Parents seem to teach their kids nothing these days!

[cjb]

Can you think of a better one?

Yep. *wanting* them.

Why did people seem to have larger families in times when it was much harder to feed them all?

Poor contraception?

Nowadays, it seems perfectly logical to have kids to get free money from the government.

Indeed, sadly.

['daiking']

Yep. *wanting* them.

Poor contraception?

Indeed, sadly.

I was thinking more along the lines of high mortality affecting your chances of continuing the family line and life being so hard especially pre industrial revolution you needing many hands to survive, farming etc. Life expectancy being short and multi-generational living arrangements the norm. We no longer have to indoctrinate our children into behaving a certain as we can just bribe them with our accumulated wealth instead. Which is where I think much of the problem lies. Compared to preceding millennia, life is just too easy. We may not be any worse human beings than previously, it's just that we are now able to indulge those traits far more.

[matt_theforce]

SWMBO & I are in our mid 30's and are shocked by some behaviour we see, especially SWMBO as she is a Childcare Professional. She has commented on numerous times that children don't get the disapline/guidence from parents that is needed and after a weekend the children who come to her nursery are often hyperactive and have no manners (despite learning them the week before).

Our 2 boys goto a school in a very well todo area (we live a few miles from it ) and the parents rarely engage in a conversation with SWMBO or I when we drop off or collect the boys from school. Our boys are nearly at the top of their classes and have alot of friends at school but still find themselves not being invited to a friends house for tea/Birthday parties etc and as such some parents decline invites to our house/boys birthday parties :'(

A majority of the children are brought up being spoilt and always have designer clothes/brand new toys etc etc yet from speaking to both boys teachers our boys do have their moments but generally are very polite and well behaved. Some of the boys in my eldest sons class (Yr2 6/7yr old) see fit to keep their hoods up whilst in the classroom and moan when told by the teacher to put them down.

I couldn't agree more that it is down to the parents to teach their children manners/respect etc etc but alot of the parents we see all send their children to child minders/day care centres/nannies etc and believe its thier responsibilty to teach their children how to behave.

We have learnt what foods/sweets make our children Hyperactive and moderate their intake of such foods, again the amount of parents that don't feed their children a good balanced diet is shocking.

Maybe all these faults can be blamed on our parents?? We would never dream of stepping out of line in the supermarket and as such maybe some of the newer generation of parents are being a little softer, again, those who had very little as children probably spoil their children as they never had nice things when they were younger!

Matthew

[MartynVRS]

I see loads of kids who lack discipline as I work in a small rugby shop. I would never dream of acting like some do. Both me and my brother have always been polite and brought up to know the difference between right and wrong. We have been smacked in the past but it was a last resort and always worked. My baby cousin is now 2 and she's well behaved most of the time, very bright and sharp and is perfectly polite when playing with others. She does however take no nonsense from people either and she's incredibly forward and strong willed with people even though she's only 2. Nothing gets past her. Both her parents have never been short of confidence so it's rubbed off on her. If she does wrong she's told and if she does have a strop she's sent to bed or stopped from doing what she wants. Discipline is easy and it's amazing how many parents don't get it. If and when I have kids I will be doing the same.