Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for these young kids having to spend their summerslike this. Such a pressure cooker of workaholic parents forcing constant structure on these kids who should be outside playing with friends, using their imagination, hanging out with parents, looking up at the clouds, riding bikes all over the neighborhood. Now they go to all day camps, year round sports, tutors, and more. Childhood is gone.

Are you old? It might surprise you that housing costs and college costs have risen tremendously, much faster than wages. It's not as feasible for most families to get by on one income as it used to be.

Not the PP but why do you think all that has risen while wages have not? Because some women wanted to work and all of sudden someone (Mom or Dad) staying home wasn't good enough. So instead of the normal one income household from forever until 1980's went to a normal two-income household. And college was all of a sudden mandatory and trade schools or blue collar jobs were considered not good enough. So now we have money-hungry college-loving families thinking specialized sports, McMansions, elite schools, tutors, piano lessons, chauffeuring globs of kids daily in their new SUV and spending all summer with extreme swim teams is normal life. And daily $5 coffees and $100 month gym memberships and $200 monthly electronic service bills are the norm too. And that designer bag and work attire.

So if you want to work, fine. But cry me a river on the MUST work to survive attitude. Women wanted to work. They chose two-income households to be the norm in good ole USA.

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for these young kids having to spend their summerslike this. Such a pressure cooker of workaholic parents forcing constant structure on these kids who should be outside playing with friends, using their imagination, hanging out with parents, looking up at the clouds, riding bikes all over the neighborhood. Now they go to all day camps, year round sports, tutors, and more. Childhood is gone.

Anonymous wrote:I know that she is hungry and tried. But holy hell. I telework 2 days a week so that I can pick up my kids from camp and spend some time with them...but the way she acted today makes me want to run to the office for cover.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thx again for the suggestions and support. She went to full day Kindergarden this last year...and I am remembering how hard the first couple of months were while she adjusted.

OP this discussion got a little off the rails. In my opinion, here is the key to finding your solution. Also, there are ways to decompress other than TV.

OP here...would love to hear suggestions other than TV for decompression. I have no problem with TV but am interested to hear what works for you.