As I was reading to Super Michael tonight, and then laying in bed with him while he falls asleep (he's scared of monsters), I realized that our kids are SO much more spoiled then we were back in the olden days.  And  I consider myself pretty well spoiled.  My little sister and I had it pretty good as kids, but my kids...MY KIDS, they are just in a league of their own.  It's not really their fault, since we're the ones doing the spoiling and they really just don't know any different

Again, I'll say that I had a really GOOD childhood and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I know for a fact that my parents loved me and would have done anything for my sister and I, but things are much different know.  Part of it is just the change in society, and the other part is that we, as parents, are big softies.

As an example, Super Michael is scared to death of monsters.  He's six years old and can't go ANYWHERE by himself.  He refuses to go into the restroom just down the hall by himself because he might get eaten by a monster, so he has to take his three year old sister with him as a body guard, because we ALL know that monsters are really scared of three year old little girls (and if you know Princess K, you know EXACTLY why they are scared of three year old little girls).  Come bed time, I have to lay in bed with him for awhile because of the same monsters.  The closets all have to be closed, the drawers all closed, and the window has to be checked to make sure no monsters are in the area.

Now, as a young boy back in MY day...you know, back when I had to walk uphill to school 10 WHOLE miles (each way), waist deep in the Southern California snow in San Diego in 110 degree weather,  I remember being a little scared dude as well.  I was scared of monsters, ghosts, aliens abducting me, and of course, girls.  However, no one ever laid down in bed with me.  Oh no.  I went to bed by MYSELF or there was hell to pay.  And those monsters?  You better be QUITE while momma is watching "The Love Boat" or they'll EAT YOU because little boys are monsters favorite snacks!

And TOYS...my GOD, the TOYS!  You would think we have thirty kids living here with the massive amount of toys in this house.  We even have a whole BIG room DEDICATED to toys called "the play room".  Super Mega Mommy has tried to claim part of "the play room" as her own for her "office", but the toys keep pushing her out.  EVERY room in this house overflows with toys.  Periodically we sweep up all the toys laying around and put them back into "the play room", but eventually they all leak back out and spread around the rest of the house.  Sitting here in the living room writing this, I look across the room at the other couch and it's just piled high with MORE toys.  Several baby dolls, a learning computer, some books, blankies, some Transformers, and a Wall-E or two.

Compare this to MY childhood where all of our toys had to be put away in their place and our rooms had to be picked up and dusted once a week.  Play room?  HELL NO!  If we didn't pick up our toys when we were done playing with them, the MONSTERS WERE GOING TO COME AND EAT US!

And now we come to food.  Our kids are extremely picky eaters.  I have to make separate lunches and dinners for each person in the family.  Super Michael gets chicken nuggets, peaches, and yogurt.  Princess K gets a cheese sandwich, pears, and fishy crackers.  Peas, Carrots?  You're kidding me right?  These types of items are instigators of hissy fits.

Back when I was a kid, you ate what was put on the table, or you just didn't eat at all.  We had Stew Night, we had Pancake Night, we had Taco Night, and we had Hot Dog Night.  I don't think I had even met a chicken nugget until my teenage years.  And if I didn't eat all of my peas?  You guessed it, the monsters would EAT ME!

So what does all of this tell us about how things have changed from the time we were children?  Are we just big sissys and want to spoil our kids for no other reason that we weren't spoiled as children?  Or has society changed to the point that this is what is expected of us?  I have no idea.  This is all WAY too deep for me.  All I know is that the monsters are coming to eat me so I'm going out now and telling those damn neighbor kids to get off my lawn!