At the onset, let me state that I realize I'm sailing into pretty choppy waters here.
As a person who has lived most of his life "observing" the actions of others, I have on numerous occasions had it pointed out to me that "observations" and "criticism" can often be mistaken for each other on a galloping horse.
I've never been on a galloping horse and I've only been on a walking one once, with semi-disastrous results (a story for another time). But I'm willing to take for granted that among the other things riding a galloping horse makes difficult, recognition of subtle differences is certainly right up there. Though, I feel confident if I were ever on a galloping horse, that might not be my primary concern. But I digress ...
Let's face it: I've reached an age when the whole "observation vs. criticism" thing is a pretty moot point for me, anyway. Being in the wrong line, going in the "Out" door and generally being oblivious to my surrounding and impacts is sort of baked in. I don't get all bent out of shape if kids ride on my grass, though, so there's still some stages left to go before I hit official Grumpy Old Guy status.
Having said all of that, I will make one observation that in no way can be construed as a criticism: Small children have a lot more equipment than they used to.
Again, let's be clear. This is an observation. I don't want anyone with small children, particularly those to whom I am related, to take offense. Which I know is difficult when you're in the middle of transporting both small children and all their resultant gear. A garage mechanic once observed that my father's temporarily non-functioning vehicle "sure was a pretty car not to run." I imagine suggesting a small child comes with a disproportionally large amount of equipment would draw the same reaction.
But ... it is a lot. I mean, well, just a lot.
Recently on a family vacation I watched my oldest son unload a pickup truck bed's worth of equipment for his two under-2 (at the time) daughters. I mean, I could have offered to help, but watching was definitely more fun. After all, he used to watch me mow the lawn. The difference being he actually wanted to help me do that.
Apparently, routine travel anywhere (including their grandparents' always-welcoming home) includes more luggage than I took to college and features portable beds, these blackout cones that go over them, monitors, cameras, devices to track sleep, humidifiers, numerous changes of clothing complete with backups, various lotions and balms (do people even use balms anymore?) and other preventative medicines, including vitamins for the evening and for the morning.
Also, I might add that with equipment as well as with children, the sum of small things isn't small. Four or five "lightweight," "portable" devices adds up to, basically, the weight of a Buick engine. Again, I am only guessing here because I'm not actually picking these things up.
In fairness (though fairness isn't required with observations since they are not criticisms. I want to continue to make that point.), all this stuff seems to work. The grandchildren, in addition to being perfect and wonderful, actually sleep through the night and are pretty healthy. So, apparently that's what it takes.
But for context, we're only a generation or so removed from when children slept in bureau drawers and my grandmother used to treat teething pain by dipping her finger in whiskey and rubbing it on the gums.
Where she got whiskey in Prohibition Oklahoma is a mystery except that relatives tell me my often-absent-from-the-home grandfather had little to no formal education but seemed to know a lot about chemistry.
It's important to note that as grandparents, we tend to match our grandchildren's equipment needs tit-for-tat with their parents, down to portable beds, cameras, monitors and lots and lots of clothing. So right now, my grandchildren have more stuff than people used to take on the Oregon Trail. Since I'm not sure how well children on the Oregon Trail slept (I'm not THAT old), all that equipment might be a good idea.
And while I'm observing, I will say that at various times if all it would take to make a child sleep or keep a child healthy was a black tent thing or a vitamin gummie, I'd have done it in a second.
So, maybe what I'm expressing here isn't a criticism or an observation. It's pure jealousy. Man, things would have been so much easier.