What are the classic components of an UMC or UC American childhood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vacations
Lots of activities
Toys bought outside the context of a birthday or holiday
Assumed they will go to college

This is where I would disagree. One of the benefits of the lock down is realizing that most of these activities are not needed and in fact can be harmful. Kids never get the downtime they need and don't learn how to be bored and figure out what to do. If you are constantly driving them to activities they will also be frazzled as you will be. You will have less family time too.

I would recommend giving them a few important lessons ie swimming, learning how to ride a bike etc ( not necessarily a class) and a few sports/art activities to expose them. When older they can then find out what they love to do but, drop all the other activities. When I was growing up I learned how to swim, ride a bike, ice skate, play tennis and basketball . I mostly played with my sibling and I have to say it was the best way to grow up! We played freeze tag, red rover and had the best time running around our neighborhood. So glad I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vacations
Lots of activities
Toys bought outside the context of a birthday or holiday
Assumed they will go to college

This is where I would disagree. One of the benefits of the lock down is realizing that most of these activities are not needed and in fact can be harmful. Kids never get the downtime they need and don't learn how to be bored and figure out what to do. If you are constantly driving them to activities they will also be frazzled as you will be. You will have less family time too.

I would recommend giving them a few important lessons ie swimming, learning how to ride a bike etc ( not necessarily a class) and a few sports/art activities to expose them. When older they can then find out what they love to do but, drop all the other activities. When I was growing up I learned how to swim, ride a bike, ice skate, play tennis and basketball . I mostly played with my sibling and I have to say it was the best way to grow up! We played freeze tag, red rover and had the best time running around our neighborhood. So glad I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s

+1 - there’s also something to be said about the types and investment in each sport/activity. All three of my kids take Suzuki violin lessons. These require a lot of time and investment and to get good, you cannot spread yourself too thin with activities. My DS does swim club in the summer and soccer and tennis at various points throughout the year. The girls do ballet and ice skating (respectively) - both of these sports, like Suzuki, require a lot of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The classic components:

-Allergic to everything
-adhd

Not sure if this is sarcastic, but the above require a diagnosis and treatment and plans. Low FARMS = more EpiPens and inhalers and ADJD and PTC meds. High FARMS means no meds.

I’ll add an IEP and (randomly because another thread reminded me of this) extensive orthodontia - and early orthodontia, too.

Oh - and because UMC values athleticism, there’s access to physical therapies, treatments, diagnostic evaluations, surgeries, rehabilitation, more specialists and private coaches.

Child psychiatrist here. I respectfully disagree.
UMC kids have ADHD, Adderall and psychotherapy with a PhD targeted to improving symptoms.
Poor kids have bipolar, Risperdal and a case manager.

My decade of working in school health simply doesn't bear this out. We struggle to get poor kids immunizations, free eye exams and glasses and sadly, clothing and school supplies.

We all know why it’s hard to get kids free immunizations and free eye exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vacations
Lots of activities
Toys bought outside the context of a birthday or holiday
Assumed they will go to college

This is where I would disagree. One of the benefits of the lock down is realizing that most of these activities are not needed and in fact can be harmful. Kids never get the downtime they need and don't learn how to be bored and figure out what to do. If you are constantly driving them to activities they will also be frazzled as you will be. You will have less family time too.

I would recommend giving them a few important lessons ie swimming, learning how to ride a bike etc ( not necessarily a class) and a few sports/art activities to expose them. When older they can then find out what they love to do but, drop all the other activities. When I was growing up I learned how to swim, ride a bike, ice skate, play tennis and basketball . I mostly played with my sibling and I have to say it was the best way to grow up! We played freeze tag, red rover and had the best time running around our neighborhood. So glad I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s

+1 - there’s also something to be said about the types and investment in each sport/activity. All three of my kids take Suzuki violin lessons. These require a lot of time and investment and to get good, you cannot spread yourself too thin with activities. My DS does swim club in the summer and soccer and tennis at various points throughout the year. The girls do ballet and ice skating (respectively) - both of these sports, like Suzuki, require a lot of time.

I agree. I grew up UMC and never thought my friends or I were overscheduled with activities. Many of us played expensive sports, and some were really good and devoted a considerable amount of time to them (I often took at least a day off school per week during competition season for traveling), but they didn't do 12 activities at a time. I actually view that as a MC thing. You have to have the money to do it, but you are trying hard to have your kid pad their resume to get into a good college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vacations
Lots of activities
Toys bought outside the context of a birthday or holiday
Assumed they will go to college

This is where I would disagree. One of the benefits of the lock down is realizing that most of these activities are not needed and in fact can be harmful. Kids never get the downtime they need and don't learn how to be bored and figure out what to do. If you are constantly driving them to activities they will also be frazzled as you will be. You will have less family time too.

I would recommend giving them a few important lessons ie swimming, learning how to ride a bike etc ( not necessarily a class) and a few sports/art activities to expose them. When older they can then find out what they love to do but, drop all the other activities. When I was growing up I learned how to swim, ride a bike, ice skate, play tennis and basketball . I mostly played with my sibling and I have to say it was the best way to grow up! We played freeze tag, red rover and had the best time running around our neighborhood. So glad I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s

+1. It's also nice that with everyone on lockdown, there's little FOMO. Kids need time to be bored (to learn creativity and how to entertain themselves), to squabble without parents intervening (to learn conflict resolution), and to deal with setbacks (to learn resiliency) before they have to deal with these things in the real world. There's a great book on how we're screwing up our kids by overprotecting them and overscheduling them called "The Coddling of the American Mind." It's what has led to record levels of anxiety, mental illness and "failure to launch" issues with young adults, particularly those of the iGen (those born after 1995 that came of age after the iphone was ubiquitous).

[Anonymous]

Who cares if you are UMC or MC? Other than the 1%, everybody is working class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who cares if you are UMC or MC? Other than the 1%, everybody is working class.

Annnd the troll returns. No, a family making $300k (top 5%) is not working class. On any planet.

[Anonymous]

Everyone on this forum needs a copy of “How the other half lives”

[Anonymous]

Unlimited N95 masks
Two adjacent homes (one to stay in while the other is cleaned)
Private plane w/certified virus free pilot
In home, level appropriate teacher
On demand virus testing (like the pols have)
In home chef
International timeshares with other prepared individuals

Feel free to add your own.

[Anonymous]

Silent security system
Very private home (either by trees or 9 foot privacy fence)