Growing up in the fifties-sixties, there were nine of us children plus my parents in a four bedroom, two bath house. No Central AC. A black-and-white TV was pretty cool. Yet somehow we all went to Catholic elementary school, and some to private high school too, and all to college. Looking back I guess we were 'poor', but my kids now have no idea how good they have it!
We went to Catholic school also, learned to read, write and do arithmetic, as well as courtesy and obedience. Went to Mass every day. I'll never forget the smell of those dark hallways; floorwax, rubber snow boots and wet wool.
Kids today should be half as happy as we were then. But they're not.