Boy, how have times changed

James Holan



We were not raised this way!




Sorry if this offends you. This article is not meant to offend anyone. It is meant to open everyone’s eyes to what we as a society are doing to our children and our nation.




When you were a child did your mother cook for you. When I was a child my mother used to cook dinner every night. She made me eat my vegetables. I couldn’t leave the table until I had eaten everything she thought I should have eaten no matter how many gagging noises I made or how much I pretended I was going to throw up.






McDonalds was not located on every corner or every 2 minutes apart back then.




McDonalds was not located every 2 minutes apart back then.




I didn’t have a video game. I had to do crazy things for entertainment like play outside. I had strange toys like tennis racquets, footballs, basketballs, Frisbees, slingshots and BB guns. I had Gi Joes and toys soldiers. I knew how to play hide and go seek and I could run and ride bicycles. I even knew how to swim and took Judo lessons at the YMCA. A joy stick was a stick that gave me joy when I threw it.




It was unusal to see an overwieght child. There was only 1 “fat kid” in the school. She was teased a lot. Sorry that is just how it was back then. We just were not used to seeing fat people that were children.







There was only 1 “fat kid” in the school. She was teased a lot. Sorry that is just how it was back then. We just were not used to seeing fat people that were children.





Boy, have times changed!




When I was a kid I had to take a bath after I was done playing. Today, kids only have to wash their thumb that was working the button or their joystick hands when they are done playing. They don't have to take a complete bath becuase if they wash their hands then they have washed all they used to play today.



Parents don’t know how to cook anymore. I guess some do but McDonalds is so much easier. They think eating healthy is eating a Fried Chicken Breast sandwich from a fast food restaurant with a diet soda. Soda does not count as water. Kids these days are not forced to eat vegetables. Parents don’t want to have to argue with their children. It is a parent’s job to decide what a child eats and to make them eat healthy. My son says my job is to protect him. Teaching him how to eat properly and saying no to him is my job as a parent.





Today children think basketball, football, volleyball and tennis are played on video game screens. The only part that is getting exercise is their thumbs. Come on parents. Make your kid play outside. I have parents come into my Karate School everyday with overweight children wanting to get them away from computers and video games. You could just take the games and TV’s away. Over 50% of the kids in my karate school come in the door overweight.





When the child walked in I noticed he was almost as wide as he was tall. We tried him out; he was as I figured, too young for the class. At this age exercise should not be to get back in shape. It should be fun. A 5-year-old should never have been given the chance to get out of shape. Whose fault is it? Did the 5 year old get the car keys and drive to get a cheeseburger and fries? I don’t think so. The parents give in to the child and let them eat what they want. Immediately after the trial class while I was trying to talk to the mother, the child kept saying, ”I want Cheetos, I want Cheetos”. So what did the mother of the overweight 5-year-old child do? She bought him Cheetos and a Sprite. The child didn't sign up. He said the class was too much work.










Will your child be a quitter? Are we raising a quitter? Adults don’t want to push their children into anything these days or force them to commit to it because their parent forced them to do things they didn’t like to do things. But my question to you is this, are you successful today because your parents forced you to exercise and forced you to commit to projects and sports? Did they let you quit sports when you had a bad day? Did they let you quit anything? Mine didn’t. And I thank them for not letting me quit everything. The habits of quitting and not committing to things are going to follow your children through life. If you let them always quit things as a child then they are never going to be able to hold a long-term job as a teen or adult. Think about this when they say karate is too hard and I don’t want to go anymore. Think about them quitting their 1st job when they are 16 because they had to work hard that day. Think about them dropping out of college if they make it that far. Think about them quitting a job every 2 years as an adult. Did you quit every 2 years and become as successful as you are today with these quitter habits.



When the child walked in I noticed he was almost as wide as he was tall. We tried him out; he was as I figured, too young for the class. At this age exercise should not be to get back in shape. It should be fun. A 5-year-old should never have been given the chance to get out of shape. Whose fault is it? Did the 5 year old get the car keys and drive to get a cheeseburger and fries? I don’t think so. The parents give in to the child and let them eat what they want. Immediately after the trial class while I was trying to talk to the mother, the child kept saying, ”I want Cheetos, I want Cheetos”. So what did the mother of the overweight 5-year-old child do? She bought him Cheetos and a Sprite. The child didn't sign up. He said the class was too much work. Since when is exercise too much work?






The reason I am writing this article is to remind everyone over 30 that we were not raised this way so why are we raising our children this way?




James Holan 5th Dan in TKD



In Irving and Grapevine, TX.



Adults don’t want to push their children into anything these days or force them to commit to it because their parent forced them to do things they didn’t like to do things. But my question to you is this, are you successful today because your parents forced you to exercise and forced you to commit to projects and sports? Did they let you quit sports when you had a bad day? Did they let you quit anything? Mine didn’t. And I thank them for not letting me quit everything. The habits of quitting and not committing to things are going to follow your children through life. If you let them always quit things as a child then they are never going to be able to hold a long-term job as a teen or adult. Think about this when they say karate is too hard and I don’t want to go anymore. Think about them quitting their 1st job when they are 16 because they had to work hard that day. Think about them dropping out of college if they make it that far. Think about them quitting a job every 2 years as an adult. Did you quit every 2 years and become as successful as you are today with these quitter habits.




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