That's really interesting. Perhaps in the change in society, someone forgot about the kids for a while.

I fear there will be new problems for today's kids in that they are little kings and queens of the household.

We've gone from cliche's of

1. Stoic emotionally detached father, loving but unfulfilled full time mother.

2. Weekend Father at best, frazzled and absent but more fulfilled single mother.

3. Frazzled and fulfilled hot house of exhausted parents slogging it out for the best private education money can buy, while spending all weekend entertaining the kids and attempting to enrich children's lives to worlds best practice and stave off their childcare guilt.

Maybe part 2 was more harmful, but who is to say.

Oh dear, this indeed paints a gloomy picture... but please don't generalize, HasBeen. I know of plenty of women whose children are now living independently - myself included! Grandchildren are a blessing, but they're not a reason to give up on your dreams.

For many of us, now is the opportunity to get out there and make a difference rather than sit back and presume life is over. I feel very sad that there are women like that. Perhaps their husbands could encourage them to start out on a joint venture to meet the needs of others. It is an interesting observable fact that when you step outside your own comfort zone and start helping others, you become less depressed, more motivated and inspired to start living life to the full.

For example, you could do volunteer work in a third-world country, or investigate the needs in your own community - I'm sure there are many. It's not all about caravaning in the outback, going on cruises, and living the high life. I love bushwalking, but it's certainly not my raison d'etre!

Live in an inner city somewhere do you elizann. I find inner cities the stronghold of meaningless lives, lived by people who "want to make a difference". What tripe. Just try to be happy, & spread it around you.

Forget all this garbage about doing good, & do something for those few around you.

My wife is a councilor. She was working with the very long term unemployed for far too long. The only difference she made was to become depressed at how few wanted to be helped, & the ill will they had for those interfering in their lives.

After much time spent in very undeveloped places, I am damn sure that most people get just what they deserve. The difference between the miserable & the happy is not what they have, but how they see it, & how they live.

At least they have not been sold the pup that happiness is motherhood, or helping the underprivileged. Stick a plaster over your navel, so you have to stop meditating on it, would be the best advice for most in our society.

Being born means you are going to die, that is the only meaning. The rest is what you make of it.