not home anymore with their kids.  Children are given freedoms they should not have way too soon. They are allowed to watch programs they should not be watching. They are allowed to read books that are not healthy.  They are not taught good morals and values quite often.  They are allowed to have whatever behaviors they want and are not guided or disciplined.  The schools have no rights to keep children's behavior in check.  Teachers have no choice but to be victimized by seriously ill and out of control children.  Our school systems are filled with kids that have been neglected, abused and left alone most of their lives.  Many kids do not have a good family environment either that models anything normal to them.  With the internet kids have access to things they do not need and with parents not being home its a recipe for serious problems.  The problems with other kids making fun of kids that don't want to grow up too soon is high.  I watched my little niece go from a child who loved dolls and toys to age 7 not wanting any because the kids at school said they were for babies.  I am a child advocate. I don't like what has happend to our kids.  My childhood was so carefree. My mother was home with me and when I was in school she worked only part time so she could be there for me.  My extended family was there also.
I feel sorry for families today.  Due to economy families can't provide the kind of home they would like for their kids.  Many can't afford better schools for their children.  A lot of families can't even feed their kids "living" food and have to feed them boxed foods just to get by.  Mental related illness are on the rise in children. We have fantastic parents in the midst of all these things I mention. I don't not say that "all" are this way.  A great many families though are this way.  The parents that home school seem to have (in my observation) better luck with their  kids because the influence of unhealthy kids are removed.  They are able to put their kids into groups with other families and that peer influence and bully problem isn't so much a problem.
Do you know when I was a kid, Kindergarten was half days? Yep.  Now we have kids in school at age two until 6pm.  I don't blame parents for this fact...I blame the world for making other things more important than raising children well and making it impossible for parents to have the resources to nurture their kids the way they deserve as parents.  I am not against both parents having careers its just something that I have watched takes time away from kids.  Even the film stars talk about this fact.  Someone else is raising their kids so we can have entertainment.
I watched kids have strong work ethics.  I got my first job at age 15 back in the 80's. Now that same age 15 kid complains about work hours and doesn't want to do their job...misses work and doesn't call in...no work ethic. (Not all of them but many)  I would never have thought to do that at that age.  Substance abuse has always been an issue, but now we have it in our elementary schools.  Now we have kids taking guns into schools. I am sorry, but in the 70's at my school...that never happened.  The worst thing we did was wear Pink Floyd T-shirts that upset our teachers.  Now girls go to school with hardly any clothes on really.
When the world changes the kids have no choice but to be raised differently and without a lot of what they need.  Sure are growing up too soon and it's a crying shame.  I talk to kids today that see no value in anything from the past, their grandparents or parents and handed down special things.  They can't even look  you in the face because their face is staring into a smart phone all day. Its hard to be a parent...we have many good ones and even the teens can be in that category.  I just wish we could go back to simple days when things were better.  Less TV...snail mail....and kids running around in the neighborhood instead of clicking buttons on a video game.

Oh and the things I mention are for families in any economic status with normal healthy children.  For parents with special needs children its a totally different story.  The world needs to have a lot more compassion for these precious children and embrace them and make them a part of things.  We have come a long way as a society for kids with needs, but we have a long way to go when it comes to  judgmental attitudes towards the parents of kids.  Not all behavioral problems are caused by parents and environments..some are birth related.  So we can't group all kids in the same category because of this fact.  My heart goes out to these families.  They are trying so hard.  One can't love children without first loving a parent and reaching out to offer help.  When you care for the parents and help them too it helps the little ones.

[Milky]

To each their own, but I have a co-worker that won't let his daughters (14 & 8) watch any sorta love  (kissing is too much sometimes)  scene in a movie. I understand that & can understand it, but the ironic part is that his son was in the office talking about the graphic video games he plays like it was perfectly normal.

He told me his fave part of the game is chopping some woman's head off, cause it  makes the blood splatter on the screen. "It is soooo cool! I try to kill all the women!"

So sex & love is bad while graphic violence is good.

I seriously worry about our country sometimes.

Oh & I am a total crabby old woman with the attire some of the kids wear these days, but its not my place to judge another as there might be circumstances I am unaware of with the clothing.

[xeevee]

ugh, that annoys me too.  Because sex is soooo bad, and the kids should never see it!  Way to ensure your kids have hang ups when they're older. 

[Ivaness]

I may get shunned for my next statement.

Dealing with a child with Autism, there are days when I wish he was "normal". He's 8, he can't ride a bike, he can't tie his shoes. All he wants to do is play his Nintendo or DSi. (Which he's getting a 3DS for Christmas, when I told everyone I didn't want him to have anymore video games. But now I feel like an ass because his grandmother went out of her way to get him some awesome Mario/Star Wars game with it. So, he'll be allowed to play it.)
He doesn't have friends who want him to come over and play because he doesn't get along with many children. But our neighbors kids, when they're over, teach him how to play Hide n Seek, Tag, old school games outside. They play with chalk.  Her kids wear short shorts, but they're wearing leggings, they don't backtalk their mother. (My son backtalks ALL the time, no respect for us.) Her 2 year old son runs around in just his diaper and once he was out there naked. Lol. (She didn't even see him out there with his siblings, but tell you what, she rushed out and dragged him in the house when she finally saw him.)

Maybe it's just where I live, but the older kids are... jerks, for lack of better word. They look down on my son because he doesn't act the way they've been taught kids should act.  But the kids 10 and under, they rally with my son. Autism is VERY prevalent around here, seems to be an even higher number of Autistic children where I live. In the schools, in Kindergarten, an Autism specialist comes in and talks to the kids about Autism, so they won't be scared that this little boy is going to be different from them.  I mean, my son has attacked the teachers in front of these kids... and they still play with him. (As much as he lets them.)

And some of these kids dress like adults. But, my son doesn't see that. You know what my son sees? He sees a girl in clothing with a Mario plush toy... and she's his friend.
I may think a child is dressed inappropriately, but if that same child is going to be friendly with my son and treat him like he isn't different (because he is aware of it), then so be it. I'll invite her over to play with him any day she'd like.

On the breastfeeding and baby clothing, I want to show y'all one of my favorite things. I adore this newborn hat!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/98147587/sale-fun-crocheted-boobie-beanie
I think it's clever.

[xeevee]

Ivaness, I love everything about your post.   

That is what it should all be about.  We need to stop slut shaming and judging people because of clothing or sexual behaviour, and start treating them like human beings.  Just like everyone is. 

Also, that beanie is hilarious.

[Ivaness]

Ivaness, I love everything about your post.   

That is what it should all be about.  We need to stop slut shaming and judging people because of clothing or sexual behaviour, and start treating them like human beings.  Just like everyone is. 

Also, that beanie is hilarious.

I actually feel like my opinions have changed since my first post here.
If a 9 year old is walking around LIKE an adult, then, obviously, something has gone very very wrong in her life and someone needs to intervene.

[saply]

Aww Ivaness, you sound like an awesome mommy!

[Ivaness]

Aww Ivaness, you sound like an awesome mommy!

Ha... I'm not. I'm impatient, wildly so. I get frustrated quickly and it's rubbed off on him. He's such a good kid but he deserves better than me, tell you that for free.

I'm worried that as he grows, he becomes an adult like that. He becomes even more disrespectful, out of hand. I'm worried that he won't be able to live on his own, have a family, whatnot.

Every parents fear.
Sorry to ahve derailed the topic.

[Milky]

Speaking as someone who's mom bailed @ an early age, your son is an obnoxiously lucky kid to have ya - you are amazing 

[bagheera86]

Fight the power! Be a nudist!

I just want to add that when I was breastfeeding, I would just... whip it out in public, no cover (it's Florida, after all), and nobody ever even said anything to me. I got some looks but hey, that's their baggage lol

Don't you mean boobage?

[ashes]

Do you know when I was a kid, Kindergarten was half days? Yep.  Now we have kids in school at age two until 6pm. 

I think that differs by school district.  In the school district my children attend, Kindergarten is still half days.  The morning kids go from 9 am to 12:20 pm, and the afternoon kids from 11:00 am to 3:05 (the discrepancy in time is that the afternoon kids stay for lunch).  During the overlap time is when they do art, sharing, computer, have assemblies, or things that aren't quite as "academic" (like working on reading, writing, and math skills).  But each group is small, like 15 - 16, so that when there is the overlap, it's 30 - 32.  Which is why during the overlap they don't do the overly academic things.

Of course the school offers their CDC program which parents utilize if they are both working.  But in the CDC they also offer help with homework and other enrichment activities.