Sarah Ludwig Rausch is a mom of four and a freelance writer. Sarah specializes in parenting, children’s health, agriculture and family issues and writes a blog, “Parenting By Trial and Error.” She’s written for The Christian Science Monitor, The Progressive Farmer, Farm Industry News, Singapore ’s parenting magazine Motherhood, and a variety of other publications.
Certain conversations with the kids can make me feel as young as a triceratops, even though I'm only 32. It's funny, but in a depressing sort of way.
Today, Cody asked me to sing the "Cruella DeVille" song from the just-released animated 101 Dalmations. I obliged, then told him that the only reason I remember it is because I used to listen to it on a record when I was a kid.
"What's a record?" Cody asked innocently.
I explained that it was sort of like a CD.
"You didn't have CDs when you were a kid?"
"Nope. We listened to tapes or records."
"No CDs?" Cody asked, amazed.
"What are tapes?" chimed in Logan.
As I said, humorous, but depressing.
Conversations that entail Cody asking me what GameBoy games I played or if I liked Nick Jr. when I was a kid usually have me explaining some electronic or novelty that today is pretty much obsolete. Remember Atari? Remember the days when hardly anyone even had cable TV? Remember dancing around to records and getting frustrated when the needle skipped? My kids have never even seen a record player, or a record, for that matter, much less used one.
My most classic example of becoming antiquated is this one from a year-and-a-half ago. The kids and I were watching a Sesame Street movie from the 80's. I mentioned that the kids on the movie were about the same age that I was at the time the movie was made.
Andie, then 8, said with complete seriousness, "Wow, they must all be dead now!"
I can't imagine how antique I will feel as a grandparent someday.