A recent stay in the United Kindgom has parenting columnist Ian Munro thinking about the future for younger generations.
I've spent the last couple of months in the UK observing, among other things, the EU referendum. What has interested me has been its impact on families.
It's been reminiscent, in many respects, to the impact of the 1981 Springbok tour for the tensions created within families, particularly between generations.
Seventy-three percent of 18-24 year olds and 62% of 25-34 year olds voted Remain, while 60% of those over 65 voted Leave.
Talking to the under-35s, I got a strong sense that they see their future in Europe, able to work across 28 countries, and need European nations to work together.
Now many feel betrayed by their parents who voted Leave after years of bringing them up with a view to a bright future.
And they feel betrayed by politicians and others who used the referendum for their own personal agendas, achieving an outcome that, it seems, even they weren't expecting.
There were no plans for the next steps, no vision of what a post-EU Britain might look like, just grand, unsubstantiated statements. There was a worrying casualness with the facts.
We seem to have moved into a post-fact era, where world and domestic leaders have scant respect for the truth.
Say what you like, shrug off any objections or proof that you're wrong, attack the person and smugly fob off the criticism with smart comments more suited to a 14-year-old.
All this brought to mind the sort of world we might want for our children.
Have we already reached the stage where the masses are kept entertained, encouraged by politicians to leave the other stuff for them to sort backed by the social-media rabble shouting unthinkingly from the sidelines?
A "don't trouble your head about these things, nothing to see here, everything's under control'' approach.
Sound familiar?
In the Brexit case, the politicians did a great job of deflecting the focus from their agendas and possible outcomes, to focus on emotion and people's fear.
And here's the parenting bit.
As parents and grandparents, we can make a difference.
Our voting young deserve our support in ensuring the sort of functional society that they need now, while our younger offspring deserve our very careful thought about the society that we want for them 15-20 years hence.
One that's open-minded, tolerant, egalitarian and multi-cultural; one where our youngsters don't grow up to become the pawns of politicians, the rich and the powerful; cannon fodder for cynical, opportunistic and unscrupulous political leaders and corporates.
Food for thought as we move towards our own general election.
It's been too many years since our politicians have been truly challenged by the electorate: that's us.
