4 Friday, July 6, 2018 brooklintowncrier.com As I listen to Blake Shelton's song "I Lived it" about how he grew up, I think about parenting today compared with when we were kids. He reminisces about his grandpa smoking in the car with the windows up, so it appears parenting techniques may have improved. Today's fast-paced, tech-driven world means we're raising kids quite differently. Playing outside: We played outside for hours, exploring on our bikes (without helmets), meeting new friends at the park by ourselves. We'd run home from school, drop off our bags, run back out, and wouldn't return till the street lights came on. Now: It seems it's not safe to let them out unless you're hovering nearby or know exactly where they are. Most kids don't walk to school anymore. Playing road hockey or basketball on the street is illegal in some places and you may need a license to have a lemonade stand. More dads are at home: Men were once "the breadwinners," working long hours and not seeing their children as often. Now: Both parents typically work with more flexible hours and even from home. Consequently, dads attend more school events and activities than when we were growing up. We communicate differently: Families communicated face-to-face. My mom would yell up the stairs to let me know dinner was ready. We wrote handwritten letters to relatives and friends and had pen pals. Our parents weren't distracted by cellphones. There was no surfing Instagram, checking email, or returning texts while their kids attended activities. Now: Parents text their kids to come downstairs. We have to learn to speak their language using texts and emojis. Like it or not, there is less direct communication. Travel with devices: We had to actually talk during dinner. With no TVs in cars, we looked out the windows. On airplanes, there were no screens. Now: While devices make travel easier for parents, I miss those car games of I Spy, magnetic travel Battleship, and the family sing-alongs. Shopping at the mall: As far as fashion went, our parents didn't have many options for kids' clothes. Hand-me-downs were common and well-used. Now: You can shop at the mall, at the grocery store, or online, and the options are endless. Kids' clothes used to be made to last whereas now they're trendy and disposable. Hand-me-downs become donations. Birthdays are productions: Kids used to play games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Musical Chairs with only a handful of kids invited. Now: You rent a venue, invite classmates, teammates, neighbours and family members, and have a cake with a theme. Everything needs to be nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. Kids show up with an EpiPen. Loot bags rival the actual birthday gifts. Discipline: Some of us were spanked, grounded, and sent to our rooms without dinner. Kids were belittled when they didn't live up to parental expectations. They called it tough love Now: We tell our kids we love them and praise them when they've done something good or tried their best. Our parents did that but it was different. Raising confident, caring, compassionate, self-aware kids is a huge responsibility. The most that might happen is privileges are removed, like a favourite video game for a week. We also focus more on positive discipline with our kids. Our parents asked for advice. Mom read books on parenting or asked Grandma. Today we seek answers from parenting sites and blogs. While I don't think this is a bad thing, it's yet another parenting method that's changed over the years. Parenting Then and Now Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Community Calendar Fri., July 27: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico.ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. The 5 km race for big people was won by 17 year old Renelle Briggs, seen here sprinting to the finish line. Her time was 19:46, a bit slower than her personal best of 18:27. Renelle trains with the Durham Dragons Club and will be off to McMaster University in the fall to train and compete there. Kids line up at the start for the Brooklin Canada Day 600 m dash. Canada Day Run in Brooklin - Hot and Fun!