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'I'm done making my kid's childhood magical'

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Dick Whitman, Apr 1, 2014.

  1. McNuggetsMan

    McNuggetsMan Active Member

    My son's third birthday was approaching and my wife started to fret about what themed cake/cupcakes to make him (he had elmo and grover cupcakes for 1 (super pain the ass for her) and a construction site cake (it was really simple, make normal cake, put plastic trucks on it). She worried for three days about how to make a Thomas the Train cake. She was miserable and it was driving me nuts.

    So one night I said to my son (with my wife in the room) "Hey kid, what kind of cupcakes do you want for your birthday" he responds "chocolate with sprinkles."

    Easiest cupcakes ever.

    For the most part, kids don't even want this shit. Mothers freak themselves out trying to outdo each other and then get all stressed about it. Kids want cake, presents and to play with their friends. Nothing complicated.

    Just chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles. He even got to put the sprinkles on himself. He thought it was awesome.
     
  2. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    I have heard of an elite university that actually has to post a security guard at the door for first-year orientation.
    Of course, he is there to stop parents who feel inclined to follow their allegedly adult children in.
     
  3. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    A party that invites exhaustion -- adults, kids, especially kids -- is a good party.
     
  4. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

  5. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

  6. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

  7. DeskMonkey1

    DeskMonkey1 Active Member

    I had no problem with my mom wanting to accompany me to get acquainted day (basically the recruiting day, where I joked it was official visits for non-athletes) and even to my move-in day and orientation. Didn't even get bent out of shape when she introduced me to someone she'd spoken to while waiting in line and pointed out another that I had briefly spoken to earlier in the day.

    I did have a problem with my stepfather wanting to speak to my advisor and lay out my next two and a half years, and made my accepting it a condition of my continued tuition payments.
     
  8. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Did you set it up ahead of time w/ the dealers, or did you just show up with a bunch of kids? (And, how many kids?)

    It sounds like fun, but I'm surprised the salesmen were cool about it.
     
  9. micropolitan guy

    micropolitan guy Well-Known Member

    We just showed up. Started looking around, the salesmen came up, we told them what we were doing and they all were absolutely cool with it, except for the Cooper/Mini/BMW place, which kind of blew us off. None of the places were very busy so that probably had something to do with it. The Ferrari guy even opened a warehouse where they had some on consignment.

    The Porsche guy told us they aim their advertising to kids of about that age, to get the idea in their mind that when they grow up to be successful they will buy a Porsche. Same with the Benz people. As I said, almost all of the salesmen were incredibly cool about it, maybe it's just the laid-back PNW attitude. .
     
  10. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Smart of them. And they gave your kid a good day.
     
  11. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    The car dealership idea and the goodie bag w the whoopie cushions are great ideas.

    Our (adult) children bought my wife and I tickets to Cirque Du Soliel in Santa Monica for our christmas present. I am going to make a rough guess that the tickets were approximately $150 each, for decent seats.

    Sitting in the first section were a good looking mom and dad with, I think we counted 10 girls, all approx. 11 years old. Quite a birthday party. I am not saying this begrudgingly, if they have the money, why not? The dad sat to the far left, and the mom sat 10 or 11 seats to the end of the row on the right.
     
  12. exmediahack

    exmediahack Well-Known Member

    I love the dynamics at play here.

    Some in the Baby Boom Generation -- the whiniest, richest and most self-centered generation of Americans - get upset because they're not grandparents on their time and their schedule.

    This makes me laugh hysterically.

    My parents are Baby Boom. I'm 40.

    The millions of Americans now between age 58-68 who, long ago, decided their own parents - the Greatest Generation - were rigid, distant, internalizing, sticks-in-the-mud. The generation that bought us rampant divorce instead of trying to work it out, decades of latchkey kids while putting money as their God instead of spending actual time with their children.

    Also the generation that will be known as the first where their offspring have a lower financial standard of living than theirs.

    I see this attitude whenever I visit my father and it drives me nuts. Spent the 1980s chasing money instead of keeping a family intact and now is upset that his adult children keep him at a firm distance.

    At least he has his money.

    The old man is 68 and doesn't need to work. His $500,000 house has been paid off for years. Buys a new Mercedes every 3 years. But he still works. Also so that, in his words, "I will collect the maximum Social Security when I retire at 70". Yet this guy - who is a 3%-er - can't ever be bothered to leave a 20% tip for good restaurant service, walks around acting all entitled.

    "You should make more money," he will tell me when I mention braces coming up for our daughter - his granddaughter. Make that his only granddaughter.

    Then he jets off with his wife to Europe or Australia and wonders why I don't travel the world. A disclaimer - we make really good money for someone in "the biz" but I have no desire for a gigantic house, new cars or lavish trips.

    I watched both of my divorced parents ignore THEIR dying parents in their final years. WTF is that about?!? I loved, loved taking our children to meet their great-grandparents while they were still here. Loved it. They even seemed to appreciate it, even it was a long drive.

    I wonder if the next 20 years will be the years of reckoning for this generation as their adult children are still rubbing nickels together and trying to make their budgets as the Baby Boomers sit in Del Boca Vista and say, "I wonder why don't visit us."
     
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