It's been a while since I just decided to see where and what the kids are doing. My two older ones were a huge hand full! Posted most of that here, so I don't need to repeat it.

Just to say that I was challenged enough to take counter measures to just keep things sane.

My two younger ones don't have the trouble, so I've backed off.

Interestingly, I woke up this morning to find a Yearbook account open. So, I browsed a few discussions and threads and got a look at what the up and coming generations are thinking.

If you have kids, I highly recommend this exercise, from time to time! More later after I think through the experience!

(and no, there isn't anything bad going on --sweet!)

I was about to start a thread about experiences that have brought home the concept of generation gaps, but it looks like you unintentionally beat me to it! Was there anything that you found, while peeking into the world of your kids that really surprised you?

One of my recent generational gap experiences happened while I was having dinner at a pub, surrounded by a motley group that included a 40-something and a couple of 20-somethings. The 40-something lady mentioned a recent Billy Idol concert. I said that I wish I could have gone, and that I was surprised to see that Billy Idol is still performing. Then one of the 20-somethings asked, "Who is Billy Idol?"

Well, yes I did. Was wanting to think some of it through before posting.

Frankly, they are relaxed about the computer. This is just the first time I sat down and just looked, with an eye toward what the differences in social norms and expectations might be.

Let me think on it a bit more, and I'll post!

To prevent this great thread from being forgotten, I will share another "generation gap experience" that happened with somebody who is 24 years old, which is just a touch over 10 years my junior: In conversation, I brought up two technologically related points that were totally new to this person.

1) Up until the 1980s, one could buy a TV, typically with a 25" screen, that was designed to be a piece of furniture. The outside of such a TV would have been made to resemble a very ornate piece of wooden furniture.

2) In the early 1980s, there were still some telephone exchanges that did not support direct dialing of international calls. When my dad wanted to place an international call from our apartment in Buffalo, he would have to dial 0 and then tell the operator, "I would like to place an international call. The country code is ..... the city code is ....., and the local telephone number is ....."