What are the classic components of an UMC or UC American childhood?
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Anonymous
Eye roll and yawn. Don’t click. It’s anonymous. Not OP but obviously OP wants a real answer. Lack of class is everywhere and not just on this thread. |
Anonymous
Yeah, that's true. My parents are multi-millionaires, but don't spend a ton of money on clothes. My mom doesn't get any beauty treatments. Instead, they have custom furniture in their Manhattan apartment and a baby grand Steinway. They go on National Geographic trips to places like the Galapagos. They fly business exclusively because my dad has Delta Diamond Medallion status. |
Anonymous
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We are UMC.
-My kids got full college and higher education paid off. -Vacations (once a year) abroad. Flying economy, staying in nice enough hotels but not resorts. - 100K seed money when they launch - 1st new car - Clothes from Macy's and Kohls. - Access to our Amazon Prime, Uber, Starbucks, Paypal, Spotify, NYT/WaPo, Online Learning, Kohls and Macy's Accounts - Tutors and coaches, music lessons - ECs - Lots of educational and recreational camps - Medical and dental care - Cleaning service, home cooked meals, mom and dad dropping and picking up in car to school, SAH Mom, - Huge social circle, entertaining at home, big parties. - Christmas gifts to teachers - Eating out frequently, being exposed to different cuisines, - Exposure to different languages - Lots of tech and expensive hobby materials (computers, cameras, drones) - Expensive gear for outdoor hobbies - Lavish birthday parties - Lessons on car safety - Beautiful SFH to live in, own bedroom What they did not get - - Designer clothes and designer gear - Private schools - Expensive undergraduate private colleges. - Expensive homes in expensive neighborhoods - Daycare, nannies - Formula - Expensive camps, sleepaway camps - Broke parents |
Anonymous
Yes, it is weird to me that so many people are dying to chime in. I get it, these are things you never get to talk about, but it reads as here's what sets us apart, and bragging about something that was handed to them. And the shallow nature of a lot of it it is hard to stomach and give me a break with all of the glowing values that people think are exclusive to UMC UC. They value "hard work" but really it's their privilege that has afforded them this lifestyle. Plenty of LMC and MC people work their asses off every day to provide for their families. I guess I should look away but it's hard.  Seriously though OP, if you think these check-list items are going to add value to your children's lives I'd be careful. Trust me, I see these things from the inside. There is a thing as too much. Some of these things are nice, but many of these children are crumbling under these expectations with a lack of perspective for the world outside of their bubble.
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Anonymous
Your values are pretty messed up. |
Anonymous
It's the lactivist SAHM troll! Was waiting for you to arrive. |
Anonymous
You sound like new money who doesn't care about education. |
Anonymous
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The American UMC childhood is different depending heavily on certain religious and regional factors. As someone said, UMC Northeastern Jewish families prioritize sleepaway Jewish camps. They are also likely to go to certain private colleges in the Northeast.
That's very different than what UMC looks like if you are Mormon in Utah, for example, even if you are a family with the same education and career. (True UC, like the Bushes, is another story and we aren't going there, because that favors a certain ethnic and religious background.) |
Anonymous
Agreed. This list is ridiculous. We are UMC, even by DCUM standards, and our kids wear lots of Target/Gap/Old Navy. I have nice clothes, but I am not a growing kid. The fresh flowers thing is weird. We have some original art and some that is mass produced. No Ikea furniture, but not handmade either. Nice restaurants as a family is dependent on the ages and temperaments of the kids. Plenty of LMC kids have expensive clothes and moms with highlights and mani/pedis. It’s the lessons, vacations, and outings that separate the UMC families from those who have less. Where do you live? |
Anonymous
Well..duh. I am mostly with you, but access to parents’ Prime, Starbucks verges on spoiling. Lavish birthday parties are tacky and frivolous, in my opinion. A home in an expensive neighborhood is worth it. |
Anonymous
Eh. Target is cheap and tacky. I hate character stuff or ugly graphics. Tea and Boden are much nicer and not that much more expensive if you buy on sale or have a promo code. They almost always have some type of promo they are running. The difference is like 10 or 15 bucks, something negligible. |
Anonymous
We don’t have a baby grand but we do expensive trips like the Galapagos, we always fly business class, and we still have money left over for nice clothing and salon visits. That’s my point. You have enough money for all the nice extras. It’s not about picking and choosing. If this pandemic is showing us anything it’s how crappy box hair dye is. Your moms hair probably looks one dimensional and too dark. |
Anonymous
I’m participating because this topic is normally taboo and therefore somewhat interesting to me. But mostly, I am sick to death of reading and talking about corona. |
Anonymous
I agree with this list and it’s making me lol how many posters are being triggered by the Target clothing addition. Sometimes Target has cute things for kids but I agree that a lot of it is cheap and ugly. I’d rather pay $25 for a nice tee from Boden than $10 for a Target tee in ugly colors or graphics and internally cringe every time I see it on my kid. Also agree about the salon! Professionally colored hair is SO MUCH better than box dye! Can’t wait for social distancing g to be over so salons can reopen! |
Anonymous
I know it’s gross. But, it’s like...”Here is what I have noticed and experienced, what about you?” Spot on that this is a conversation that can only be had in an anonymous forum. It’s those ideas that pop into your head from time to time and you have an outlet for them all if the sudden. And you get am obnoxious 12 page thread. |