Ryan Bridge: We've taken parenting to a level beyond useful

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge · Nov 25, 2025 · 2m · transcript

I'm part of the generation that grew up pre-cell phones.

Gifts were usually clothing you needed. Toys were chatter rings, marbles, maybe a skate board.

There was no 'picky eating', as we've heard about this week. If you didn't finish what was on your plate at dinner, you didn't get a treat afterwards.

Sweet treats were fruit. Or Raro sachets (sugar rush) if you managed to sneak one out the pantry.

There were no snacks - if you were hungry before dinner, mum would tell you to drink a glass of water.

School was basics. Maths, reading, writing. A bit of everything else.

What we're learning, as a…