Growing Pains

I am lucky.

Singaporeans of my generation had it good. We do not have to worry about world wars nor do we have to struggle as hard as our grandparents or parents. We do not have to work as young as 12 in some hot and humid, overcrowded sweat shops. Our lives have been, in all honesty, very comfortable. We had Mcdonald's (oh, that is some kind of necessary evil right?) TV, radio, Cds, cassettes, walkmans, disc-mans, and nintendo. We could go out and play with our neighbours, school wasn't that tough, life was pretty relaxed and uncomplicated.

Look at what the kids have to deal with now. Tutorials after tutorials. Extra lessons, enrichment lessons, holiday camps, musical classes, ballet. swimming, TKD, phonics ( I gotta admit, learning phonics is GOOD ) and the list goes on. It is damn hard being a kid these days. I learnt from my mum that there is this child who attends 2 sessions of preschool a day! WAH LAU! SIAO!
It has gotten so competitive now for kids, or at least for their parents. Sigh, sometimes, these parents live their dreams through their children. So unhealthy, I hope I do not turn into one of these monster parents next time.

There are people my age who say that children these days take their comfortable lives for granted. They have hand phones when they are just 8 or internet 24 hours a day, the latest game consoles and maids to clean up their mess. Well, you know what? Times have changed, these are the stuff that have become a big part of our everyday lives, just because we do not have such things in the past does not mean that children now can't. Does that too, mean that since our parents had to start earning their pocket money at the age of 12, that we had to too? Or that they had no tv as children, we shouldn't too?

Ridiculous. I would give my child a hand phone when he is 8 if I think it will make my life and his life easier. I don't see why some people kick up such a fuss over it. It is just a phone, you have one too! Why, you 30 year old can have one, a 10 year old cannot meh? Please lah, stop thinking that you are the more deserving one can? I mean, of course you gotta restrict their use too, but I don't see why I have to bar it totally. Just because kids now may appear to have a more comfortable lives now doesn't mean that they take it for granted. How many kids do you know to pass that judgement? And how do you know that they lead cushy lives?
Isn't that what your parents used to tell you too? "You have it so good you do not even know it."????

I believe that every generation has its own struggles, stop comparing and whining. At least, school wasn't that stressful. Ice cream can be bought with a 20 cents coin. Unlimited use of the bus pass! Spare time to go out and play. I had a good childhood. My mum overindulged us, still do even now. Hahahahaha.