Hudson Valley Parent

HVP August 2019

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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 13 Harding won the National Figure Skating Championship before being stripped of her title following her attack on rival, Nancy Kerrigan. We watched The Lion King and The Flintstones on VHS and Forrest Gump provided us with our new philosophy: "Life's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." As a child in 1994, our special family nights consisted of Hudson Valley Renegades games under the lights at Dutchess Stadium or getting all dressed up to go to the mall with my mom. We would often swing by the local Media Play for a movie rental on Friday nights. Parents were much less concerned about the quality of our cartoons back then, too. There was nothing educational about Rugrats, Tiny Toon Adventures, Bobby's World, Doug or Ren & Stimpy. Staying up late to watch Friends, an "adult" show, was a special treat. These days, my kids are in bed and asleep by 8pm, because if I let them stay up to watch The Bachelor with me (no judging!), I may scar them for life. Sugar wasn't the enemy I feel guilty sometimes knowing that I was raised on freeze pops in plastic tubes, Lunchables washed down with a Hi-C and Dunkaroos, yet I don't dare allow my kids a sip of soda and most certainly never have candy readily available in my house! It wasn't uncommon for children in 1994 to enjoy a bowl of Cookie Crisp or Oreo O's with their cartoons or piss off their parents with whistling lollipops. Safety didn't always come first When I was a kid, we had one of those giant conversion vans with the captain's seats that swiveled and the bench in the back that converted to a bed. Long car rides were spent playing on the floor of the van or sprawled out with my siblings across the bed, sans seatbelts. We sat in the front seat before we could see over the dashboard. My parents would often kick us out of the house to "go play" unsupervised with the neighborhood kids. We had free reign and could roam the streets and play barefoot, as long as we were home by dinner. As a parent, it is interesting to look back at how I was raised versus how I am raising my kids. I often hear my mother coming out of my mouth when I say things like, "When I was your age.." or "When I was a kid I didn't have..." I have to be honest though, those YouTube videos have saved my sanity a time or ten in the past and I'd be completely lost without Amazon Prime. Pamela Perry is the director of con- sumer development for Hudson Valley Parent. She loves exploring the Hudson Valley with her two young sons. Road trips in her family's van (pictured) meant no seat belts for young Pamela and her sisters. Pamela Perry has always been a Renegades fan! She went to games as a child and continues to take her family there now.

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