[Joan has my sympathy, but she's not entirely correct. Those mothers are not indifferent to their responsibilities. Most are hyper-conscious of them. The problem is that we are no longer sure what they are.] Modern parents want a warm and loving relationship with their children, and to be a source of encouragement, comfort and support, ... We want to be friends without children, not remote or frightening authority figures as our own parents may have been. Linda Blair