Man do I wish I could recapture some parts of my youth. Things were so different growing up . In 1979 I was 7 seven years old. I remember like it was yesterday. I lived on 159th and Amsterdam Ave. On long, hot summer nights the kids got to stay out real late while our parents sat on the stoop listening to the radio (or the records from the stereo with the speaker propped in the window). I just remember jumping rope, playing hand games, making up dances. The dances that comes to mind are bus stop and hustle.
I am thinkng about this now because I just finished having a play date for my son. Since we don’t celebrate birthdays, I have to be creative with his entertainment. One or two times a year I throw a “themed” play date that includes pizza and ice-cream/cake. Today’s theme was a silly hat party. He and 6 of his little friends designed their own hats. I bought these foam visors for the boys and foam tiarra-style hats for the girls. I purchased all of these little stickers, jewels, letters, etc and the mommies helped. It was so much fun. Aside from the fact that we don’t do birthdays, kids in general nowadays have “play appointments”. I find this so “new”.
I don’t remember my mother ever doing anything like this. I can’t remember having tumbling classes, little league t-ball, dance & twirl class, or mommy and me classes. It may be that I just wasn’t exposed to it b/c we were from modest means (ie…po folk). I often wonder, although I think I know the answer, if all of this new-age play/organized activities mean anything. I wonder will my son remember this anymore than he would remember other events of his childhood.
I remember and relish my memories of my mom holding my hand as she knocked on the apartment door on the 2nd floor to see her friend. I just walked into the kids’ room and we played. They weren’t necessarily expecting us most of the time. We had a ball. I never had to take tumbling or “let’s cooperate” class. I mean, I tumbled with my cousins and if I didn’t cooperate, I’d catch a bad one! My son is an only child (for all intents and purposes). My 2 step daughters are 10 and 16 (he’s 3). He does play with his class mates…but they are all girls! He is in a homebased daycare with 3 other children. I love it though…he’s so intelligent. I have two young newphews that he is close to and gets to play and rough-house with. However, I like to limit and watch that closely because, well er…how can I say this? My nephews are Ghettronic! The 4 year old walks around saying he’s a gangster and hustler and the 7 year old is addicted to tv and x-box. We have no x-box, play station, etc and the only tv in our home is kept in the basement. My son watches it once or twice a week for an hour or so to watch the Noggin Channel (Maisy, Franklin & Blues Clues). The other day, the 4 year old said, “auntie” he stuck his middle finger at me”. I was so angry. I told him, “he’s 3 and doesn’t know what that means and never even heard that phrase before”. My sister is great but young and I try to remind her that she really shouldn’t let them watch videos, etc.
My point is …I am tired. These kids and their moms wore me out! It was all so simple then. Ya know, back in the day when I was young.
