A certain sort of man..........

When I was four years old, my Uncle 'R' held me out over the sea wall during a high tide. I remember screaming to no avail, he thought it was funny! He lived inland and had no idea of the dangers of the sea, I was born on the coast and even at such a young age, knew to keep away from the sea wall when the tide was high!
I can swim, but choose not to, as even today I'm terrified of water! I can manage a canal boat, but can't do locks as I can't bear to get that close to deep water. The thought of a cruise fills me with horror!
Proof it it were needed that events affect us more than anyone knows, fifty six years later, I still feel that fear!
I've been known to tell people what I think when I see children being 'bullied'. It's never been well received, and quite honestly I don't care. If just one of those bullying parents changes their attitude, it will have been worth an earful of abuse for me!

Not just a man thing, some Mothers are as bad, and not a new thing either, there have always been these type of parents around, sadly.

D's ex was a classic example of this. I have only ever seen him give his sons the briefest of hugs and only when instigated by them. He wouldn't have a clue how to comfort them.

When I was teaching we had a mum in reception who came to the teacher for some reassurance because the other mums were telling her she was making her boy soft by giving him too many kisses and cuddles when she brought him to school. Same school, 2 boys in the playground started a fight after school and the mums stood, watching and cheering them on.Staff went out and stopped it and they moved into the street. It's not just men who behave badly.

It seems to be a man thing. I know a few men who take things too far when playing with kids.

I agree with all posts - there seems to be a certain type of parent who wants to toughen upon boys in particular. Very cruel in my opinion.

Lucky we all know people like that. When my brother was about 5 (back in the 1950s) my paternal grandfather held him there when he stood in a nest of biting ants. Needless to say he was crying. My mother tore into her FIL, it caused a big family row. I've never forgotten it, I was 6.

My mother was always on our side, looking out for us .

I dislike those videos that do the rounds online where parents film themselves playing tricks on their children and frighten them and then laugh and post them on Facebook! You see the poor child crying yet the parents don't seem to care.

mmm locally I keep seeing mothers like that which somehow is even more disturbing.