BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Interesting

I'm reading Madeleine Albright's memoirs right now ("Madame Secretary") and just read an interesting tidbit the other day.
Essentially she said that she noticed a shift- when she was younger and went over to another couple's home for dinner or whatever, the children would be introduced and then they'd run off somewhere else. Later she found that in similar social situations the kids would be the center of attention all evening. This clearly was an unwelcome change.
Now, I remember when my parents would entertain when I was a kid, we'd come in, say hi, and then take off and play till bedtime (yes, we went to bed when there were still guests in the house- probably unheard of now).
I just thought it was interesting that she mentioned it.

I was just thinking the other day about when we moved to Missouri in 1977 (I was 7 years old). While Mom and Dad were unloading furniture, a girl from up the street came over, introduced herself, and asked if I could come over to play. Now, obviously, they didn't know this girl (or her parents) from Adam's cat, but they let me go. I couldn't even tell you how long I was over there. What are the chances of something like that happening now, eh? I realize that this is more of a safety issue, but it's also about just letting the kids be.

One of my friends (the one whose daughter got me sick earlier this week, ironically) still does exactly what you described above. The kids all go downstairs to play, the adults stay upstairs, the kids go to bed early. Sometimes the friends' / neighbors' kids conk out with them. It's kinda like chivalry - it's not quite dead... yet.

I've noticed the shift toward child-centeredness, too. Nobody questions it aloud, because it sounds like you don't like kids. But that isn't it at all. Not everything they do is adorable to everyone.

When my DH2B's family visited at Christmas time, his nephew insisted on putting on performances for us. We had to sit there for 20 minutes while he made sound effects and zoomed all over the room (he's 7, and very theatrical.) The parents tried to rush him along a little, and he would throw a fit. It was a far cry from the Von Trappe family singers performing for their guests.

I just don't find the stuff that kids are into that interesting. There are some things I like doing with my nephew, like reading, but he never wants to do that.

I wonder if it has to do with there being less and less kids. I think about what family gatherings will be like now that my cousin has a kidlet. I'm pretty sure all attention will be on the little one. There are 3 reasons for this:

My cousin has PCOS and other health issues, so this may be her only kid.

I'm the only other person in our generation, and I'm not having kids, making this potentially the only greatgrandchild.

The person closest to the baby in age will be her own Mom, so there will be no little kids (or any kids) to sit with at "the kids table".

So I'm thinking at least in my family, kids are a rarity. And there will not be enough kids to send them off to entertain themselves.