Do you think your life is busier than your mom's when she was raising you?

United States
October 14, 2007 7:19pm CST
I think my life is much busier than my mom's was when she was raising me and my siblings because I have many more disruptions and distractions. When I was going up, no one had a cell phone to stay connected to each other several times a day. Also, before you could wait for the teacher to teach the kids how to read. Now, if they are not reading by 1st grade, they are behind. What do you think?
2 people like this
5 responses
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
15 Oct 07
I think my mom's life was much busier than mine. She did not have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom like me. She worked a full time job then came home and attended to the house and family 7 days a week. On top of that my dad was in the service so when he was gone on what they called "TDY", she had to be the dad as well. He could be gone for 6 months at a time. Where I have my husband year round and he never has to leave for long periods of time. So I have the added help that my mom sometimes didn't have. But in away I am glad for the experience of not having my father around "all" the time. My mom had to be very independent and in turn it help her to teach us how to be independent and not to have to rely on others. The other reason I think my mom had a much busier life then me is because of the way things have changed so much since then. I mean look at all the new and improved gadgets we have to help us out cleaning. We have so many new things that help make cleaning easier than our moms did. For example: Self cleaning ovens, Carpet shampooers, The whole swiffer line, etc. Our mothers didn't have all that. At least mine didn't. I can't say that my life isn't busy. Being a stay at home mom of 3 children makes my life very busy. But I would definitly have to say my mom's life was much busier than mine and I really commend my mom for the wonderful job that she did raising me and my brother.
• United States
17 Oct 07
Yes I know that I am very lucky. I am thankful everyday that I am able to because this day and age it is very hard for women to be able to stay at home with thier kids. I also understand completely about the homework and worksheets. I have three kids ages 3, 4, 10. My stepson who is the oldest is in 5th grade. With the hours my husband works he doesn't get home until 4pm, so I am the one who has to sit down with him to help him with his homework. Then my 4 year old is in prek and believe it or not he has homework once a week. Of course his is really easy.
• United States
17 Oct 07
You are lucky that you could be a stay at home mom. My son is school aged and after I come home from work, I have to do homework! Those worksheets can be very frustrating no wonder the show "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" is so successful! LOL
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
15 Oct 07
I don't know. I know my mother was always busy. I think back then, they didn't have all of the modern conveniences in the kitchen and house that we do now. This caused more work and less time as well. We lived on a farm, so she helped my dad do that, she grew and tended her own garden to save money, we had chickens and had fresh eggs that she would get from the hen house in the mornings and she was always cooking, cleaning, working in the garden, going to church, doing laundry, hanging it on the line to save electricity, folding and hanging everything and so on. Her work never stopped. So, I can't say that she was much less busier than me. I knew how to count and say my abc's by the time I went to kindergarten and I knew mostly how to tie my shoes. She taught me all of that as well. I think she did a pretty bang up job for a woman who by the time I was going to kindergarten had only been in the US for a little over 5 years and could barely speak a bit of english when she got here. Lets just say that I am very proud of my mom!
• United States
15 Oct 07
I am proud of my mom too because I was able to do read and tie my shoes by the time I was in Kindergarten. However, we live in a different time where some much is changing very fast such has the internet, outsourcing and cell phones. My mom was always busy with the 3 of us. My dad helped too. She worked outside of the home coming home to cook dinner and helping with homework. Now I do those same tasks and find I need downtime because of the many distractions and being wired 24/ 7.
1 person likes this
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
15 Oct 07
I do agree with you about needing that downtime as well. I don't know how my mom did it, she never took down time. I think the only times I was away from home was when my dad was having surgery on his back and knees and we had to stay with my grandpa and a friend from church on seperate occasions. that and I spent the night every once in awhile at friends houses. Other than that, between me and my brother she always had one of us and never had time alone!
@kodie420 (872)
• Canada
15 Oct 07
Although times have changed I still don't think its harder for me then it was for our mother. My mother was disable and single and raised 2 of us safely in a pretty bad neibourhood. Your definitley right with the cell hones and all its way harder to keep up but parents back then didn't have all the little items we do that make the day easier like dishwasher, microwave and so on.
• United States
15 Oct 07
Yes, I see your point. It seems modern conveniences make things the same or just as busy.
@st091127 (114)
• China
20 Oct 07
Being a mother is the hardest job.She was much harder than me.
@izathewzia (5134)
• Philippines
16 Oct 07
I think my mom wass busier on her work than me. Because she was doing a lot of jobs just to raised us properly. It was her alone who was supporting us then. But all of us were taken cared of babysitters. Now, i am not really as busy as she used to be in work. But I do first-hand attending to the needs of my kids. I personally is the one doing all the stuff for them. Aside from working to earn an extra and help my hubby augment our financial needs.
• United States
20 Oct 07
I agree, it is a tough job raising kids properly. I wonder how my parents did. It is also very rewarding. You have a front seat to watching a human being grow.