Were kids really as well-behaved as our grandmothers say they were?

Okay - I'll be the first to say that society has changed for the worse DRASTICALLY since my Grandmother was raising her son in the late 50s early 60s - but she would have me believe that kids in her day never talked back, never acted impolitely in public, never got dirty, never disobeyed, etc. She sometimes is harshly judgmental about my children, who are 3 and 5. But to me my kids are just acting like a 3 and 5 year old and sometimes saying and doing things they shouldn't. They get corrected and punished if necessary, and they continue to improve all the time. I"d love to hear the opinions and experiences of some grandparents/great-grandparents about what kids were really like back when you were younger. Thanks in advance for your comments!