PM: To Kate McCaan

[MarillionFan]

Yes, but who listens to the advice of extremists who think you shouldn't beat your kids?

.

Your grandparents and parents liked a tab, a few pints before driving home, leaving you in the car with a packet of crisps as you weren't allowed in the pub and if you spoke back your dad would give you the back of his hand & the belt. You didn't think they were bad parents did you?

[darmstadt]

Good example. There are countries where drink driving is still the norm - South Africa for example. Parts of the states too. I suspect there are rural communities in the UK where 'everyone does it'. When I started driving, many people would think nothing of driving after 4 pints. These people aren't bad people, they're not fundamentally different to you or I, they are in an environment where something 'bad' is normalised. Once it's normalised, it seems OK.

Sadly you can use that argument to say that what has happened in Rotheram and other places, along with the numerous sex cases from previous decades that seem to popping up with regularity now is "an environment where something 'bad' is normalised. Once it's normalised, it seems OK."

[NotAllThere]

Your grandparents and parents liked a tab, a few pints before driving home, leaving you in the car with a packet of crisps as you weren't allowed in the pub and if you spoke back your dad would give you the back of his hand & the belt. You didn't think they were bad parents did you?

They were excellent parents. We got a bottle of fizz as well as crisps.

[EternalOptimist]

fizz and crisps ?

we didn't have fizz and crisps in our 'ole in 't ground

[ZARDOZ]

Yes, but who listens to the advice of extremists who think you shouldn't beat your kids?

The law is, IIRC, that if harm comes to a child while they've been left alone, you can be prosecuted.

I wouldn't call the NSPCC extremists, just a charity set up to look out for the welfare of children some who through no fault of their own suffer as a result of having really bad parents, some of which don't know any better and some do. Let's not forget both parents in this case were supposedly care professionals.

Oh well, each to their own eh?

[vetran]

where its ingrained in society it is understandable if not acceptable.

When I was much younger I got a lot of stress for drinking pints of diet coke when I was driving. Everyone else had 2-3 pints and jumped in the car.

My father tells even worse tales of people too drunk to stand jumpng behind the wheel.

it took 30-50 years to change attitudes and a determined advertising campaign

Leaving kids running around or asleep was quite common when I was young. It has changed somewhat over the years but there is a change in attitude as the bogeyman has been publicised. I didn't judge my Grandparents for many of their views as it was a different time.

[Batcher]

Those people who let their kids run around, screaming, shouting, spoiling it for other people? They're not bad parents! Just ******* ignorant!!!!!!

No, when everyone was eating they were well behaved as kids. An old couple once came over and complimented us on their behaviour in a restaurant in Leeds.

I was talking about after the meal when they put on a live band and everyone gets up dancing. The kids love it and feel included. It also tired them out so we could have a long lie in the morning

[ZARDOZ]

Leaving kids running around or asleep was quite common when I was young. It has changed somewhat over the years but there is a change in attitude as the bogeyman has been publicised. I didn't judge my Grandparents for many of their views as it was a different time.

The bogeyman is not the reason for not leaving small children home alone, it's because they can't safely look after themselves. What if one has a coughing fit and chokes to death? What if one decides to play with the Iron and starts a fire?. What if one wanders out through an unlocked door?

These things can happen in minutes in an unlocked appartment. 30 minutes at a time they were left alone, and sometimes the person checking just listened rather than looked in. It Beggars belief.

[d000hg]

They were excellent parents. We got a bottle of fizz as well as crisps.

Feeding kids sugary drinks and junk food - that's abuse!

No, when everyone was eating they were well behaved as kids. An old couple once came over and complimented us on their behaviour in a restaurant in Leeds.

Probably perves.

[vetran]

The bogeyman is not the reason for not leaving small children home alone, it's because they can't safely look after themselves. What if one has a coughing fit and chokes to death? What if one decides to play with the Iron and starts a fire?. What if one wanders out through an unlocked door?

These things can happen in minutes in an unlocked appartment. 30 minutes at a time they were left alone, and sometimes the person checking just listened rather than looked in. It Beggars belief.

I know that , you know that. But the driver in the general populace for the disgust at leaving kids alone is the very small chance they may be abducted.

Its a bit like banning skydiving on the off chance you might hit a pigeon on the way down. Its not the real reason but won't someone think of the children?