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In most RPGs I've played, the characters' parents tend to only play a tangential role (if any) to the main plot. But seeing as "Tales From The Loop" is from the children's perspective, I can see how this may become a central theme. How much influence will the parents have on the kids? Will they be a hindrance or a help (maybe a bit of both) to the players? Or will they be mere background figures; like the adults in the world of "Peanuts"?

I feel like they'll be in the background, like in Peanuts. Most of the great kids adventure stories seem to have the parents as only inhibitors. Like locked gates that occasionally express their disapproval It would be fun if there were some interesting story-building adults, though. There was at least one in the Things From the Flood book.

I feel like they'll be in the background, like in Peanuts. Most of the great kids adventure stories seem to have the parents as only inhibitors. Like locked gates that occasionally express their disapproval It would be fun if there were some interesting story-building adults, though. There was at least one in the Things From the Flood book.

My thoughts so far is that parent would exist as a resource AND a problem (just like real life!). So, a kid whose father is a police officer may be privy to extra information just by listening in on breakfast conversations but would also have a far stricter curfew than the other kids. A child who has poorer parents may have more leeway to do extra stuff but would have far less resources. I'm simplifying for the sake of the conversation but that's essentially what I have in mind at this stage.

Plus, there's the added bonus of having adults foreshadow upcoming Mysteries.

I´d love to see parents as a real PROBLEM in this game. Perhaps I would use the Swedish organisation "Hem och Skola" ("Home and School"). They where very active in the 80's and hated everything that was fun. I have a feeling that many of the members where passive aggressive librarians, but perhaps that´s just me...

Another parental fear in Sweden during the 80´s was video violence. A lot of people back then feared that kids could damaged for life by just watching violent videos, such as the "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". This was a hot topic in several tv debates. Perhaps VHS cassettes could be a cool resource to hide from parents? I really love those: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS

  

I´d love to see parents as a real PROBLEM in this game. Perhaps I would use the Swedish organisation "Hem och Skola" ("Home and School"). They where very active in the 80's and hated everything that was fun. I have a feeling that many of the members where passive aggressive librarians, but perhaps that´s just me...  

Ah. So you ACTUALLY know what it was like. That's great. Well, I'm hoping there's a bit of both. Parents who hinder and parents who help the players.

Another parental fear in Sweden during the 80´s was video violence. A lot of people back then feared that kids could damaged for life by just watching violent videos, such as the "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". This was a hot topic in several tv debates. Perhaps VHS cassettes could be a cool resource to hide from parents? I really love those: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS

  

Here's something I actually hope to tackle in game. Most of the video games would just be fun. But what if some aren't? I don't know if you saw some of the Simon Stålenhag pieces where kids have got gigantic VR helmets over their heads. What if some games infect the kids somehow? Or they copy the DNA of the kids? Many sinister options there.

A typical Swedish familyin the 80's consisted of a father working full time, a mother working part or full time, and 1-3 kids, or a single mom working full time and taking care of the kids every other week (the rest of the time was spent with the father, provided he still lived nearby).

Like Bengt Petter wrote, "Hem och skola" was a nuisance. Sweden back in the 1980's was a place where parents, teachers and politicians were afraid of the destructive influences caused by video games, violent movies (and there was a pretty wide definition of what was violent), heavy metal music, roleplaying games, etc. It was less religious in nature than in the US, though, and more about social standards. On the other hand, parents were less helicoptering compared to parents of today. Just like in "Stranger Things", kids biked on public roads after dark, explored abandonded houses, and so on. With parents working a lot, it meant that kids had afternoons without any parental supervision.

GREMLINS could be a good mister. Imagine that an NPC had a mogwai Christmas gift. You know the rest... 

A typical Swedish familyin the 80's consisted of a father working full time, a mother working part or full time, and 1-3 kids, or a single mom working full time and taking care of the kids every other week (the rest of the time was spent with the father, provided he still lived nearby).

Like Bengt Petter wrote, "Hem och skola" was a nuisance. Sweden back in the 1980's was a place where parents, teachers and politicians were afraid of the destructive influences caused by video games, violent movies (and there was a pretty wide definition of what was violent), heavy metal music, roleplaying games, etc. It was less religious in nature than in the US, though, and more about social standards. On the other hand, parents were less helicoptering compared to parents of today. Just like in "Stranger Things", kids biked on public roads after dark, explored abandonded houses, and so on. With parents working a lot, it meant that kids had afternoons without any parental supervision.

As an American it is very interesting to me to hear about the everyday lives of people in other countries, whether in the present time or the past. To hear about the fears of the establishment in Sweden back in the 80's, it tells me we are not so different. There are tightasses everywhere. As a kid growing up in New Jersey in the 70's and 80's, the things I did (such as riding my bike with my friends unsupervised all over the neighborhood) would bring a visit from Child Protective Services in today's world. 
I also remember viewing adults as something "other". Not exactly the enemy but something to be wary of. They might be friendly or they might be stupid or harmful. And in almost every case -  they had more power than you. So be careful.