Originally Posted by Bernieboy

This post has made me feel so sad and lonely sat here in my bedsit,with nothing but a fly for company,a dumb fly who can't even play cards

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Does anyone still........


Play board games (such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo)?

Write letters to family/friends (on paper, with pen)?

Have meals round the dining table as a family (whenever possible)?

Insist on children writing "thank you" letters for presents?

Refuse to allow TVs/computers in young children's bedrooms?

Encourage their kids to read - and if possible buy - "real" books?


Based on a Lounge thread that got me thinking whether some families (like mine ) are rather old-fashioned? Or whether some of these practices are still "normal"?

Originally Posted by GarryP

A 'thanks' at the right time might not have gone out of style in a hundred years, but you try holding a door open for a colleague of the female persuasion today, and in a reasonable percentage of cases you'll get an earful.

Originally Posted by Bernieboy

This post has made me feel so sad and lonely sat here in my bedsit,with nothing but a fly for company,a dumb fly who can't even play cards

Originally Posted by Zen10

Of course, but some of the things you mention, such as allowing kids to prioritise external activities over family interaction at dinner, and allowing them to socialise with fictional characters rather than their families for entertainment is one of the reasons young people today have so many difficulties with socialisation. We have spoken about this before on this forum but one thing I have noticed is that young adults of around 20 seem to have the socialisation skills and attitude of when I was about 14, and this is why. It's possible to prepare your kids for the real world without ceding to their every whim, and they don't require a private internet connection to do their homework. I agree with your other points.

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Can't you teach him? Or get that weird flatmate of yours to play games with you maybe?

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Does anyone still........


Play board games (such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo)?

Write letters to family/friends (on paper, with pen)?

Have meals round the dining table as a family (whenever possible)?

Insist on children writing "thank you" letters for presents?

Refuse to allow TVs/computers in young children's bedrooms?

Encourage their kids to read - and if possible buy - "real" books?


Based on a Lounge thread that got me thinking whether some families (like mine ) are rather old-fashioned? Or whether some of these practices are still "normal"?

Originally Posted by Bernieboy

We do have meals together though,and he's teaching me Spanish at the mo,he's a Spanish fly
Unfortunately i had to get rid of Boris the spider

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Oh well at least he's a sociable type then Are you going to take him travelling with you, could be handy if he speaks Spanish

What happened to Boris?

Originally Posted by Bernieboy

He was always trying to eat Francisco

Originally Posted by Bernieboy

This post has made me feel so sad and lonely sat here in my bedsit,with nothing but a fly for company,a dumb fly who can't even play cards

Originally Posted by Kapri

I agree totally. I worked for child and adolescent mental health until recently. It was an eye opener.
And I find that although my kids enjoy computer games, it doesn't stop them loving a family game of Yahtzee or rummy.

Originally Posted by DeadVim

I'd still put my money on the fly.

Originally Posted by irishbloo

You can play solitaire.