Dear Dr. Dobson: Everyone talks about how rebellious teens are today. I don't believe my parents went through this kind of anxiety when my sisters and I were young. We were all relatively happy and none of us rebelled. Am I right in assuming that good family life was easier to achieve in those days?

Dear Reader: I'm sure your memory is generally correct despite the exceptions we can all recall. The majority of parents in earlier years spent less energy worrying about their children. They had other things on their minds. I remember talking to my dad about this subject a few years before his death. Our children were young at the time and I was feeling the heavy responsibility of raising them properly.

I turned to my father and asked, "Do you remember worrying about me when I was a kid? Did you think about all the things that could go wrong as I came through the adolescent years? How did you feel about these pressures associated with being a father?"

Dad was rather embarrassed by my question. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Honestly, Bo," (his pet name for me) "I never really gave that a thought."

How do we explain his lack of concern? Was it because he didn't love me or because he was an uninvolved parent? No. He was a wonderful father throughout my childhood. Instead, his answer reflected the time in which I grew up. People worried about the Depression that was just ending, and the war with Germany and Japan, and later the Cold War with Russia. They did not invest much effort in hand-wringing over their children -- at least not until some kind of problem developed. Trouble was not anticipated.

And why not? Because there were fewer land mines for children in that era. I attended high school in the 1950s, and I never saw or even heard of anyone taking an illegal drug. Some students liked to get drunk, but alcohol was not a big deal in my social environment. Virginity was still in style for males and females. As for homosexuals and lesbians, a few students were open about their lifestyle, but I didn't know them personally.

Most of my friends respected their parents, went to church on Sunday, studied hard enough to get by and lived a fairly clean life.

Today's youths, by contrast, are walking through the Valley of the Shadow! Drugs, sex, alcohol, rebellion and alternative lifestyles are everywhere. Those dangers have never been so evident as they are now, and the worst may be yet to come.

Dear Dr. Dobson: Do you think children between ages 5 and 10 should be allowed to listen to rock music on the radio, TV or CDs?

Dear Reader: Not if it can be avoided. Today's contemporary music is an expression of an increasingly unsavory adolescent culture. The lyrics often deal with drug use, sex and violence. This is just what you don't want your 7-year-old thinking about. Instead, his or her entertainment should consist of adventure books, children's productions, Bible stories and other Christian literature, and family activities -- camping, fishing, sporting events, games, etc.

On the other hand, it is unwise to appear dictatorial and oppressive in such matters. I would suggest that you keep your preteen so involved with wholesome activities that he does not need to dream of the days to come.

Send your questions to Dr. James Dobson, c/o Focus on the Family, P.O. Box 444, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80903. Dobson is the chairman of the board for Focus on the Family.