On a scale of 1-10, how strict were your parents?

[Square Wheels]

Mine weren't at all.

[Kzoo]

Mom of Kzoo never more than a 3.  Dad of Kzoo was pretty strict early on.  A solid 7 to 8 sometimes bordering on 9.  " You do the right thing because it's the right thing to do!"  He mellowed wth age and was less strict with each of the 4 of us kids.  He was probably a solid 3 by the time I graduated HS.

 

[Wilbur ★]

6 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

Mine weren't at all.

So..on a scale?  

[Wilbur ★]

Mine were very liberal.  They provided guidance and left discipline to us to learn. 

3

[Square Wheels]

16 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

So..on a scale?  

0

[Ralphie ★]

Just now, Wilbur said:

Mine were very liberal.  They provided guidance and left discipline to us to learn. 

3

Aboot the same.  It was never much of an issue - we were all angels. :)

 

[BR46]

-3 

After my dad died mom got a new boyfriend and she wasn't around much. 

[Kirby ★]

I guess it averages to a 5.  They were strict on certain things - you were supposed to go to school , study hard, go to church and they didn't tolerate us fighting with one another.  But they were liberal with us in terms of not making us eat things we didn't like, not expecting us to do a lot of chores  and helping us do what we wanted for activities.

[JerrySTL ★]

7 at least. And if I pissed off a nun at school, I prayed that my parents didn't find out. 

[Ralphie ★]

Just now, JerrySTL said:

7 at least. And if I pissed off a nun at school, I prayed that my parents didn't find out. 

And nuns are pretty easily pissed off, aren't they? :(

 

[maddmaxx ★]

My father died when I was 10.  My mother was a school teacher. My step father was a drunk.

11.

[groupw]

Probably about a 6 or 7. We had chores to do (big garden and heated with a wood stove. Several chickens) and they had better be done by the time Dad got home.  But by the same token, if things were done, we were free to go do what we wanted. He had the same talk with each of us when we turned 16. He wouldn't tell us not to drink, but we were responsible for out actions. 

Mom was pretty laid back, but would make sure we stayed on task when Dad was at work. 

[MickinMD ★]

I'd say 10 on education, 10 on not wasting food, 10 on manners and behavior with others, but only 6 as far as being in the house on time, etc.

When my mother called my name with a certain tone, it would shake me up.  Sometimes I've heard it in my head long after she passed away and it still made me jump!

A cousin and I were laughing the other day about how we jumped when our mothers, who were sisters, would point to our messy rooms and yell "Bejundek!" ("Orderliness" in Polish) and they used that word only when they wanted us to know they had reached the end of their ropes and we better start straightening up immediately.

[MoseySusan ★]

5. They were irrational, and it all averaged out. 

 

[jsharr ★]

[petitepedal ★]

By the time I was 12 my sister had mental health issues which included suicide attempts...I did not want to add any more to my moms burdens ...I behaved...and she trusted me...I pretty much did what I wanted,,,but with the goal of not making my moms life any harder than it was. 

I had my grampy more or less wrapped around my little finger...He died when I was in 9th grade.

My father was not in my life.

[shootingstar]

9.  We were not allowed to go over to friends' homes for sleepovers, no camping trips with other teens later in older teenagehood.  

And many other things.  I didn't go as far as 10, because the older kids were trusted a lot to look after younger ones when parent had to go shopping.  We also walked to and from school, up to 1 km. one way on our own. We weren't chauffeured by car.

I consider my adult years, real freedom to explore.

[Airehead ★]

We were expected to take care of the younger kids and ourselves. It wasn’t really anything most of us ever thought of not doing.   So overall my parents were around 3.   My grandmother was no nonsense but so kind about it.   

[sheep_herder ★]

Probably about a 3.  They taught us right from wrong and trusted us to act accordingly.  I cannot remember ever being grounded, etc. for any of my actions.  Was swatted one time for calling my sister a SOB, a term picked up at the local archery range.

[Allen ★]

My folks were good to me. Maybe a 4.  

[Scrapr ★]

Dad a solid 8. Mom about a 5 or 6. Dad had his Board of Education and used it with authority. Chores, working on Saturday. We knew where the BOE was stored and would hide it. He never used a belt but he thought about it. Lots of kids at school did get the belt. The ones I felt sorry for were the ones that got the belt buckle. Dad softened by #4 child. #4 got to drive to school. We walked every day

My Dad & I never had a great relationship. Cause & effect?

[Road Runner]

Let's just say I could have benefitted from a little more guidance.  They were way too easy on me.  My brother and I could probably have been straight A students, but my parents seemed happy with whatever, as long as we didn't fail.  So we totally goofed off.  I seldom, if ever, did any homework or studying.

Most of the kids in my neighborhood had to ask permission to go anywhere and they always had to tell their parents where they were going.  I was pretty much free to come and go as I pleased, as long as I was home for dinner and bedtime.