Community Chat

[minkbunny]

On 11/9/2014 scotttie said:

When I was 9 I didn't have any idea of what was going on in the outside world. My world was playing with my cousins, running around outside barefoot, listening to the grasshoppers in the field, catching lightening bugs. Teasing my brother, riding my bike, figuring out how to get out of eating my dinner (I hated grown up food), climbing trees and having dad get me back down.

Ahh sweet innocent times.

scottie, I imagine many, if not most in our age range, grew up this way.

Most also are aware of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Either direct knowledge by seeing the coverage or surely it would have been mentioned by a teacher in their school.

[Catitude]

On 11/9/2014 scotttie said:

When I was 9 I didn't have any idea of what was going on in the outside world. My world was playing with my cousins, running around outside barefoot, listening to the grasshoppers in the field, catching lightening bugs. Teasing my brother, riding my bike, figuring out how to get out of eating my dinner (I hated grown up food), climbing trees and having dad get me back down.

Ahh sweet innocent times.

[Lucky Charm]

I visited East Germany as a child.

[Irshgrl31201]

This seems like a competition on which 9 yr old was more informed? Who cares? I grew up in a family that was super big on history and had big discussions at the table all the time about current events. I couldn't have cared less. I was more worried about playing with Polly Pockets and trying to dig a whole in my backyard like Bugs Bunny did.

My childhood naivete had absolutely no bearing on how informed I am today. I had a great childhood and had many intellectual examples around me who probably subliminally informed me but as a nine year old, but I certainly didn't care then and there wouldn't have been anything you could have done to bring home that point. When I matured I started taking more interest in that kind of stuff and only when I matured did I start to gain a thirst for knowledge. If you would have asked me as a nine year the goings on of the world, I would have probably given you a blank stare. That certainly isn't the case today.

Frankly I know too many kids today that are allowed to watch too much 24/7 news and have anxiety levels off the charts.

[minkbunny]

True, Irish. All valid points. Especially about kids being bombarded by electronic devices 24/7.

I have enjoyed the conversation, learned a lot about a few posters (I will understand their postings better now) and leave with deep gratitude for my grandparents and parents for instilling in me my inquisitive nature - which I passed on to my kids.

Enjoy your evening all.

I never doubted that a nine year old might not have paid attention to the fall of the Berlin Wall but I would surely hope no nine year old went to a school where it wasn't mentioned.

[Irshgrl31201]

On 11/9/2014 minkbunny said:

True, Irish. All valid points. Especially about kids being bombarded by electronic devices 24/7.

I have enjoyed the conversation, learned a lot about a few posters (I will understand their postings better now) and leave with deep gratitude for my grandparents and parents for instilling in me my inquisitive nature - which I passed on to my kids.

Enjoy your evening all.

I never doubted that a nine year old might not have paid attention to the fall of the Berlin Wall but I would surely hope no nine year old went to a school where it wasn't mentioned.

You enjoy your evening too Minkbunny!!

[minkbunny]

Thanks, Irish. About to take a hot bubble bath, drink some wine and finish a great book. Since the time change, I am ready for bed by eight

Hope you are feeling better.

And as an aside, I was born in 1949 so I lot of the historic events I mentioned, I was not a mere child.

[scotttie]

On 11/9/2014 minkbunny said:

On 11/9/2014 scotttie said:

When I was 9 I didn't have any idea of what was going on in the outside world. My world was playing with my cousins, running around outside barefoot, listening to the grasshoppers in the field, catching lightening bugs. Teasing my brother, riding my bike, figuring out how to get out of eating my dinner (I hated grown up food), climbing trees and having dad get me back down.

Ahh sweet innocent times.

scottie, I imagine many, if not most in our age range, grew up this way.

Most also are aware of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Either direct knowledge by seeing the coverage or surely it would have been mentioned by a teacher in their school.

I just don't see the point of berating her about it.

[Surfnturf]

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

[Irshgrl31201]

On 11/9/2014 minkbunny said:

Thanks, Irish. About to take a hot bubble bath, drink some wine and finish a great book. Since the time change, I am ready for bed by eight

Hope you are feeling better.

And as an aside, I was born in 1949 so I lot of the historic events I mentioned, I was not a mere child.

Sounds like a great plan!! I am ready for bed too but I am going to try to hang in there longer so I don't wake up at 2am.

I do think that kids are different generationally if that is a word. My brother and sister were born in 60 and 61. I was born in 70. They seemed more interested in current affairs at 9 then I did at 9 from what I have been told and what they remember. My mom was born in 41 and she was definitely more informed at 9 just because of how the world was then. Those sames parents who grew up and raised kids that became Generation X like me are sometimes accused of not raising socially aware children. I don't know if that is true or not but Gen X kids sure did have more creature comforts that baby boomer did it seems and maybe that is why. I don't know. Just a theory.

Enjoy your bath and have a good night.