I obviously know nothing!!!

Dorset - how much I sympathise! I have been a tax inspector, a financial advisor and a conveyancer, but my daughters rarely ask my advice on any legal or financial matters. I sometimes know they are taking risks, or not getting the best possible deal, but I have learned to bite my tongue! I have tried to expunge 'I told you so' from my word bank! The most annoying thing with one of them was being asked to step in and pick up the pieces when she had made some disastrous decision against my advice.
Oddly enough they have consulted me about the children's education, so they must have some respect for my years in teaching.

I know what you mean Dorset, I think it's because our children don't really know us as people they only know us as parents.

If my dc ever have conversations with my friends (rarely) they are surprised by what they find out about me, and also the respect my friends have for me.

Of course sometimes this can cause

I think it may be inevitable that the 'children' eventually start thinking of themselves as the 'parents'. One of ours talked about the children coming to stay last time we went over but generally they are OK - so far! They do, however, still come to me for advice sometimes especially over financial matters so I think my experience does count for something. When one couldn't get his rental deposit a few years back I took over and dealt with what seemed to me to be a bunch of crooks with success.

Mine seem to be disturbingly competent, though they occasionally ask my advice - definitely not on financial matters or cuisine. They do acknowledge that I know more about plants and gardening and sometimes about education.

I am forced to admit that my older daughter is also extremely competent and knows much more than I do about very many subjects, including gardening, animals, cooking, and plants. Her husband is also very knowledgeable and now she has six clever kids, one of them being a financial whizz kid in the City. Unfotunately, the daughter who really needs my advice and guidance has rejected it.

My son is a senior manager worked abroad now for a while and recently has bought an apartment there, he seemed very surprised when I asked him which kind of mortgage and insurance he'd taken out and actually listened to what I had to say regarding repayment versus other types of mortgage , as if I'd never taken on a mortgage or life insurance. They really do think we've lived in a bubble all our lives.. I do wonder how he helps run a multi-national company sometimes.

I have to say that DD is extremely competent and the only thing that I can do, that she can't, is knit. DS sometimes asks what I think about certain subjects but I never go back and ask if he acted on what I said.

My DD is also very competent on all sorts of subjects while her brothers will find out the minimum of information about anything and hope that it is correct.My sisters eldest boy is very clever in the financial side of things and runs a busy and successful office but with everyday common sense he is a total failure and relies on my sister and her DH to sort out his problems.

I think you need patience. I was so used to be ignored about subjects I know a lot about that I used to say nothing. Then during a conversation about Millionaire, ( The quiz) DD2 said, Mum could be 'friend' she knows a lot!

I know nuffink either dorset according to my daughter. Been told. So now I just keep schtum are say nought, though I often have to bite my tongue. Oddly enough she asked my opinion the other day. Didn't give it to her though...if she's not going to value it then I'm not going to give it. She'll have to earn my trust.

My lovely daughter-in-law much less brittle and seeks my opinion in a genuine way.

Charlotta when it comes to quizes I think I have a bit of respect there - in fact my daughter has texted me during pub quizes for help.

Charlotta how patient do I have to be...daugher is 40 now, old enough to have got over her teenage angst. I am fed up trying to connect with her and my attitude now is sod it it's her loss. I look after her children 3/4 days a week, she never/very rarely says thank you, but is always up for complaining if anything is wrong.
I look after DiL's children 1 day a week, always get a thank you and good feed back

dorset likewise with quizzes!!! You'd think if they realise you have a good general knowledge they'd also figure out you might have other areas of expertise..but it doesn't seems to work like that does it?

When we entered a quiz evening at our caravan site this summer, guess who got most of the answers right. They owed our £30 win to Granny.

I'm afraid I often don't wait to be asked! Luckily my DS and DD are very tolerant and gently put me in my place when necessary which is fine by me.

My son and I were going on a nature walk with a group of his friends. He rallied them round and said ''If there's anything you need to know on this walk, ask my mum 'cos she knows everything''. He was 9 and is now 51 . It's been down hill since then!

My DD has just emailed a section of the Mumsnet newlsetter to me which states:

"Your mum is usually right about pretty much everything, but you won't realise QUITE how much until you have your own DCs and by then she will be laughing and colluding with them. Buy her chocolate often to avoid this."

I can't believe how some younger folk talk to their parents. Their attitude to the people who have brought them up, paid for them, got them through school, uni, love affairs, money problems etc is appalling. I have a friend who is ultra-intelligent and can even explain nuclear fission and fusion and other weird things. Her kids talk to her as though she knows nothing and they are always telling her how she should run her life. Her husband had no education but can take apart, build and make anything from an engine to a barn but apparently they are both nothing and nobody. They seem to be able to take it in their stride but I am sure it really hurts.

Fortunately I do not have the same problems, my kids seem to respect me for what I have done and who I am. May be different behind my back of course!

That's horrible, RINKY and very sad that children should so disregard their parents. I wouldn't let mine get away with such arrogance but fortunately they aren't like that. I regard them and their partners as friends and am treated accordingly.