Geezers Need Excitement

So, the other day, this article caught my attention on the CBC homepage. I suggest checking it out, but for those of you too lazy to, I understand. I will summerize because its a key piece of information for my intended rant. It's essentially about this new age of hipster parents who still dress, behave and consume as though they were still in their 20s, they're just doing it with bigger paycheques. They're getting married and having kids and are just totally wallowing in how ironic it is that they have kids. This article in particular goes on about alternative parenting websites that are pretty much dedicated to have stupid kids are and stuff.

I mean, before you're all like "but Mel, I thought YOU didn't like kids either?" allow me to clarify. Kids are fine, I wish them no harm. I've never been around many kids except for in the instances that I'm going to outline below, and that folks, is why I am skeptical of kids... but after reading the CBC article as well as this article I think I am finally realizing some things.

I guess what this sort of stems from is the presence of kids in places where they just shouldn't be. The second article I linked mentions a "mommy and me" happy hour at some New York bar. Seriously? Fuck off. I mean really.

My big beef though, and the thing that I've had the most experience with is kids at coffee shops like starbucks and the like. One of my all time favourite ways to spend a Saturday morning is to get a copy of the Saturday Globe and Mail and a grande non-fat vanilla late and sit in Starbucks and read the paper. It's an excellent way to start the day. The Saturday G and M has the style and travel sections as well as cartoons and coffee is delicious at any time of the day. But what stops me from doing this every Saturday morning is knowing that while enjoying my coffee and newspaper there will be a proliferation of snot nosed children screaming and running around while their yuppy parents talk about yuppy parent things.

There is nothing more obnoxious in this world than parents who take their children somewhere and then because they are confined within a set space think that there is no need to pay attention to them and discipline them. It's the same thing as working in a restaurant in the summer time. Inevitably there are those parents who just let their kids run wild in the restaurant for people to trip over and get annoyed with.

And so I always wondered who these people were... and now I know thanks to these two articles.

The NY Magazing article talks about this recent trend in "grups" as a statement of cultural reclaiming. Gen Xers are refusing to grow up in a statement of rebellion against their parents. Who wouldn't want to never "grow up"? Or who wouldn't want to grow up just enough to have lots of money and be able to buy expensive things will still being able to dress and act like a 21 ear old? Fucking sign me up. But wait...

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that most 20 year olds don't still play with lego or barbies everyday and colour and play outside. Who wouldn't want to escape the responsibilities of paying bills, going to work and going to school for a slice of childhood carefree living? I know that I would trade all the daily troubles and responsibilities of my life for a step back into to carefree living if I could. But the fact is, we grew up. It's what happens. As you get older you're supposed to leave behind certain things and find joy and fulfullment in others.

It's just a very interesting subset of people emerging. Who hasn't thought that they would like to be the "cool" mom or dad. I know I sure have. Nobody wants to be the strict, obnoxious, over-protective parent. These people are just taking it a step further. What are their kids going to be like?

The future is not in good hands.