Advantages in my life...

This was on radical mama's blog, which was on Charlotte’s blog.

She says:

“I saw this at the Noble Savage today. She got it from What If No One’s Watching, who got it from Mostly True Tales. The original authors of this exercise are Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, and Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.”

Bold the true statements. You can explain further if you wish.

I thought it would be neat to see how things are different for my kids than they were for me, so I am going to paste it twice: once for me, and once for the kids.

Being a blended family and from a blended family, my answers are kind of complex

(me)

1.Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. (my mom is a teacher)
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
In my mother's home yes, but between the ages of 7 and 12 I lived with my dad and there weren't any books there ... unless you count Penthouse magazine!
9. Were read children’s books by a parent
But again, only until I was 7.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 180
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child my grandfather was an artist
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

For the kids I'm answering from the perspective of our family here, which is more highly educated, but comes from a lower socio economic background than their entire family.

1.Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. Papa Pan is a teacher!
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
9. Were read children’s books by a parent
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18- this will NOT happen even if it were possible!
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs- this also would not happen, even if it were possible!
16. Went to a private high school If its possible they will have the opportunity
17. Went to summer camp
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels- We would camp even if we could afford to stay in hotels instead, we've done a house trade at Christmas, if we had fewer kids we could afford it though.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them- again, this will not happen even if we could afford it!
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course Umm, something different one kid is an IB program, and one will likely do a prep year after high school at a private school to prepare her for university if she isn't allowed to attend private school in middle/high school.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school - no way, but the teens have their own computer
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Between Ottawa and NS fairly regularly
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family- heating bills worry us at times and the kids know that thats why we turn down the furnace and heat with wood. They don't know how much we worried about needing to refiull the tank this winter though.

I would describe privilege with different things than were chosen with this list. Stuff like access to medical and dental care is a HUGE one and this list totally sidestepped it. I understood it was originally made for university students though, and recently, so that likely influenced the list. The list doesn't accurately reflect just how advantaged my children are either, I mean, no, I don't buy new clothes for them often, but that is a conscience choice. What they do get new is Fair Trade and often organic! Like I mentioned decisions we've made regarding what we'll fund for our kids are made consciously, not based on finances primarily. There's more than books here too, they're exposed to music - live music. Wow there are tons of other things too - they've been able to experience city life, rural life, town life. It goes on and on.