How Things Do Change...

This little tidbit came up in conversation a couple days ago with a friend of mine. I remarked on how little responsibility is put upon the shoulders of todays children. They are expected to learn much more than children of ages ago at the same age, but are not made to be responsible for nearly as much. At 7 and 8 years old, I was able to cook simple things. I knew how to make macaroni and cheese, and could fry and scramble eggs, make juice from frozen concentrate, and so forth. I was entrusted on occasion to watch two or three little sisters at a young age, too. My parents had a hard time making ends meet, and also needed to get out of the funny farm of a house once in a while. We lived in a rented old farmhouse on a large farm in Nebraska. The farmer we rented from had a little livestock, mostly pigs, and grew a buttload of corn. He grew a sizable patch of sweet corn for food, quite a little bit of popcorn, and what I thought was a gazilion acres of feed corn. We had a large vegetable garden. By large, I mean we got 300 pounds of potatoes from it one year, in addition to the tons of tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, eggplant, carrots, and so forth. Dad mail ordered 100 chicks, and we raised them as food, and as layers for eggs. I was expected to help with the monumental task of splitting and stacking firewood to feed the beast of a woodburning furnace in the basement. I helped harvest veggies, shuck corn, cut corn from the cob... Yes, 3rd and 4th grade, using a sharp knife to cut kernels off the cobs for canning. Mom signed me up for swimming lessons at school around age 7 or 8. One of the days I was supposed to go there, Dad had taken the car to work for overtime, and left Mom at home with us kids. We only had one car. I begged and begged for her to let me ride my bicycle 5 miles through farmland to the school building to meet my bus. My school, btw, had 400 students in it, Kindergarden through 12th grade. Small town... Anyway, she finally relented, probably just to shut me up. I had ridden in the car enough times to town to know my way. I rode that 5 miles to the school, got on the bus to go to swim lessons, back to the school by bus, and finally home again 5 miles on that bicycle. Alone. This would have been around 1981-82. Long before cell phones, and there were absolutely no payphones between the school and home. She has told me she was pulling her hair out all day long wondering if I was coming back home. I made it, without a scratch. I was also allowed to drive Dad's Snapper tractor to plow the driveway. 20 hp, and hydraulic everything at my little bitty fingertips. I don't know any kids today who have been conditioned enough to trust with any of those things. Half the reason, I think, is the fact that CPS would be called on parents, who could be thrown in jail for neglect, or endangerment, or some damn ridiculous thing like that. My daughter is now 8 years old, and she has some minor responsibilities. She can make pancakes, pour her own cereal, do laundry, and even shoot empty cans with her OWN .22 bolt action rifle. She cooks and shoots under supervision, but it won't be long, and I won't have to be such a leech with those things, even. Someday soon, I hope she'll have the strength to drive MY tractor. I know she wants to. Give your children some adult responsibilities. They will grow up with greater respect for themselves, people around them, and the world and it's workings.

Carry on