A few nights ago I was at the high school for a parents meeting dealing with next year's class registrations for sophomores. As the teachers took their turn explaining the requirements for graduation and college, I glanced at the list of classes being offered.
I was stunned.
And a little jealous.
"Crime and Delinquency"? Part of Social Studies. "Lifeguard Training"? Part of Physical Education. "Sports and Entertainment Marketing"? Part of Business Education. How fantastic!
And then, of course, there were the math classes listed. I didn't look at that section too closely because my mouth got dry and my hands got sweaty. It's safe to say my 4th grader's mathematical abilities surpass mine, so there's no way I was going to be giving any math-class choosing guidance to my honor roll daughter in high school.
I know we had various options at my high school, but they usually involved if we were going to make a pillow or an apron in home ec, or if we were going to make a coffee mug or a painting in art.
There were no classes like Digital Media and Website Creation. Our kids are lucky.
And not even in just class selection. Some of the accepted methods of teaching in the early 80's still make me shudder.
Does anyone else from my era remember roll call in gym class during middle school?
At our middle school, we were all issued the standard red and white gym uniforms. It was our responsibility to make sure we took them home once a week and threw them in the laundry.
At the beginning of each gym class, after we had changed into our uniforms, we would line up in the gym for roll call. Boys on one side of the gym, girls on the other side. Our gym teacher would have us call out our number. Since we went alphabetical and my last name started with an S, I was always one of the last ones to call out my number. When we yelled out "23!" we also had to say if our uniforms were washed. Our roll call message for that was "clean."
Now to top it all off, to make matters even more horrific for middle school girls... had to deal with if we had our period or not. Because the teachers wouldn't expect us to take a full naked shower after gym class if we were riding the cotton pony, but they would expect us to wash our pits in the sink. Hence, we had to also call out if we were going to be taking a "half" shower.
So our roll call had to be yelled out in front of everyone: "23. Clean. Half!"
Pretty awesome, wasn't it? It almost boggles the mind when I think about it now.
And for years the boys in our grade confessed they thought it meant we only washed half of our uniform.
Now I can't imagine anyone conducting a phy ed roll call like that. My kids don't know how good they have it.
But isn't that part of what's wonderful about being a kid? They think every option they have is the best ever, and why on earth would their parents want to do anything differently?
Those that know me understand my love of big hair. Go Big or Go Home.
Maybe because I was a child of the 80's, or maybe I just love things over the top, who knows. My daughters, however, cannot even begin to comprehend why I would want my hair to be "poofy." The sleeker the better, for them. And they always try to convince me to use a flat iron on my hair before I go somewhere.
This fall my 9 year old daughter Chloe even begged me, "Mom... all I want for Christmas is for you to use a flat iron and go out with straight hair for a day."
Seriously, she begged for that.
Who does that?
And do you think I could acquiesce her request? Just one day with flat hair?
Hell. No.
I would look like a drowned rat. No thanks.
I'm really happy and excited when I think of all the opportunities that our kids have. It must be crazy for our parents to see it too. It's hard to compare when our parents can mention their memory of getting a color tv for the first time in high school, to our children getting their first iPod in elementary school.
I think Bob Dylan said it best: "The Times, They Are A-Changin' "
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