I am a child of the 60s and I often think that my parents generation suffered alot less stress when it came to their children.  Generally they all married and had children more or less at the same time, in their early to mid-20s.  What this did was create a situation where all their friends children where more or less the same age as us.   Whenever they socialised, there was always someone of a similar age to play with.  I don't remember seeing my parents  whenever we went to any friends houses.  All the children played in one room and the adults were in another.  Doing adult stuff.  Smoking, drinking, eating and talking.  About what, I'm not sure but I'm guessing it was rarely about us.  At home, we had a beautiful walled garden.  I don't remember ever being in it.  Gardens were solitary.  Outside in the front was social.  That's were we were.  My parents saw us when we were called in.  Extra curricular stuff was rare.  Who had the time?  It would take us away from what was important.  Playing with our friends.  Having said all this, I do feel that our generation of parents are actually much closer to our children.  Could we not have both?