Differences between wc & mc childhoods these days?

[Christmascarolle]

In response to the thread about the op feeling she missed out on a lot of mc activities during her childhood.
How much has changed & has the wc/mc childhood gap closed somewhat?
I can imagine the gap between mc & umc is far greater than wc & mc.

I find MC parents tend to prefer gentle parenting and massively overthink their parenting style.

WC parents are more likely to tell their children off and just get on with parenting without sticking some ridiculous label on it.

Odd to state football is a WC sport/activity, it really isn’t. I don’t like football but I can appreciate the universal beauty in it, it’s enjoyed by people from all walks of life including the upper class if you’d believe it. In fact, it actually started as an upper class sport in this country so…

No idea about differences between WC and MC childhoods because I have a life so this sort of thing really isn’t important.

I have a weird observation in that current day WC tend to be a lot stricter with their kids than MC. For instance, most mums who tend to follow zero screentime and zero sugar for their kids are WC. You see them in the playgrounds with their kids for hours with boxes of cut up veggies and crackers. Their children spend a lot of time outdoors in all weather, puddle suits, looking for rocks/sticks etc. They are all potty trained by 2.5 and significantly more independent than MC.

MC and UC actually seen more complacent because they don't care as much about being judged. At any 5 star family resort there are iPads and phones on every table to keep the kids quiet for a bit while the parents enjoy their dinner. Kids tend to grow up with more screentime and less healthy diets but the baseline level of financial security and family connections means this doesn't have as much of a negative impact as you may imagine. If a kid does get any health issues (eg. dental cavities) then it gets sorted out very quickly before it turns serious. The parents have money to go private if needed or simply have family friends who are doctors & dentists.

And kids who run feral in public places are far more likely to be MC/UC! The wealthier they are, the less they genuinely care about being judged or posing as a temporary inconvenience to others. They know that enduring a few minutes of shouting isn't the end of the world for other diners (as annoying as it is) and they would prefer their kids have a great time over other people's experience of the same location.

Lots of mc and umc kids like football.
Lots of wc kids like rugby.
Lots of kids who enjoy sport also play an instrument.

I can only think of skiing as being more MC. The rest of it is a mix these days (I live in London so maybe with all its diversity class is less defined which is a good thing IMO) - I see MC and WC kids at the same party places, sports fields, kids theatre, fast food places, (maybe MC less than WC who knows), Westfield, holidays in the Canary Islands.

Skiing, tennis and cricket tend to be MC.

I don’t even know whether I’m working class or middle class let alone the differences between the working class and middle class childrens upbringings. 😂😂.

maybe I’m lower middle class and that’s why the lines are blurred 🤷‍♀️

ive never been skiing, but I do have a degree, but I was a teenage parent, but my kids did attend ballet. You see, it’s confusing.

I never understand how class is worked out nowadays. When I was a kid my very basic understanding of it was that working class were poor, middle class were comfortable and the upper class were mega rich. Is it based on professions? For example, is a builder automatically working class and a lawyer automatically middle class? What about if they had kids? Would it depend whether or not they go to private school as to what class they are?

Don’t understand class distinctions any more- isn’t it more important to look at poverty and how that affects children as a motivator to create structural change that support families in poverty properly? When you have children that struggle to do homework because they don’t have electricity, this kind of thread just feels a bit gross tbh, and like a distraction from looking at how dire things actually are in this country for families in poverty after a decade of anti benefits rhetoric and draconian cuts to state support.
if you want to fascinated by something go look up stats on how many kids are below the poverty line, and write to your local mp about it. Go to your local food bank and ask what they need.

Social class isn't really about money

That must be what I am then. Have a degree, went to a grammar school, but I have a lot of mental health conditions so relying on benefits at the moment as I struggle to work my one day a week. I find it all very confusing. My sister is an accountant, but I don't think she would put herself in the mc range if anything really. I live in Scotland so not sure if it's different up here

Meant to add in case it's confusing. I didn't grow up in Scotland, I was born in Cambridgeshire then moved to Kent, which is where I went to grammar school

I think there is more pressure on the kids not to "fail" the higher up the middle class bracket you go. Which adds a while heap of stress not only on the kids but what the parents do to themselves and each other.

Love, resilience, manners, fun. And try and not judge about class.

I know some very middle middle class kids who do the ponies and sports clubs but go down the local park Friday night, drink and throw empty bottles over the hedges at cars and vape and some very I guess working class kids who get new football boots for Xmas because what they 'need" has to be a present, but they help with housework and walk the dog, would never call another parent a "nosy bitch" just for noting a group of "gangsta" middle class 14 yr old pissed vaping "untouchable" yobs.

"Middle class" is what you make if it not some golden road to a perfect child or childhood.

massive difference in diet.

WC happy to have chicken nuggets and chips. Often haven’t been exposed to a varied diet. Have then become very wary of different foods.

MC happy to eat things like avocados, vegetable curry, tagine, chickpeas, smoked salmon. Yadda yadda

As a generalisation...I think wc tend to be closer with their extended families, with grannies, aunts/ uncles and cousins living nearby and adult children livkng near parents, whereas mc more spread out and isolated, kids move away for work etc

I've told this story before on here but many years ago my ds has a friend from school over...wc background, single mum, council house etc. I made roast chicken...it was the first time he'd had chicken that wasn't in breadcrumbs.

Wow!!

Is this a real post?

Absolute bollocks

WC children get sent up chimneys

MC Children all go to boarding school.

Honest to god, I'm not lying. This really did happen.

I am a teacher in a big inner city comp and we have the full range of social, racial and economic backgrounds.

For me the biggest distinction at the moment is between kids living in poverty and everyone else. I have a child whose family is homeless in my form group, children who only really eat at school, smell, no clean clothes.

And that's typical of WC families?

Well it's about as realistic as WC children won't eat anything except chicken nuggets.

On MNs when most talk about the middle classes they are actually talking about upper middle class.