What’s Been Bothering Me Lately……
You’ve seen it.
The hair either a: wrapped up in a scarf. b: under one of those sleeping caps or c: a hot mess.
The t shirt( oversized) or tank top( dirty).
The pajama bottoms ( with cartoon characters).
And the Pièce de résistance: the dirty house slippers.
You’ve seen this NOT in someone’s house.
You’ve seen this at your local Walmart, Target, grocery store, or street.
These young people just don’t care.
I mean, is it just me? Am I the only one offended?
Or am I just getting old?
What happened to all that advice our Mama’s drilled in our heads?
“When you go out, wash your face, brush your teeth, at least put that hair in a nice pony tail. Put on some decent clothes. And clean draws. you never know…”
It’s bad enough we’ve got these young boys walking around with their 5 sizes too small pants hanging around their knees.
But now, our females don’t care either???
What happened to caring about how you look?
When did it become “IN” to look like, excuse my french, SHIT?
For example.
I had a 17 year old patient the other night. She showed up, unwashed( just imagine that in labor will you…), in a dirty too big t shirt, sponge bob square pants pajama bottoms, old dirty nasty house shoes, bad breath and hair under a bonnet.
Her boyfriend: He himself was clean. But his clothes were not. His too small jeans were around his knees and I had the pleasure of seeing his backside every time he so much as moved.
Their friends: a variety of the same.
I was soooooooooo disgusted. I had to ask: why? Why the pajama bottoms? Why the bonnet? It’s not like she was in that much pain when she arrived. Her water broke: no labor.
Her answer: *stupid giggle* it’s cute!!!
The ignorance, the sheer ignorance everyone really got to me. This little girl (and that’s what she was) had no concept that coming out the house without washing yo ass and/or in your night clothes was an offense. Neither did her friends. They had no concept of grooming. Of looking nice just for the sake of it.
I couldn’t take it. Luckily, she delivered quickly and I sent her to postpartum.
But the conversation I had with these CHILDREN upset me. These are the parents of Pookah’s generation. These are the parents of children he could end up going to school with. That he could be influenced by.
WHAT THE HELL???
Where are THEIR parents??
This generation has me a little scared. It’s not just the clothes and lack of grooming that continues to bother me. It’s the sheer ignorance. Not stupidity. These children aren’t stupid. They are quite smart. But ignorant. They don’t know basic stuff that a mother or aunt or grandmother or father or uncle or brother should be teaching them. What happened? What is happening?
Whatever it is, I’m tired of it.
I feel like Marvin Gaye:
Make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands.
Cause this is some BULLSHIT ya’ll. REALLY.
I admit when I go drop/pick my son up I have on my sleeping clothes and a scarf on I figure I don’t have to get out of my car no need to put on some decent clothes when I am not visible to the seeing eye. I also have went to the store with my bedroom shoes on because they are comfortable. Now I have never went into a store with sleeping clothes on I am not that bold but I think people just don’t care anymore about what others think they just let it all hang out.
Being in your car in your sleeping clothes is one thing, but being in the mall with your night clothes is NOT cute!!
These kids don’t care and neither do their parents because their parents are our age( in their 30s). Its babies raising babies and they have no clue about raising children because they were children themselves when their kids were born. Its an ugly cycle. mom at 15, grandma by 31.
The even worse cycle is grandma didn’t work, mother doesn’t work and neither does the current generation. It’s a whole lifestyle.
I have to agree with you 100%. I was walking next door (literally 6 steps) to my neighbors house and changed out of my house shoes into real shoes to make the trip. I don’t understand what the obsession is with guys showing off their underwear in pants either 6 sizes too big or 6 sizes too small and always around their knees. I also don’t get the fascination with girls rocking their pajamas through the mall and anywhere else. It just boggles the mind really. I, too, am so worried about this generation. They are SO different than our generation and how we were raised. It’s really just basic stuff that no one is telling them. As much as it reminds me that I’m getting older, I find myself saying “these kids today” all the time as I shake my head and wonder what is going on.
I know right? I feel soooo old these days. I was shaking my head at my patients and their family members last night. no one bathed, the teenaged girls smelled sour…I was so disgusted and disappointed.
Nope, folks don’t care and I give them side eye shade as hard as I possibly can. Your last point is the reason that I care – these IDIOTS are raising a generation of peers for our children. Fugg what anyone else says – it’s NOT ok to come out the house in pajamas. It simply isn’t.
I am so worried about who will be Pookah’s peers! I remember my mom meeting all of my classmates parents. And APPROVING before I got to hang out with them. I can’t imagine approving of anyone of these parents or the kids
” It’s not just the clothes and lack of grooming that continues to bother me. It’s the sheer ignorance. Not stupidity. These children aren’t stupid. They are quite smart. But ignorant. They don’t know basic stuff that a mother or aunt or grandmother or father or uncle or brother should be teaching them. What happened? What is happening?” – YES, yes, exactly. I’ve been feeling the same way. And the apathy! It’s infuriating, really.
Thanks so much for visiting on my SITS day. Good to see your blog too!
thanks for stopping by, I really enjoyed your blog!
lol. This post made me laugh. But I agree. I enjoy looking at pictures from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s because I enjoy seeing normal people put effort into their appearance and dressing up to go to normal places, places like a department store. Ohhhhhhh. lol.
I hope to instill in my girls the value of good hygiene and clean clothes. I can’t say why our society has taken this turn, but you’re right, it’s a shame!
I keep wondering why it took this turn? What is happening socially that is causing these kids not to care?
BWAHAHAHA! This post was hilarious! (BUT TRUE.) It’s funny cuz I’m a family therapist, and work with families in their homes, and you’d be surprised how “comfortable” they can be with how they are dressed when I walk through the door. Now I know that it’s their home and I’m coming in, but we have a scheduled visit. I’m not just dropping by and catching you without you getting a chance to bathe, change, and be prepared for the session. And guess what? These kids get it from their parents cuz when I walk into these homes, the parents are a mess too. SMH.
And THAT is really sad. SMH
While this post made me giggle, unfortunately everything you said in it was true. These children today have no pride about themselves at all. I totally agree, a lot of them are very smart but yet very ignorant. As parents, we should lead by example. That seems to be the problem, no parents around to lead or if they are around, the kids are mimicking them. How many of these same kids we encounter, have you seen their parents looking exactly the same way?
When I go out, I am always dressed. I’m not saying dressed up, but I will make sure my hygiene is on point, hair is combed, clothes clean and I do have on shoes. My children know how anal I am about this and therefore they will not come out the house looking any kind of way. My 21 year old does not live with me and as far as I know, she gets dressed before heading out. I had to laugh because my daughter nicknamed me feBreezy. She says it’s because I always smell so good. LOL But I seriously take that as a compliment.
The other thing that struck out at me was you talked about the girl being 17, the boyfriend and friends. Where were her or his parents? Were any adults there with her? Just curious.
There were parents there, who were reasonably groomed and dressed in regular clothes. With GOOD hygiene! They are obviously not passing on what THEIR parents taught them.
Parents are more concerned with being their childs FRIEND instead of their parent. My kids are older (16, 12 & 10) and some of the things I see are horrible. I’m bringing my kids up JUST like my parents brought me up. Hopefully when they are on their own with their own family they will remember what I’m teaching them.
I think at this point, that is the only thing we can hope for. I can only instill the values that I KNOW are right. And hope he remembers when I send him out into the world.