Things you just don't get

[Joffrey]

So my sister is a new mom so celebrating her first mothers day next weekend. Is it appropriate to get her a gift or card? Or is this reserved only for your mom or the mother of your child[ren]?

 

[jcman311]

All moms.

I'm sure she would appreciate the thought.

 

[VaderDave]

I agree. If she's someone close to you, I think it's a nice gesture to let her know you're thinking of her, especially on her first Mother's Day.

 

[jcman311]

I was having an online argument with someone and pulled a quote from wikipedia (yeah I know, but it was a quote) They proceed to tell me I'm an idiot for using wikipedia and try to boost there side of the argument by using an anti semitic website.

 

[venividivicibj]

stop arguing on breitbart

 

[jcman311]

Will do

 

[lawyerdad]

stop arguing on the interwebz

FTFY

 

[brokencycle]

I live in what many would consider a nice neighborhood (not Pio-gated community nice) with about 50 houses that are almost exclusively either retired folks or families with elementary school kids, and our area is the lowest crime rate in the city. Yet every morning and and every afternoon, at least one parent meets the bus because little John or Jane can't walk the max 1 block to their house in a pack of kids without risk of something horrible happening.

Maybe I'll be a terrible parent because I won't see danger around every corner (or maybe I'll change my tune when I'm a dad), but seriously? I used to walk 10 blocks to school each way. I just don't get the paranoia.

 

[jcman311]

Its called helicoptering. Its acceptable until around 5 or 6. Then, they should be on their own.

 

[Gibonius]

Maybe I'll be a terrible parent because I won't see danger around every corner (or maybe I'll change my tune when I'm a dad), but seriously? I used to walk 10 blocks to school each way. I just don't get the paranoia.

I think you can blame the rise of sensationalist news. People seem to believe that the modern era is vastly more dangerous than when they were kids. Possibly true in some areas that were very rural 30 years ago and are much more developed now, but mostly it's totally wrong. But they'll never believe it, because that one kid got abducted/killed/raped that one time.

My in-laws were one of the really early generation helicopter parents, and it pretty much started when there was some famous kidnapping that got reported 24/7 for weeks. It was one of those "cute little girl snatched from grocery store!" things. They still talk about it, patting themselves on the back about how my wife survived because they wouldn't let her ride her bike without an adult until she was old enough to drink (only slightly exaggerating).

 

[Piobaire]

I know I'm going to sound like an old man but we walked about 1/2 a mile to the school bus stop daily, rain, shine, blizzard, what have you. In the summer we'd take off after breakfast and often not return until dark. No wonder so many adults seem to lack agency these days.

 

[double00]

a couple of the hallmarks of the 80s: the dual income household, and the 'latchkey kid'.

 

[Piobaire]

Or the zero income household and the disinterest, lazy ass mother.

 

[brokencycle]

I think you can blame the rise of sensationalist news. People seem to believe that the modern era is vastly more dangerous than when they were kids. Possibly true in some areas that were very rural 30 years ago and are much more developed now, but mostly it's totally wrong. But they'll never believe it, because that one kid got abducted/killed/raped that one time.

My in-laws were one of the really early generation helicopter parents, and it pretty much started when there was some famous kidnapping that got reported 24/7 for weeks. It was one of those "cute little girl snatched from grocery store!" things. They still talk about it, patting themselves on the back about how my wife survived because they wouldn't let her ride her bike without an adult until she was old enough to drink (only slightly exaggerating).

Oh, I agree. There were a bunch of social media posts by parents going "be alert there was a suspicious white van in our neighborhood" a few weeks ago.

I know I'm going to sound like an old man but we walked about 1/2 a mile to the school bus stop daily, rain, shine, blizzard, what have you. In the summer we'd take off after breakfast and often not return until dark. No wonder so many adults seem to lack agency these days.

They lack agency as adults because they had it as kids?

 

[Gibonius]

Oh, I agree. There were a bunch of social media posts by parents going "be alert there was a suspicious white van in our neighborhood" a few weeks ago.

There was one on my local neighborhood board that was "suspicious man chained bike to tree in neighborhood." Half the replies were on the "zomg I can't believe the city won't do something about these scoundrels", the other half were "Uhhh...what's suspicious about that?"

It ended up being a city official who was doing some canvassing in the neighborhood.


A couple days later, some local wag made a new post about "Suspicious squirrel spotted in neighborhood," followed by a bunch of Photoshopped squirrel pictures.