To all the kids who survived the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.



We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar,but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms ... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!



We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

French and Saunders - Mothers

Charlie bit my finger...again!

This is one very famous Little Brother:

Charlie bit my finger is the most viewed YouTube video of all time.

Little Britain - Harvey and Jane

Harvey and Jane are a young couple in love, just like any other. Only thing is, Harvey's a bit of a mummy's boy and just can't cut the apron strings. As they plan their wedding and future lives together, everything stops when Harvey wants bitty.

The Hollies

The Hollies are an English rock group formed in Manchester in the early 1960s. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the era. Along with the Rolling Stones, they are one of the few British pop groups of the early 1960s that has never officially broken up and which continues to record and perform to the present.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother


The air that I breathe

Women's Aid - Domestic Violence

Keira Knightley stars in this shocking new short film, directed by Joe Wright and brought to you by Women's Aid - the UK's domestic abuse charity.

A video for children - to show what domestic abuse is and to help them identify whether it's happening in their family home.

French and Saunders - Teenager

Laura Dekker: A Dutch girl who wants to sail solo around the world

Madness - Our house

Lyrics | Madness - Our house lyrics

Childproofing basics

Kimberlee Mitchell is on a mission to make homes safe for little ones. Disappointed with the limited resources she found to protect her own children around her home, this former journalist took matters in her own hands. In 2001 she launched her own child safety company, Boo Boo Busters. Kimberlee is a committee member of the International Association for Child Safety.

Word of the week 26 January - 1 February 2009 BOOMERANG KID

A boomerang kid is an adult child who returns home to live with his or her parents after being away for some time.

Though many students only stay for a few months, others linger at home even after they are on their feet financially. They are attracted by a room of their own, a regular allowance (pocket money), and eager-to-help parents who are welcoming their "boomerangers" — as they are being called — back to the nest.

A similar term is kipper (an acronym of Kids In Parents' Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings), an adult son or daughter, particularly one aged 30 or more, who still lives with his or her parents.

Truths about parenting

A baby usually wakes up in the wee-wee hours of the morning.

A child will not spill on a dirty floor.

An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.

Avenge yourself; live long enough to be a problem to your children.

Be nice to your kids, for it is they who will choose your nursing home.

For adult education, nothing beats children.

God invented mothers because he couldn't be everywhere at once.

God invented guilt so mothers could be everywhere at once.

Having children will turn you into your parents.

If you have trouble getting your children's attention, just sit down and look comfortable.

It rarely occurs to teenagers that the day will come when they'll know as little as their parents.

One child is often not enough, but two children can be far too many.

You can learn many things from children... like how much patience you have.

Summer vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid.

The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.

Sister Sledge - We are family