Update on latest events

Your are right Tonya, I think our generation has more of a sense of duty.  Heaven forbit if I tried a 'guilt trip' on my children they would turn that one around on me 'lickety split'.  My husband has the same problem with his two children from his first marriage, they are lovely kids, but think nothing of leaving it over six weeks just to send an SMS - and up to and beyond a year or two before they visit - he gets quite despondant, and fair enough - poor man gave up everything he had to ensure a stable financial future for them.  My kids think he's the bees knees!  I think sometimes kids don't know how lucky they are with 'nice' parents.  I think sometimes we can give too much of ourselves - I am always there if my children want to 'download' on the phone - you know those calls "Mummy, the world is being meannnnnnnnn!" and I am there with bells on, "Mummy what do I dooooooooo?" I hear them whine, "Well darling perhaps if you approach the such and such and bla bla bla" - I get "Ok" and a happy ring off - knowing full well, it all went in one ear and out the other and my advice went nowhere - but they got it all off their chest and will sail on happily regardless - meanwhile I am sitting there with their misery dumpted on me like a big cow pat on my head and worrying my head off hoping they will be ok.  I told a friend about that once and they said "You know what Josie? all they wanted to do was 'unload' so treat it just as it is - let them unload, and then YOU go away and forget all about it, the world will still go on" and you know what? they were totally right!  Maybe I should take some advice that was given to me a couple of weeks ago - "Leave them alone and they will come home dragging their tails behind them" (sure sounds a bit nursery rhymey!)