well Cymru..there is a limit to everything..

too much control also destroys the child's self esteem and can prove damaging for his future..

you need the right balance of strictness and kindness and freedom....

I think most of the issues that we worry about now regarding our kids: drugs, sex, smoking, etc have always been around in some form or fashion. I think it's societies perception of these issues that have changed. We worry about things now that our parents and/or grandparents didn't want to or have to think about. Sex wasn't discussed in previous generations, so even though people were doing it, parents didn't believe they were, so there was no worry. At one time, smoking was mainstream, so who would have discussed that with their kids? And drugs weren't mainstream and no one believed their kids would be doing anything like that (that's not a big change from now if you listen to some parents). So, like I said before, these issues have been around for at least 2 or 3 generations. We as parents have changed our attitudes, giving ourselves more to worry about.

It´s really hard to raise a child these days.

I remenber that when I was a child on holy week you just could only see christian movies on tv and also on theathers, but with the time that changed.

Now you are bombarded with sex, drugs and killing on the tv and in any time space. Itsn´t just after 9pm like it use to be.

So as parents we must strive to spend more time with our children so they spend less time whatching tv.

I feel I should be worried for my kids now. I think the world has changed so much already. Technology has improved and everything can be accessed so easily. People are more liberated now.

I think, as long as you raise your kids to think on their own & not follow the herd mentality, they will be able to resist peer pressure about drugs, sex & smoking. My daughter's 10, almost 11, & I know that alot of the girls her age are wearing make-up & talking about having some boy's baby. I'm just glad that she tells me all the time, "I don't want to have a baby until I'm 30." I know that will change when she's older, I just hope she remembers how it was when her sisters were little & decides not to have one till she's ready, financially & emotionally. I don't care if she's married at the time, as long as she can support her baby, I'll be happy for her.

Originally Posted by busybeehelpers

I feel as if being a parent today there are so many issues to worry about. Do you think there are more worries now (drugs, violence, international problems) now than in the past?

I feel the same, and yes I think that there are definitely more things to worry about now than there used to be. Aside from prices soaring everyday, and school-bullying getting worse, there are also the issues of media-influences to our children, and the worsening of peer-pressures.

I agree that parents never stop worrying about their children, and that there have always been threats.

But I think some things are more intense. For example I went to high school in the 70s, and I'm not sure how many incidences of a high school "lock-down" I heard about before Columbine, just a few years ago.

Definitely there are more worries nowadays than were once and parents today need to be taught how to cope with all the modern society challenges .The simple facts that you give birth to a child and love him genuinely are not enough anymore to make you a good parent .

Kids in the past have also been easier to explain to, but kids nowadays are becoming a lot smarter and already have very rooted opinions and it usually takes all of your strength to make them see where you are coming from and for them to understand. I think it has to do with media influences, somehow they are turning our kids into adults overnight.