Thanks for that link McG, it's very interesting. Thanks Little Hawk too. Both great posts. I agree with everything you both said.

This was my family home, I lived aboard for a while and came home to roost many years ago. In all the years I lived in this house there was never a cross word with any family or their kids. The lads father seemed a nice very mild mannered guy and the boy stood in respect while he talked, but to dismiss me or my account of the events in front of the boy saying "My son would not do that" won't help the lad in life.

Yes I know what would of happened in my day, but times have changed, and not for the better I may add.

I think the influences be it television, computers or whatever, children are being robbed of their childhoods these days and a lot of parents focus on their own lives and personal interests and leave children to the devices of technology and media to do the rearing for them, two of these children today had mobiles with them, at around ten years of age !