Pretty much
the opposite.

At the age of 8 we were driving along the road (back from a pub with a beer garden in it), and saw a moped by the side of the road.

In the boot it went, and after my dad fixing it so it ran again, I had my first 'motorbike'. We made ramps in the garden, took it to a local chalk quarry and generally hurt myself quite a bit. Still, was lots of fun.

At 5 I was sent to the shops to pick up bottles of wine etc...

My dad also had a night job where he would deliver newspapers to newsagents. I would drive the van as I wasn't strong enough to throw the newspapers out as we were driving along. I was 14.

One night my mum knocked on my bedroom door when I had a few mates round. She said "What does marijuana smell like?" I said, that smell in the hall that you can smell? Yeah, that's it.

She did throw everyone out, but that was about it.

At a younger age, a friend an I were making a bomb with some weedkiller etc... (this was some time ago). My dad came in the garage and caught us....then showed us what we were doing wrong.

Blew the back gates clean in half and the noise could be heard over 5 miles away. He did make me pay for the broken windows in our house, and our neighbours mind!

To be honest, my parents were pretty laid back. I'd still get a clout if I fucked up along the line, but the most part my sister and I were allowed to just get on with it.

She's now on the board of directors of a large utility company (that will remain nameless as it was mentioned a few times in last weeks QoTW) and I, well, I do ok; so I suppose it didn't do us much harm by NOT having helicopter parents.

I intend to be just as laid back with my children (although their mother says I'm irresponsible).
(dchurch bah, Fri 11 Sep 2009, 8:15, Reply)