What's the world coming to? Lots of my generation remembers the "wait 'til dad gets home" threat from Mum when you got you got yourself into trouble. Children all over the world quaked (and in some parts of the world, still do) when these words were said. I was one of the lucky/unlucky ones, Dad wasn't there and Mum dealt with it there and then. Don't know what's worse.

Now many years later with the nanny state, experts galore and teachers trained by thegoodygoodiestelling us how to bring up our children, the power has shifted and now Mum's appear to be the behaviour modifiers.No matter how I try and deal with my son's misbehaviour, it is unlikely that my wife will accept my efforts (too soft with the boy apparently), and the poor kid's going to have another earful from Mum as well.

It got me thinking how it is even difficult for couples to agree on how to discipline ther kids - the 'experts', the nanny state and, like in my case, different upbringing make this a major potential pressure point in people's marriages. It is not a recently that this has happened but from the birth of at least my second born some 17 years ago, it has been very difficult to always agree on course of action with the kids. I for one can put up my hand and say it has caused some arguments in the past.

Are we now bringing up a generation of wimps - irresponsible adults as we have 'spared the rod and spolit the child'. I think we are seeing the results of that now in many 'modern first world' countries.

Our parents didn't have this pressure, the way to deal with wayward kids was simply the same way your society (family?) had always dealt with it, it didn't do anyone any harm did it?

[First published on my Talking2Myself blog on specified date]