Well, you don't say?

[boglin]

Parents warned that ill-fitting shoes can damage children

Apparently, parents should be making sure their chidren's shoes fit properly, and have their feet measured regularly - as children are, allegedly, *growing*.

Parenting licence. You know it makes sense...

Comments

[ex-abbie.livejournal.com]

I'm all for a parenting licence.
Tried convincing my neighbour downstairs that sweets and brightly coloured ice lolls are junk food and are probably part the reason she can't control her boys.
Also failed to convince her that music with heavy base that shakes the building is bad for kiddies ears (5, 4 and just born) as well as my temper.
Some people eh :o)

[cutietrol.livejournal.com]

Pet licence too. Also withdrawl of state benefits after the first child.

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Way to shrink our native population... I heard a report on R4 that said that all the Malthusian predictions of the 1970's had turned out to be false - that we'd just found more ways to maximise food production to cope, BUT the UK and a number of other Western countries were suffering from the lack of birthrate while other countries were actually benefitting from being so populous. These days India's greatest asset is its literally millions of highly skilled or intelligent and eminently trainable young people, while we're facing a situation where there just won't be enough younger people around to care for us in our dotage.

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, we need the young to pay for the pensions and healthcare of the old (and getting ever older). Oh, and the unfortunate inhabitants of the third-world of course. Still, some of the third-world is hot on the heels of the first-world. The next century is going to be interesting, and quite possibly rather painful.

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

£x for the first child, £0 for the second, -£x thereafter.

[miss-soap.livejournal.com]

I should know, I have deformed feet thanks to ill-fitting shoes worn as a child. Thing is, my parents were very good ones. I think deformed feet are the least of the worries of children these days...

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

I can't agree to the parenting license idea, because who then decides who gets to breed?

Instead, why not give parents free courses in sprog-care and have stiff penalties for dereliction of (clearly stated) parental duties?

[saiira.livejournal.com]

I think I should get to decide to breed...

(I've always thought this)

Parents should submit an application to me in writing, I will have a strict marking scheme for the form submitted - if you don't make the grade you go in the bin. Followed by an interview - 1 to 1 with both prospective parents.

You cannot receive your license unless both of you pass.

[dodgyoldgoth.livejournal.com]

Free courses sound good ;P Can you imagine?

I reckon after completing the course - buggy/car bumper stickers should be issued stating "How's my parenting? Ring 0800_what_ever"

If the free phone number was governed by a regulator who could issue fines and warnings accordingly I think it would be a great idea!

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Hmm... The problem as I see it, for parents, is that there are literally hundreds of books on childcare, many of which give conflicting advice. The government puts certain responsibilities on parents, while restricting the range of methods the parents can use to enforce the government's will. If the government could publish a manual of parenting which explains how (for example) one gets a truanting teenager to attend school, then I think it could be justified in levying fines (as it currently does) on parents of such teenagers who do not mend their ways. If the parent could then demonstrate that they'd done everything legally possible, everything the manual says they can or must do, then they could be absolved of responsibility for their child's mis-doings. This might prompt the government into upgrading the manual until they actually have methods that work and that are thereby available to all to use.

You can't punish or criticise people for doing something badly when no-one has a definitive template to judge it against, assuming they're acting in good faith and with good intentions, as most parents do. As my dad said: "We're all amateurs at this."

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

Good Lord - we can't expect parents to take any responsibility! That's the job of teachers and the government!

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

And the police, and the social workers, and the prison governers, and the councellors ...

[eeymsmo.livejournal.com]

A lot of shoe shops don't measure feet properly. I know we were marched down to Clarks every time as they did the full width measuring as well.

[saiira.livejournal.com]

With the machine that bit feet?

I hated the machine!

[eeymsmo.livejournal.com]

Yep, the 4 big metal blocks that started squeezing.

[dodgyoldgoth.livejournal.com]

Heh! I remember those and the spooky x-ray machines - I can never remember if they were trick one's or not... Eep, that was back in the seventies!

[quercus.livejournal.com]

Bring back the foot X-ray machines !

[littleonions.livejournal.com]

Just spent over fifty pounds on two pairs of shoes for the sprog, which will last...a few months if lucky; but then I am a f*cking ace parent...now where did I put that gin...?

[serpentstar.livejournal.com]

As a dad, the thing that bugs me most about modern parents is that they're a bunch of ignorant cunts that haven't even bothered to RTFM.

These days you get given a free book, _Birth to Five_, when you sprog. It has in it virtually all the information you need as a parent for the first five years (I am a bit worried 'cos Kyle is going to be five in a week, and I feel I should then be issued with a _Five to Ten_ manual). Healthy eating? Getting feet checked? Play? Education? Illness? Toilet training? It's all in there, in user-friendly language, with pictures and everything.

Lovely idea, but how do you implement it?

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

The problem with a parenting licence would be how it would be enforced. I really couldn't approve of forced abortion or adoption. I know people who advocate contraception in the water supply, with some sort of antidote (because of course they exist!) being given out to the grateful recipient of the licence. Even if this were to be technically possible and potential problems with people daring to go on holiday could be dealt with, just imagine the problems with side effects!

I wish there would be some way that parents could be forced into having some sort of coaching - perhaps withholding of benefits if they don't attend?

Re: Lovely idea, but how do you implement it?

[boglin.livejournal.com]

Oh I have many idea that are unworkable, including 'chloroform - parents' friend' adopted from lupercal