Reply #3: I had very strict parents too. [View All]

And in the 50s and 60s my brothers used to pinch my dad's rifle
for target practice whenever he wasn't looking, despite knoing
he'd tan their rears for it when he caught them.

The time when kids just did what their parents said is as big a
myth as the garden of Eden.

However the more mobile society, and the lack of contact with
supportive relatives and neighbours, has meant that the influence
a parent has over a child is smaller than it was, and it's harder
than ever now to counteract the influence of the peer group.

As a single parent with no support it has taken an incredible
time, commitment and constant, exhausting effort to bring my
kids up well. They've turned out ok, but it meant giving up all
personal life I wanted for myself for many years, and the strain
at times came close to driving me crazy.

And my psych says I'm an exeptionally strong person. ...