Where did the innocence go?

I am not that old, but I remember when Nintendo first came out. I remember the black computer screens with orange or green letters. I remember when gas was 88 cents a gallon, maybe 79 cents if I really tried to think. I remember Mister Rogers, the Polka-dot Door, Today's Special, Sesame Street,(before everybody knew about Mr. Snufflupagus), I remember when baggy pants that were hot pink were in style for boys. I remember big poofy hair worn by my older sisters. I remember when the first color screens for computers came out for the general public. I remember when the World Series was brought to a screeching halt because of the Oakland earthquake. I remember when the worst thing that a kid ever brought to school was a dog. I remember being a kid and wondering if that cute girl across the room liked me. I remember being devastated when she didn't. I remember when kids were actually innocent.

What happened to those days? Why do kids now know more about sex than I did until high school? Why do kids stay up till all hours of the night? Why is it that kids are more violent these days? Where are the parents of the children who do nothing after school but watch tv and play assorted video games? Where is the word NO?!!! Why can't parents say "no" to their children? Is a little self-denial such a bad thing for this generation of overstimulated children? Where is the public, outraged at what is on MTV and other obscene cable channels? (better yet, where is the outrage over the sex and violence viewable on regular tv? Why are the sweet innocent girls being dressed up like tramps? (and why is it called cute?) Where are the morals that society used to have?

Am I old fashioned? If so, I think I am still right! High moral guidelines, like classic cars, get more valuable as the years go by. Ignoring them, doesn't depreciate their value. Parents need to, well, BE THE PARENT!!!! Your child needs friends, but he/she doesn't need YOU to be his/her friend.

If your child recently threw a tantrum because you made him turn off his video game to do his homework . . . BE THE PARENT! Take the entire game system until his grades improve. If your child cannot appropriately use their cell phone . . . (when it became necessary to have one of those I'm not sure) . . . BE THE PARENT! Take the phone and make them stay with you (or even better, a babysitter) so they don't have to "check in!" If your child has inappropriate music playing . . . BE THE PARENT! Break the CD, take the ipod/mp3/(insert newest invention here) and lock down the computer and cable channels with a code that they won't be able to think of in ten minutes of guessing. If your child acts out at school . . . BE THE PARENT! GO to the school and ask a teacher or administrator what your child can do to make up for his or her rude behavior. If your child commits a crime no matter how small. . . BE THE PARENT! Get the proper authorities involved, be it school, mall security, police, etc. and see that the child makes restitution to a proper extent! BE RESPONSIBLE!!! MAKE THEM TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!!
If your child procrastinates an assignment in class . . . BE THE PARENT! Let them fail. If they fail at something small, it may teach them a valuable lesson so that when the stakes are higher they won't fail! Failure can be a very useful tool if used properly.

I decided to sluff-off an entire unit in a 7th grade health class. I wound up with a "C" in the class for that term. My dad found out that I had completely ignored assignments, and left them untouched. He sat me down and explained that I was going to finish every single assignment and turn them in to the teacher at her house after school was out for the summer. There was no argument, there wasn't even any "or else ______." I was simply expected to do it. I received no credit for my work, but I learned an extremely valuable lesson during that first week after school got out. I'll never forget it. BE THE PARENT, and your child will be a better parent for the next generation.