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So the other day, I saw a man with two very young children, a little boy and a little girl. I’m assuming the kids were his since they weren’t pulling away in fear, kicking him or asking others to call 911.
Both kids appeared to be under the age of 10. “Dad” was buying each of them a Starbucks coffee at the Ingles grocery store.
Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t treat our children to gifts and goodies, especially when they’re behaving, which they were, but for cryin’ out loud, an $8 coffee apiece. Why don’t ya just give them the keys to the car and have them run a few errands for you while ya finish shopping – good Lord.
My parents were good to me. When I was young and they wanted to give me a little something special for not tormenting my brother, I got a coloring book and crayons or a Barbie doll. I didn’t get a caffeine-loaded beverage that was exclusive to adults. Remember when 10-year-olds didn’t walk around with a cup of joe?
My husband took me to a Red Lobster restaurant about six months ago, it was for my birthday and was a real treat. While we were enjoying the meal, I looked over and saw some 5-year-old who was getting help from a parent, breaking apart the shell of his lobster.
I’m sorry, but if you can’t dismantle your own dinner without the help of others, maybe you’re not yet at the age of eatability – and yes, I was jealous. Whatever happened to macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches? Those were the starter meals that sort of helped kids work their way up toward earning that lobster or steak dinner.
Today, I see small children with cell phones more expensive than the $700 one I worked hard for. Sometimes they’re even accompanied by a tablet and compatible Bluetooth.
As a child, I wore hand-me-downs, and not just from my sister but from my brother as well. I feared talking-back to my elders, skipping school and seeing my mom come at me with a switch off a tree for tormenting my brother – there were no “time-outs.”
There was no Facebook back then, either. If you wanted kids to like or follow you, you were nice to them on the playground. Face Time didn’t exist, either, but there was the party line that could be fun.
The world sure has changed, and today’s generation of children are more like adults than kids – they just wear smaller clothing. It seems as though once a kid is out of diapers, they become technically savvy, money-minded and socially knowledgeable.
Last week, my grandson asked me what was in my lap. I informed him it was a book. I was reading about how to troubleshoot issues with my new iPhone.
He looked up at me in his little Sponge Bob pajamas and said, “I can fix it.” He’s 4 but is apparently a whiz with technology. He’s also too young to realize he can be paid for his services. I handed my phone to him and in three minutes he handed it back issue free.
I asked him what new toy he wanted for helping his Grannee Anngee out. He looked up at me while clutching a little Teddy bear and said in no uncertain terms, “I wanna go to Red Lobster for dinner.”
Anngee Quinones-Belian of Murphy is a staff correspondent for the Cherokee Scout. Her humor column runs every other week. Email her at anngeeq@gmail.com.