Catchafire

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...d-parents.html

Pretty frighting article on how (some) kids are being brought up by so called middle class parents.

As a father, it makes me wonder how a society can be so disconnected from their children.

love30stm

ummmm The Daly Mail? of course you should believe every article

luvwelly

I haven't read all the article but I don't think packing babies off into daycare (working or middle class) for longer than an adult's average working day - is good for parental-child relationships short or long-term but I am a bit old-fashioned on this one.
Having said that the pro-daycare lobby always claim it makes kids more independent at a younger age if they are in regular daycare.

Personally I think this article is sloppy Daily Mail alarmist journalism - some boys do take ages to toilet-train whatever you do and others simply acquire the skill overnight (ask me how I know)....fine motor skills develop more slowly in some kids (especially boys) so things like buttons and tying shoelaces may not come easily until as late as 7-9....I believe this to be normal for some children - usually by age 10 they are all equally adept so methinks the article is expecting a little too much too soon maybe. Even a middle class area (especially a middle class area with all those techhy Dads having kids late) will have its share of 'late' developers.

As to not talking to your kids enough, well...if you drop your 18 month old in the nursery at 8am, collect them at 6 and put them to bed by 7, there is not a lot of time for interaction - this is why I stayed at home with both my kids full-time - to be there for them. If you cannot do this, their early years experience will vary based on the quality of those endless hours spent in daycare in the company of teenage girls known as nursery nurses.
Daycare - like that Australian author who wrote 'Raising Boys', I really hope that one day it goes 'out of fashion'.

Justcol

As stated already.....Daily Mail....complete sensationalist rubbish.

If we said ALL Maori use P, never wear shoes, cant read and claim benefits rather than work would that be a true picture of NZ....No.
Why anyone reads the mail is beyond me, I'm not an educated man but you really do have to a complete moron if you believe anything they say.

BEVS

Don't know so much abut the tabloid article but it would be interesting to read what he had to say about the above. I couldn't find it on the UCLI website.

jjsebba

Some of it is true from what I've seen...and people ask why we're moving to NZ! I know it's often a case of 'the grass is greener' blah blah blah, but I really hope NZ with it's greater family focus and less on material things and keeping up with every Jones will make a difference to our family and that our daughter will grow up a well rounded, well educated, well mannered child/adult.

bigals

what a load of crap!!!!! its all about who can come up with the biggest crap to sell papers

ellenarosemary

This is also quite a similarly frightening article (sorry again the Daily Mail), but I happen to know that at least some of it is true, unfortunately. Friend of mine is a primary school teacher.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...d-parents.html

abi31

Has already been said, but this is the Daily Mail so imagine the only words that can be relied upon for veracity are 'and', 'is' and 'of'.

She might (the teacher - if she is indeed a real person and I have great doubts) claim this is a common problem but it's never been a problem at any of the schools my young nieces and nephews go to - would be very interested to hear on here from any primary school teachers if that is a genuine problem.

As a previous poster says a few kids are just a little slower by nature to pick up these skills and it will come to them (with guidance) eventually. Though actually suspect that nursery cared children will actually pick up a lot of these skills quicker as they are surrounded by influence in the form of other children (many of my friends with more than one child say it is apparent that the second picks things up more quickly by copying older sibling)

mikelincs

No, it's not a similar article it's the SAME article, just look at writer and date, so just publishing the same column is simple scaremongering. I bet the same was true 20 years ago as well, but it wasn't such good press then AND I bet there are aeas in NZ where very similar problems occur.

T-Pot

To repeat what other posters have said - Daily Mail...... Haha, April fool.

Personally I am unable to read this paper because I get too wound up about the complete rubbish they spout and is believed by too many people as 'news'