Are we THAT wrong?

[snapdragon]

Sounds perfick to me

Nutritionwise - ha ha - if they weren't fed full of good things they wouldn't have the energy to run and play - so sounds to me like that is perfick too

My chiildhood was not full of bought 'stuff' but it was full of streams and woods and climbing and jumping and animals and cycling for miles and making things out of what we found, all within four miles of central Manchester. and I reckon it was better than all the electronic gizmo's which pass for the usual (nb not 'normal') these days.

You're doing great Alice (can I send my grandaughter over?)

[StripyPixieSocks]

Yep, I'd say just fine too.

I had toys when I was little but to be honest I was far more interested in running around the garden picking my Dads Strawberries, throwing worms at him when he was digging, picking flower petals to make 'perfume', catching hoards of Ladybugs to take and show my Mom and who knows what else and that in my day (which wasn't that long ago) was considered normal.

[Carltonian Man]

I fully agree with all that's been said. Our son and daughter grew up pretty much the same way as your kids Alice. Now in their twenties they're adults we're proud of and have a firm grasp of the important things in life.

Let the sheep follow each other. While they're all glued to the TV etc they're not out there bothering the rest of us.

[Alice Abbott]

Thanks for all those comments. For just a moment I truly believed we were going down the wrong path.

She was in fact a lovely person, just highly opinionated. I discover after a further chat with Mack that she has just finished her mature degree in some sort of social work and has never had her own children - now she's on a year out so has not used those qualifications anyway. Before that she was briefly an infant teacher. She was lovely with the kids, making up stories for them and drawing all sorts of funny things and even helping them make a tepee in the garden. It was just the rush to fit them into pigeonholes which began to annoy me. It's not as though they are totally cut off from modern life - we sometimes watch Disney DVDs in the evening with them and they do some educational packages on the computer too, assuming we have battery power (no mains electricity here at the moment anyway). Worrying as it may seem I do see the day sometime in the future where kids will be taken from their parents if they "subject" them to a lifestyle which is not considered to be the norm.

My goodness, our very conservative neighbours are only just getting used to seeing these bare little heathen kids whooping and hollering in our garden. To see a bunch of naked adults running around would finish them off!

And no, they aren't home schooled, or not formally anyway. I'm hoping they will go to the local school (a bus ride away) eventually but it won't be until next fall for Luke and probably two more years for Pia. I'm hoping they will both be reading and writing well by then, and speak decent French to help them integrate.

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

I'm another one of those joining the list of people who want to live with you, I'll be bringing all three kids if you don't mind!

My older boys had to go to nursery when they were young, needs must I had to work, my youngest one I stayed at home with and when I went to work me and hubby shared the childcare, he has never been to a nursery, playgroup or the like, I actually lie, he went to a toddler play once and I hated it! Occasionally he will go with us to see friends, where there are a couple of kids around his age or younger, but I don't think he misses out.

I just wish we had a bigger garden so he could run further!!!

Sarahx