Did parenting feel less stressful when your kids were young?

I'm 67 and my kids were born in the 90s so they are probably the last generation to grow up with parents who weren't glued to mobile phones.
Big difference between 70s and 90s.
They didn't have mobile phones until they were year 7, but screen time was a constant issue from TV as little ones to games consoles from age 7.
It's true there wasn't social media in the 90s but equally that meant there was nowhere to ask for advice. I had my DC at 37 and 39 and was clueless. Mumsnet would have been very useful.

It is very difficult to make a proper comparison as I am not bringing up children now, although I am closely involved with grandchildren. These are the differences that strike me:

- it was normal for one parent to be at home with the children when they were pre-school age, or for one parent to only work part time - this gave a bit of slack in the whole system which does not seem to exist now.
- there is greater pressure on women now to pursue a career - I was highly educated and had a good career but I did not feel that people expected me not to have some time at home with my children in order to feel respected by colleagues and the system in general. My right to chose time at home was seen as fine and did not hinder my career in any way.
- there were fewer financial pressures as regards housing - we bought our house very cheaply by today's standards and were well able to manage on one of our incomes (either mine or OH's) for a while when children were young. We did finish up with several loans and an overdraft though because medical practice required buying in to surgery/drugs/equipment etc.
- you are right that we did not have the pressures of social media etc. to police with our children.
- schools were not plagued by testing and constant comparisons - we just bunged the children in through the gate and they came bouncing out a few hours later.
- there was absolutely no competitive parenting.
- our children were far more involved in family life than children now seem to be. They washed up, cleared the table, helped with cooking, made their own school sandwiches from age 5.
- we could let the children play out more as traffic was less.
- they always slept in their own rooms - so we got a decent night's sleep.
- the children were encouraged to be much more self-motivated and we would not have dreamt of checking if they had done homework, being with them to help with revision for exams etc. - these were simply their responsibilities - they knew we were there to help if they were struggling or needed information or support, but essentially whether they did it or not was in their own hands. And they did do it - I do not think it occurred to them not to. We did not take this on as our responsibility as parents now seem to.
- we were less beset with rules on how to parent. I am conscious that parents now seem to feel pressured into things - e.g. you must start weaning at age x, babies of x age should experience textures in their food etc. Ours ate nothing remotely chokable till they were about 1 year - they are adults now and do not live on pap! The pressure that parents seem to feel to rush on from one stage to the next, to make sure their children achieve, to stimulate and "stretch" (groan) them - none of that was there - we just went with the flow. I have never understood this pressure to pass milestones.
- I think we were less indulgent with the children in terms of material things and they just took this as the norm.
- we did not have disposable nappies until my third child so it was terries and buckets!
- we had no mobile phones - they are a bit of a mixed blessing it would seem. A good way of making sure you know where they are and that they are safe, but a terrible worry when it comes to content. I am glad I did not have to deal with this!
- porn - there is no way our chidlren ever knew of its existence till they were well into their teens - the most that came their way were girly mags. I do not envy today's parents having to negotiate this minefield.
- I sort of feel we had more fun with our children because we did not have so many things to worry about and felt under less pressure to do things "right."
- my children went to fewer clubs and activities - and certainly to none at all till they were school age - but were very independent about making their own fun. We were lucky to have some garden where they could do their own thing and make dens and make a mess unsupervised, and we encouraged that.

It was a tough and busy time, but we felt freer to do it our way I think with fewer external pressures. It saddens me to see parents feeling under pressure from social media and peer groups.

I always ignored all parenting rules, I did what I thought best. My parenting style is best described as 'good healthy neglect'

I had rules and boundaries but, within them I left my children alone. However, my children just edged into the electronic era. In their day it was whether they had a tv in their bedroom or not and in my case it was not.

My eldest grandchild is just 18 and the rule in the house she grew up in has always been that computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment , for everyone (parents included) stays downstairs.

Ignore everything that peer pressure, social media or everything else says. Do your own thing in the way that you feel happiest and to hell with the rest.