jad n rich

Depends when they arrive.

Its paradise for those around the 16/17 years, well thats what we found, suddenly you have the car, (and even if mumsy wont buy one your mates all have them ) Freedom to go wherever you want, when you want and no worries on the sexual freedom score either.

Ours grew up real fast

BadgeIsBack

Thing is, though, 17 olds get cars too in the UK. Also the closer distances mean teens can walk and get a bit of hows your father. Park benches in parks in Jan are bloody cold too ;-)

About the only benefit of Australia I can see is that you get to look at the goods before you try - on the beach etc.

jad n rich

Far more kids have cars in OZ, most if not all we met. Would almost everyone in a class of 17YO's in the UK have cars not where we lived.

Nope, hows your father score OZ 1 UK nil.

BadgeIsBack

All the kids I knew from country UK had cars, needed one for the same reasons as Oz. It was a different matter in London - but many did too. And there were more partners to choose from in the cities too.

I can see your point though.

Australia_bound?

Sorry it went straight over you! :scared:

The O'Neills

Rekon this depends on the parents Buzzy,

There are certain thing my kids aren't allowed even though their mates are and it makes me unpopular, but Hey!!! thats the millstone of being a parent.

Having said that peer pressure is a powerful thing and so is the telly, and at least in Oz the telly is so crap the kids aren't bothered with it

Nic

OzTennis

Interesting question, haven't read any other replies, my gut feeling is that children (don't know much about how quickly goats grow up ) have greater pressures in the UK to by-pass the teenage years in favour of adulthood. The UK seems more like the US in this respect. I have a tragic image in my mind of that poor little girl in the US (who was murdered) whose parents entered her into beauty contests and dressed her like a tart and she wasn't even 10.

Children everywhere are doing everything, and I mean everything much younger than they used to. Why I ask? We are all going to live so much longer it just seems so sad to jump from early childhood to adulthood - there's going to be a lot of years living like an adult.

I see the most recent posts are judging this by how soon you get a car which is just one small aspect of growing up. I live in a rural area of the UK and teach in a secondary school and my experience is that all children have their own car or borrow Mummy's or Daddy's as soon as they pass their driving test. The driving test is too soon and tertiary education is too soon and the school leaving age is too low in the UK IMHO. All of these things force growing up I reckon.

OzTennis

iPom

It didn't. I guess you just can't convey what you want to. That's ok. Not everyone's good with words.:scared:

Australia_bound?

But at the end of the day it's all about how people perceive things. I've seen under 5's out begging on the streets at 2am in Turkey! UK & Aus kids do not have to grow up this quickly! I'd say what age they drive or play with at any age in UK/Aus is such a minor issue. Modern society has warped how people see the world UK & Aus kids are very over protected, but people don't see the bigger picture!
My kids will do well no matter what, I'm very grateful that they'll spend most of their lives in well developed societies, get an education and have access to 1st rate medical facilities. Some tend to look on how society has failed them or if the Daily Mail tells them it's failing them, when really they're very lucky! Some will spend their lives looking for a eutopia that does not exist....or complaining about where they live or someone who lives near them until the day they die... .....when they could look for positives in each day and enjoy life more!

Australia_bound?

And some just never understand :scared: or even worse think they understand when they just plain don't

iPom

As you have so adequately demonstrated.

And then others are just 'last word' freaks.

Australia_bound?

Sorry but you've not got a clue! But ignorance is bliss or so they say. Enjoy your last word!!!

Nomore

yes i think girls in OZ are more childish like in nature then an English girl.
What i mean is that my 15 year old daughter must have been allowed to do alot more than 15 year old girls in OZ as her mates are not allowed to do anything..they can't sleep out, go to cinemas without an adult, not wear make-up, go to bed 9ish.
Probably sounds like the right thing to do but how old do you have to be to do more things???????

OzTennis

How old do you have to be to do some things? Some things 16, other things 17 or 17.5, other things 18 and other things 21 (legally) but ..... you are considered a freak by some in modern society if you haven't done the things you are not allowed to do under 16 well before you are 16 and so on.

OzTennis

BadgeIsBack

sounds more like the people she knows. I know of extremely mature 15 year girls who do those things.