I know public information films of the 70s and 80s are a standard comedy trope, but

[PSRB]

It illustrates the point. The reason those films were required was that we were out there, playing in electricity substations and farmyards. It was fúcking carnage.

Kites and powerlines, gave up on kites after seeing that one. Proper terrifying.

[Burney]

Kites and powerlines, gave up on kites after seeing that one. Proper terrifying.

To this day, I get the fear crossing railway lines - even when I know there's no electricity and that a train isn't going to come and cut my fvcking feet off.

[Burney]

How does this tally with the theory that the kids of yesteryear weren't indulged and mollycoddled like today's youth?

We weren't mollycoddled, but we were bombarded by terrifying government propaganda to stop us taking risks. Then, when we grew up, we transmitted that terror to our kids.

[Monty92]

We weren't mollycoddled, but we were bombarded by terrifying government propaganda to stop us taking risks. Then, when we grew up, we transmitted that terror to our kids.

I think it's more to do with my own inherent personality than any outside influence, but I literally can't lose sight of my kids for more than 5 seconds without my heart starting to palpitate and images entering my head of me on the news sobbing while viewers at home mutter "he blatantly did it".

[Sir C]

I think it's more to do with my own inherent personality than any outside influence, but I literally can't lose sight of my kids for more than 5 seconds without my heart starting to palpitate and images entering my head of me on the news sobbing while viewers at home mutter "he blatantly did it".

Remember all those things you said about poor Maddie? Do you ever wake up in the night sweating with fear that karma might be a thing?

[Monty92]

Remember all those things you said about poor Maddie? Do you ever wake up in the night sweating with fear that karma might be a thing?

My efforts to mitigate against that involve speaking equally appallingly about my own children.

[Ash]

Remember all those things you said about poor Maddie? Do you ever wake up in the night sweating with fear that karma might be a thing?

It was John and Tony Podesta. Deffo them in the police sketches. #PizzaGate

[7sisters]

Get a grip man.. One of the main reasons kids are terrified of spiders and bees is attributed to infant recall, growing up with poncey, flakey parents who leapt, screaming and flailing their arms at the first sight of one..

[redgunamo]

I think it's more to do with my own inherent personality than any outside influence, but I literally can't lose sight of my kids for more than 5 seconds without my heart starting to palpitate and images entering my head of me on the news sobbing while viewers at home mutter "he blatantly did it".

Yes, that's why it's best to let dollies take charge of all that; they have the stronger stomachs. And anyway, if anything goes wrong, they sob more convincingly, and garner more sympathy, on the news than blokes.

[redgunamo]

We weren't mollycoddled, but we were bombarded by terrifying government propaganda to stop us taking risks. Then, when we grew up, we transmitted that terror to our kids.

Right. Parents deliberately stopped doing any actual parenting a long time ago, allowing the government to step into that breach. A mutually beneficial arrangement. Or a Catch-22, depending on your view.