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[quote=Anonymous]I can't romanticize the 80s. My parents were so hands-off. Here's my story to assuage the guilt of anyone who's overscheduled their kid:

I watched a lot of crappy TV in the summer on one of the 3 channels we had, and if I wasn't at the pool, I was stuck at home- it was the only place I could ride my bike to and only after I was 12 or 13 when some subdivisions got connected to each other. Before that I would get a ride from my parents early and have to wait outside the gates until it opened, and then I would have to stay at the pool until dinnertime unless a friend could give me a ride to their house or my house. We didn't have money for much at the snack bar but outside food wasn't allowed- it was insane but I would be there for 8-10 hours including swim team practice with just a popsicle or candy to eat.

My parents almost never had time to take me to the library so I would run out of things to read and they didn't want me cooking or making messes with crafts. I remember summers as a time when I felt really hungry and really bored. When I was at the pool it was fun but by 11 or so, less so because of friendship drama and cliques. I was also "assigned" hours of chores per day if I was home- more than I do now as an adult with my own house- and punished if I didn't finish by the time my mom got home from work.

I feel very happy to drive my kid to any activity, pool, library, bookstore, camp, etc.[/quote]

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