olden days

[keannu]

"Olden days" is defined as the past days you feel affection for, whereas "old days" is just a neutral meaning, good or bad.
I think the writer seems to miss olden days when parents brought up children in a stronger way, that's why he used "olden days", Right?

st180
ex)Parents today are pretty shocked about how neglectful parents used to be in the olden days. Now some parents think their job is to protect children from every hurt and danger. ....What we need to give them instead is the strength, the confidence, the skills, and the connection with others that allows them to cope with being hurt, and even grow from it...The harsher realities of life - death, homlessness, war, poverty, injustice, violence - are scary to children, but we can't keep them sheltered indefinitely.

 

[SoothingDave]

No, "old days" or "old times" is not used. "Old" doesn't have the meaning that "olden" does to evoke historical times.

Old | Define Old at Dictionary.com
Olden | Define Olden at Dictionary.com

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[keannu]

I saw "old days" in the dictionary "'old days'"
What do you mean? Then, what's the difference between the two? Doesn't "olden" have any affectionate nuance? I saw the definitions you gave me, but I can't clearly find the meanings.

 

[riquecohen]

We sometimes hear people talking nostalgically about "the good old days."

 

[SoothingDave]

On further reflection, "old" can be used in the same way as "olden." Either way is usually in a nostalgic fashion. People usually talk about the good old days, not the bad old days.

 

[bhaisahab]

"The bad old days" is pretty common in BrE.

 

[JMurray]

bhaisahab

"The bad old days" is pretty common in BrE.​

"The bad old days" is a familiar phrase to me too.
As is "old times" with the nostalgic flavour that's been mentioned:
"So there we were, dad and I sitting in the kitchen talking football, just like old times" .. or ".. just like the old days".

not a teacher

 

[BobSmith]

bhaisahab

"The bad old days" is pretty common in BrE.​

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Not in AmE. You might hear it, but the person is knowingly misphrasing it, IMO.