Here's an interesting one for you ...
Apr 29th 2008, 11:37 am
#1
Account Closed
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,375
Here's an interesting one for you ...
A topic reared it's head on another discussion board which I frequently visit which made me stop and think about my (our) life here in Australia ...
It basically involved what has gone wrong with the British Youth in recent times, if in fact, anything has ... Anyway to cut a long story short, I eventually dug deep, thought about it and posted the following:
This is quite interesting, well in my eyes anyhow ...
As a Pom residing in Australia I have found teenagers to be on the whole a breed apart from the stereotypical chavish lout that we recognise so easily on the streets of Britain.
The kids here seem to be kids longer if that makes any sense at all. They exude an air of innocence somehow, I can't quite put my finger on it. In Britain kids are so 'streetwise' by the age of 12 it's incredible. Most have tampered with drugs and had a dabble with the other sex at a ridiculously young age.
Now I'm not saying that your average teen in Oz hasn't tried these things but their general demeanour suggests a certain politeness and good upbringing.
There are naturally exceptions but this is a broad brush observation. I have no idea whether the same rational applies in the US or Canada ...
Either way, as a parent of 3 very young boys, it's been a breath of fresh air since our arrival.
The reasons behind it all ???
Go figure.
Bizarrely it's a football forum, but it's always my first port of call in the morning and last at night ...
Some seriously deep issues get dragged over the coals but with intelligence and reason sadly lacking on most discussion boards.
Well, how have you found it?
3
It basically involved what has gone wrong with the British Youth in recent times, if in fact, anything has ... Anyway to cut a long story short, I eventually dug deep, thought about it and posted the following:
This is quite interesting, well in my eyes anyhow ...
As a Pom residing in Australia I have found teenagers to be on the whole a breed apart from the stereotypical chavish lout that we recognise so easily on the streets of Britain.
The kids here seem to be kids longer if that makes any sense at all. They exude an air of innocence somehow, I can't quite put my finger on it. In Britain kids are so 'streetwise' by the age of 12 it's incredible. Most have tampered with drugs and had a dabble with the other sex at a ridiculously young age.
Now I'm not saying that your average teen in Oz hasn't tried these things but their general demeanour suggests a certain politeness and good upbringing.
There are naturally exceptions but this is a broad brush observation. I have no idea whether the same rational applies in the US or Canada ...
Either way, as a parent of 3 very young boys, it's been a breath of fresh air since our arrival.
The reasons behind it all ???
Go figure.
Bizarrely it's a football forum, but it's always my first port of call in the morning and last at night ...
Some seriously deep issues get dragged over the coals but with intelligence and reason sadly lacking on most discussion boards.
Well, how have you found it?
3
Apr 29th 2008, 12:15 pm
#2
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
Totally agree. I'll be interested to see what the girls UK friends are like when we visit but from what first born tells me, her old friends are way 'ahead' of her in terms of parent stressing teenage behaviour 
Most of her friends here are happy to be like her. Obviously there are those that know more than they should but that's life. On the whole, of the kids I know, the Aus ones are more polite, chilled, entertaining and don't appear to have the peer pressure the UK ones have.
Most of her friends here are happy to be like her. Obviously there are those that know more than they should but that's life. On the whole, of the kids I know, the Aus ones are more polite, chilled, entertaining and don't appear to have the peer pressure the UK ones have.
Apr 29th 2008, 12:22 pm
#3
sneaking a peek ...
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Adelaide, SA
Posts: 3,320
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
yup from my current experience i agree too.
My 17 year old has a group of friends over here who are polite, considerate, friendly and well behaved.
I shant bother to list the behaviour of his uk friends suffice it to say that you would need a large sheet of paper just to list all the instances of being arrested (and we lived in a reasonable neighbourhood )
Tiggs
My 17 year old has a group of friends over here who are polite, considerate, friendly and well behaved.
I shant bother to list the behaviour of his uk friends suffice it to say that you would need a large sheet of paper just to list all the instances of being arrested (and we lived in a reasonable neighbourhood )
Tiggs
Last edited by Tiggs+Graz; Apr 29th 2008 at 12:23 pm. Reason: spelling!
Apr 29th 2008, 1:11 pm
#4
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
Totally agree. I'll be interested to see what the girls UK friends are like when we visit but from what first born tells me, her old friends are way 'ahead' of her in terms of parent stressing teenage behaviour Most of her friends here are happy to be like her. Obviously there are those that know more than they should but that's life. On the whole, of the kids I know, the Aus ones are more polite, chilled, entertaining and don't appear to have the peer pressure the UK ones have.
Most of her friends here are happy to be like her. Obviously there are those that know more than they should but that's life. On the whole, of the kids I know, the Aus ones are more polite, chilled, entertaining and don't appear to have the peer pressure the UK ones have.
Apr 29th 2008, 1:14 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Wigan
Posts: 94
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
Oh that's a topic I find really interesting. One of my reasons for wanting to emigrate (a main reason) is my paranoia about my children's future/opportunities should we stay here.
Going by newspaper articles, it often seems that in terms of drug and alcohol abuse Australian kids aren't much better.
My argument though (for my partner who thinks I'm seeing the OZ thing through rose tinted glasses) is that the same applies to German kids.
Looking at Germany however I find that as a parent there are much more opportunities to steer your child in the right, ie no-substance-misuse/teenage pregnancy direction, whilst over here peer pressures seem to be much bigger and the whole drug/alcohol/sex 'problem' seems to be far more likely to be affecting any teenager, regardless of where they live. I have the impression that it doesn't depend on how much money you could spend on private education or living in a very nice area (both of which we can't afford anyway), because there simply don't seem to be any inhibitions to try out whatever one wants to try out.
Comparing it to Germany, I've lived in an area very similar to the one we're living in here in England and neither me nor my friends and hardly anyone at school was overly bothered about drugs. It was something we just wouldn't do, because it's dangerous. My children are only small, so I have no idea how that message comes across at english schools, but when I was little the dangerousness of drugs and alcohol and unprotected sex always was quite a big deal. And it had a big influence on the decisions I made as a teenager, same goes for my mates.
Going by what my friends back at home are saying, it's the same for their school-age children now. There just seem to be socially more inhibitions (hope that's the right word) to use stuff or do things (vandalism! litter everywhere! awful over here I think) that aren't right.
Ok, I waffled again, but it's something I can't get out of my head. I feel very strongly about the topic, especially the children staying children for longer bit, and was wondering what you think is the reason that it seems to be much better in Australia.
I cringe when I see our 13 year old neighbours dressed like slappers hanging out in front of our supermarket on a Friday night clinging on to some alcopop. I really don't want that for my babies...
So, even if there evidently is stuff available in Oz, do you think children over there are a little less inclined to use it to the same extend Uk kids would and do?
Oh and NO I wouldn't move to Germany, even if it seems nicer for kids. Family and friends would expect me to get back to north Germany which is flipping unfriendly and freezing.
Going by newspaper articles, it often seems that in terms of drug and alcohol abuse Australian kids aren't much better.
My argument though (for my partner who thinks I'm seeing the OZ thing through rose tinted glasses) is that the same applies to German kids.
Looking at Germany however I find that as a parent there are much more opportunities to steer your child in the right, ie no-substance-misuse/teenage pregnancy direction, whilst over here peer pressures seem to be much bigger and the whole drug/alcohol/sex 'problem' seems to be far more likely to be affecting any teenager, regardless of where they live. I have the impression that it doesn't depend on how much money you could spend on private education or living in a very nice area (both of which we can't afford anyway), because there simply don't seem to be any inhibitions to try out whatever one wants to try out.
Comparing it to Germany, I've lived in an area very similar to the one we're living in here in England and neither me nor my friends and hardly anyone at school was overly bothered about drugs. It was something we just wouldn't do, because it's dangerous. My children are only small, so I have no idea how that message comes across at english schools, but when I was little the dangerousness of drugs and alcohol and unprotected sex always was quite a big deal. And it had a big influence on the decisions I made as a teenager, same goes for my mates.
Going by what my friends back at home are saying, it's the same for their school-age children now. There just seem to be socially more inhibitions (hope that's the right word) to use stuff or do things (vandalism! litter everywhere! awful over here I think) that aren't right.
Ok, I waffled again, but it's something I can't get out of my head. I feel very strongly about the topic, especially the children staying children for longer bit, and was wondering what you think is the reason that it seems to be much better in Australia.
I cringe when I see our 13 year old neighbours dressed like slappers hanging out in front of our supermarket on a Friday night clinging on to some alcopop. I really don't want that for my babies...
So, even if there evidently is stuff available in Oz, do you think children over there are a little less inclined to use it to the same extend Uk kids would and do?
Oh and NO I wouldn't move to Germany, even if it seems nicer for kids. Family and friends would expect me to get back to north Germany which is flipping unfriendly and freezing.
Apr 30th 2008, 6:16 am
#6
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
My 10 year old has a mix of friends both australian and british. All the Australian girls are lovely, some of the british girls are nice and some are positively horrid. Particularly the ones who have only been here a short time. One particular is influencing my daughter in a way I am not happy with, how do you deal with that?
Me, a control freak? as if!
Apr 30th 2008, 6:21 am
#7
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: A land far far away
Posts: 1,149
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
My 10 year old has a mix of friends both australian and british. All the Australian girls are lovely, some of the british girls are nice and some are positively horrid. Particularly the ones who have only been here a short time. One particular is influencing my daughter in a way I am not happy with, how do you deal with that?
Apr 30th 2008, 6:23 am
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: A land far far away
Posts: 1,149
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
A topic reared it's head on another discussion board which I frequently visit which made me stop and think about my (our) life here in Australia ...
It basically involved what has gone wrong with the British Youth in recent times, if in fact, anything has ... Anyway to cut a long story short, I eventually dug deep, thought about it and posted the following:
This is quite interesting, well in my eyes anyhow ...
As a Pom residing in Australia I have found teenagers to be on the whole a breed apart from the stereotypical chavish lout that we recognise so easily on the streets of Britain.
The kids here seem to be kids longer if that makes any sense at all. They exude an air of innocence somehow, I can't quite put my finger on it. In Britain kids are so 'streetwise' by the age of 12 it's incredible. Most have tampered with drugs and had a dabble with the other sex at a ridiculously young age.
Now I'm not saying that your average teen in Oz hasn't tried these things but their general demeanour suggests a certain politeness and good upbringing.
There are naturally exceptions but this is a broad brush observation. I have no idea whether the same rational applies in the US or Canada ...
Either way, as a parent of 3 very young boys, it's been a breath of fresh air since our arrival.
The reasons behind it all ???
Go figure.
Bizarrely it's a football forum, but it's always my first port of call in the morning and last at night ...
Some seriously deep issues get dragged over the coals but with intelligence and reason sadly lacking on most discussion boards.
Well, how have you found it?
3
It basically involved what has gone wrong with the British Youth in recent times, if in fact, anything has ... Anyway to cut a long story short, I eventually dug deep, thought about it and posted the following:
This is quite interesting, well in my eyes anyhow ...
As a Pom residing in Australia I have found teenagers to be on the whole a breed apart from the stereotypical chavish lout that we recognise so easily on the streets of Britain.
The kids here seem to be kids longer if that makes any sense at all. They exude an air of innocence somehow, I can't quite put my finger on it. In Britain kids are so 'streetwise' by the age of 12 it's incredible. Most have tampered with drugs and had a dabble with the other sex at a ridiculously young age.
Now I'm not saying that your average teen in Oz hasn't tried these things but their general demeanour suggests a certain politeness and good upbringing.
There are naturally exceptions but this is a broad brush observation. I have no idea whether the same rational applies in the US or Canada ...
Either way, as a parent of 3 very young boys, it's been a breath of fresh air since our arrival.
The reasons behind it all ???
Go figure.
Bizarrely it's a football forum, but it's always my first port of call in the morning and last at night ...
Some seriously deep issues get dragged over the coals but with intelligence and reason sadly lacking on most discussion boards.
Well, how have you found it?
3
Apr 30th 2008, 7:25 am
#9
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
Maybe one of the reasons that the kids here are more chilled out is because (as I heard on the radio this morning), they're more likely to have dabbled in marijuana than tobacco. 
Apr 30th 2008, 10:06 am
#10
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
Re: Here's an interesting one for you ...
I really notice how kids here can and will hold a conversation with adults. They know about manners and can actually be polite and certainly don't swear as much (maybe amongst themselves it's different) just to try to offend.
Another difference..... not just kids....If you stop and ask for directions (eg at a garage) you get genuine help - usually someone has a Refidex or is willing to just take the time to be helpful. There were some people in the UK I would never have dreamt of approaching - knowing full well the response would be abusive or just not worth the effort. Here it's completely different.
Another difference..... not just kids....If you stop and ask for directions (eg at a garage) you get genuine help - usually someone has a Refidex or is willing to just take the time to be helpful. There were some people in the UK I would never have dreamt of approaching - knowing full well the response would be abusive or just not worth the effort. Here it's completely different.
