Parenting . . . . Are you one of THOSE parents?

Facebook.  

We all have it, we all use it, we all check it.  Is it healthy? Probably not.  I have read that if you have a smart phone you probably check your Facebook 14 times a day.  I admit, I probably check it several times a day, but I figure, I have an excuse, I live 8000 miles from my family, and its cheaper for them to send me a message on Facebook than it is to send me a text message which I may or may not receive   

I don't check it or sit on Facebook as much as I used to.  It bores me now.  I don't really care what other people are doing.  And this is my point.  People use Facebook in the most ridiculous of ways. 

Who wants to know what you've eaten for lunch? Who wants to know if your having 'an ace tym wit da gurls'.  
- And the thing that really bugs me is new parents.  

Maybe I am just at that age were I am around people who are having kids, maybe people would have used Facebook back in the day when I was growing up, who knows.  What I do know is parents posting every single detail of their kids doings really annoys me.  

Every 5 minutes it's 'ooohhh she did this'  'ooohhh he did that' 

- Yes kids do funny stuff, once in a while a post like that wouldn't bother me, however saying 'I need to go wake up my precious princess' is unnecessary   Saying your so tired cos the kid stayed up all night screaming, because 'poor boo is sick' - if your tired, your kid is screaming and their sick, why the hell are you on Facebook telling us?  Hello parent of the year.  

A friend of mine is trying for a baby, I told her recently if she turns into one of these parents I will never speak to her again.  But I know she won't.  She's not a moron.   

Maybe you think this is all very rich coming from me.  I don't have any kids yet.  Maybe when I do I will post every 5 minutes telling you what junior has done now.  No.  You'd be wrong.  
I think a couple of posts is fine, just not a couple of posts every hour.  


Spoil me Mommy.  

I think it must be difficult not to spoil your kids, especially if you have the funds to do so.  
However I do not think it is a good idea.  Even if you are a millionaire.  

I was raised one way.  Work for what you want.  My parents weren't hugely well off.  They did their best for us, gave us a good time on Christmas and our birthdays. I don't feel my parents owe me anything, and yet they give me what they can.  
From an early age we were told to work for it.  Whether it was vacuuming the living room for a pound when I was 12, or making the dinner that night.  You work, you get paid.  I had friends who's parents gave them 60 pounds a week in pocket money, right up until they left university at 21 years old, their parents fed them everything, just for being their little girl.  

Is it because my parents didn't have the capabilities to do this that I feel what they did for us was right or is it because I just agree that they parented right? I like to think it's the latter.  

My brother was a paper boy from the age of 14, he got up early before school, he did his rounds.  I was slower getting a real part time job, I started at 17, and yes, I was kind of a rebel teen to say the least, but I like to think I have grown for that, and for what I put my parents through I am sorry.  It wasn't their fault, they couldn't have done anything else better.  

I just think it is important to teach your kids nothing is free.  Nothing in life is given to you, and you are not owed a single damn for being here.  You want shit, you must go and earn it.  

It's harder now, jobs aren't so easy to come by, house prices are awful, the economy is in shit.  So of course parents want to help were they can.  There is nothing wrong with giving a little help, as long as the child your helping is also doing all they can.  
But when your kids are looking at 30, they've never had a real job, and they're living at home, not only rent free, but still taking your hand outs to live off.  You've done something wrong.  

I wonder about these kids growing up these days. 

 'Mummy I want the new 800 pound iphone.'  
'Alright kid it's yours, just because I love you'
'Mummy I want a new car'
'Ok kid it's yours'

Who are these people? You want to spoil your kids, ok go ahead, but just take a moment before you lavish your kid with unrealistic expectations of the world and think about this, are you doing your kid more harm than good by giving them everything they want?  Do you want your kid constantly looking for handouts from you at the age of 30? 

Be a good parent.  Fortunately I have the best role models to follow.  I hope I will live up to their good job.