No, they haven't started emails yet, but one can check details of whether school is open in v bad weather, for instance, on Twitter.

Well there's two issues raised there bags, the tracking reports and the fact that you now get texts from schools (and emails probably).

In the 'good old days' one could choose to destroy lose letters send home from school as they were usually handed to the culprit pupil with a terse message to 'make sure you give that to your mother'.

School attitudes don't help, anya. Just had a text from Minibags's school saying that "tracking reports" were given out today. Tracking reports!?!? Makes them sound like criminals.

I agree with that Anya, in fact teachers have had the wearying job for years of listening to gripes by parents, who interfere in all aspects including why their child isn't in the top rugby/ cricket/ netball team etc.

Victoria08 - a woman after my own heart! Elegran, you sum up just the way I feel about the way my sons have turned out. They now seem to feel some responsibility for me!

I've noticed this trend too gettinginabit and Wilma - it's not to say these are bad parental traits, but they certainly seem to want to pry into every little nook and cranny, especially about school life.

On the odd occasion I asked my children what they did at school, the answer tended to be vague and I left it at that. Usually anything worthy of interest same out around the dinner table in general chit chat.

But I feel my DD and SiL in particular seem to grill their boys (5 & 9) about the school day and even what they had for lunch, and are not satisfied with being told everything is 'fine' or 'can't remember'.

Both are good, caring parents, but like others have posted seemed over concerned about the minutiae of their children's lives. I wonder what will happen in the teenage years when instead of 'fine' the answer is 'butt out of my life'?

Good post Elegran. I feel the same about my sons.

I really don't understand why some parents get upset and depressed when their offspring leave home.

I was only too relieved when my daughter left to go to university.
The constant demands and financial outlay was getting a bit wearing on the nerves. Of course, my husband and I supported her as much as possible, but oh the peace and quiet was lovely.

For those who feel differently, I say "get a life".

Anyway, they always come back eventually. It's not as though you will never see them again.

She has now settled down with a baby but the demands and financial outlay are even greater.

I agree about the lack of trust in adults and I can only remember the 'don't go off with strangers' rule too.

My parents certainly didn't know everything we got up to as children. We played outside with our friends all the time and never thought twice of going out to play in the morning and not coming home until lunchtime. We never went far really, but our parents would not have been able to say what we did during the time. Until I became a teenager, it would probably be only on the odd occasion I would 'play' in a friend's house. We were used to playing outside with lots of local children. Not a gang, just a large group of children of different ages. I wasn't allowed to go into town or go swimming on my own until I was a teenager, but I had a lot of freedom in my local area.

Yesterday when I was at the hairdressers, my hairdressers was talking about her 11 year old son being allowed for the first time to go to the local park on his own to meet some friends. It's only now I realise I did that from a younger age.

Children do seem more protected these days. We didn't have a car so we walked or got a bus to go places. Children seem to be driven everywhere now. Everything seems to be down to protecting the child, but I am not sure if this is overkill most of the time.

I agree about taking things in one's stride. Or "sucking things up". One thing I've noticed about parents today is how invested they are in the minutiae of their offsprings' lives. They have to be involved in everything, they have to know about the fine detail of everything: school, friends' parents' lifestyles, what they are being taught, how they are being taught, what they're eating. It's never-ending and must be exhausting, especially as everyone has to be so busy these days.

I think the one thing that stands out for me, though, is the hysteria around the trustworthiness of adults. This, as far as I can see, is a recent development. I can remember being told not to get in a car with strange men but that's about it. The current paranoia has not only created a lucrative child protection business, but has created a shift in attitude towards adults who may come into contact with children, the overwhelming majority of whom are completely blameless. So vetting has taken over from trust. Under this system, we are guilty until we are proven innocent. And that's not what civilised human society should be about.

Mine are wonderfully too. I sometimes feel that I may not have achieved a great deal in my life, but knowing that we turned out three competent adults and stayed friends with all of them and their partners is a source of pleasure pride.

Seeing how they in turn are bringing up thir children is another. Not always exactly as I would have done it, but the results are excellent. All the grandchildren have inherited something from both of the families, from us and from their other parents and grandparents.

Same here. I never fail to be impressed by my grown up kids' practical competence and philosophical rationality.

My experience with my next generation is that they don't make a fuss and especially my DiLs. They don't encourage whingeing either from my DSs or from my GC!

That's how I felt too, anno (2203 yesterday). Of course there is a sort of break in that you don't see them so often as you're used to, but that's all it is: a step in their lives and yours.

My dad (giver of loads of soundbite advice ) used to say: Take it in your stride. I think a bit more of taking things in stride generally wouldn't go amiss.

I wonder how this 'blogs' thing on Gransnet works. I mean, when the so-called 'blog' is just a way of advertising a book. Does the 'blogger' have to pay a fee to GN? Or do they get a their advert free, just for writing a few words about any old subject.

Just thinking aloud really.

I suppose it's one of the drawbacks of having continual contact with all ones acquaintances via ones smart phone that, for example, when the sponge cake is dropped on the floor one has a good rant on FB instead of just blaspheming privately at the oven.

Perhaps if we'd have had such 'luxuries' we'd have been the same?

What was normal for us - the cold, the leering old men, the being turfed out to play in all weathers, the office fumblers - isn't normal now. I wouldn't really want to go back. I watch the mums walk past here taking their kids to school and they don't really seem so very different to (from?!) us.

Sneering ? No. Poking a little fun at the assumption that anyone who disagrees with you hasn't thought about it.

It's relevant to Bel's blog because she's talking about the younger generations - younger than us that is - and thinks they fuss about the slightest things. Some posters have agreed with what she's written basically saying children will never learn to stand on their own two feet and be able to face the rough and tumble of life. She's talking about our children and grandchildren, so I was asking what is it that makes posters agree with her.

Maggiemaybe it's not a test. As I said I was playing devil's advocate to make people think about why the younger generations are different. Thinking about something might change the 'unknowingly' to something else. Sarcasm isn't very pleasant to read BTW. It feels like you are sneering at me.

Wilma
If it's unknowingly, how would I know?
I wouldn't admit to it, because I didn't do it
I did
Not applicable, as they have the sense not to praise bad behaviour
Yes
No
Yes, for 2 year olds

And what is your learned conclusion?

I'll shut up now.

It's not physical granny-bashing btw. I do not need Social Services.

I don't quite understand where those questions have got us in relation to the Bel Mooney 'blog'.

Oh - and I am the one who praises my GS,s to high heaven. Much more than their mum and dad do.

They are both kind and caring. (underneath the granny-bashing)

I think know my DD is a better mum than I was. She is so laid back around them for one thing. And she has always left them to do up their own buttons, put shoes on for themselves etc. I always took the shortcut of doing it for them. Not good. She is excellent in many ways, but I often used to feel just a few more rules might be good.

I have only worked outside the home for six years in my whole life, before kids.

Sometimes I smacked. Wish now I hadn't.

My apologies if you didn't like my post. I don't agree the questions are intrusive, but no one is obliged to reply. I was just trying to think of things that the next generation of parents would want to do differently and make posters think about the reasons they agree with Bel.

I don't care what the answers are, although I think it would make interesting reading, mainly because of the wide age range on here. What is considered normal changes all the time.