Our Latest Survey Presents...

[Lil]

Ok I've had enough. This is my offering to compensate reality...

This new topic is in response to today's headline (in the Times), following in the footsteps of "Women working leads to less A-level passes" we have today..."Breastfeeding after 4 months raises heart risk"..this survey was done on a grand total of 331 people and says that those breastfed after 4 months had a higher risk of hardening arteries!!! This was then quickly parried by the NCT who replied that "bottle fed babies become obese teenagers"

... What next folks in the bizarre world of media scientists?

[Croppy]

I just can't believe the tiny samples these things are based on!! My personal favourite is the salmon survey which revealed "poisonous" level of toxins - based on 12 fish!!

[Emmam]

I predict that the next survey will be: 9 out of 10 people who believe surveys will require prozac by the time they are 40.

Closely followed by: Basket-weaving, the facts.

[Tigermoth]

Along with Gary Numan I am part of the 1958 cohort. No this is the name of some '80's synth band, though I did play the synth, in a (non-famous) band in the '80's.... Anyway the 1958 cohort....The National Child Development Bureau has been following the development of all children who were born in a certain week in 1958.
As children, we underwent lots of medicals and intelligence tests. The results helped determine, amongst other things, the effects on children of theri mothers smoking in pregnancy. For years, the NCDB has been keeping close track of my address and every few years a nice interviewer pops up to ask me if I'm happy. Lots of other questions too. My politics, my health, my education and my marriage have all come under some scrutiny.

Any other 1958-ers on this site? Perhaps it's just me and Gary left. What a thought - and he's from Essex!!! (been chortling over that Essex stuff posted earlier on another board)

[Emmam]

Oo-er, not sure I like the sound of that. They don't do experiments on you do they!!!

Actually, I know someone who gets involved in something similar, but he was born in 1970...hang on a minute...I think we might have found the one to blame!

[Kia]

My 1956 model boss wants to know if she's the exception that proves the rule - 5 Alevels with a mother who worked full time!! As a later 1957 model I only have 1 and my mother worked too, what does that mean for me?! What a waste of time, money and effort and not forgetting all those parents out there who will try to get by with not going to work to ensure their child gets Alevels - it was in the paper and on the BBC so it must be true.

[Hmonty]

I had a horrible weekend doing DIY. Didn't get much time with the kids as it had to be done to allow the plumber to do his thang today....anyway I was feeling completely grimey and tetchy when my 2.5 year old appeared in his little tikes hat hard, carrying a yellow and green plastic hammer. He'd come to give Mummy a hand!

[Hmonty]

Opps...wrong discussion, sorry!

[Lil]

Hey, i just read in Building Magazine that Cherie Blair spent £20,000 on Leo's nursery!!!!
Not sure I could spend that much on Winnie the Poo if I tried!

[Sml]

There you are - and all mine had was a Pampers Care Mat to sleep next to mummy in the big bed. Building Magazine sounds like an enthralling read - you don't get stuff like that in Wapweek.

[Jbr]

I read today that 35% of women think women shouldn't earn money!

I really do hope that is a made up statistic!

[Lil]

JBR where on earth did you read that????

[Jbr]

On the Internet, there is some total rubbish out there!

Who answer these surveys anyway? They ask 4000 people and suddenly it's "10% do this and 90% do that" etc etc!

[Tom]

It's a well known fact that 40% of statistics are made up...

[Jbr]

A new survey says that the men (I don't know the statistics sorry) spend 44 mins a day "caring" for their children. I should hope they care about them 24 hours a day!

Just because you aren't there doing the practical things, doesn't mean you don't care surely?

[Tom]

Quite Jbr... and how on earth does it define "caring for" a newborn... does that include going out to work so that mum and baby can stay at home in a house, eat food, wear clothes, put the heating on etc...? Seems to be our main contribution in early breastfeeding/maternity leave weeks/months.

[Jbr]

I am sick of this kind of tripe! I really am, I have just left another website because someone implied if both parents work, babies have no stability. A bunch of women who think women with children shouldn't have jobs all prattling on again. And then they are wondering how someone is going to give them a job when they do work again. I wouldn't employ them, because I would feel that they are sexist and I wouldn't want them in my business, if I had my own business. I might look into that, because the government are saying that as far as starting new small businesses women "aren't pulling their economic weight"! A bit strong that they way they put it, but I agree. I don't see why it should be left up to men all the time to earn a crust!

And then I see surveys which show that dads rarely see their children. Usually because they are out working highly illegal hours (there is a man in my street does SEVENTY hours a week, totally illegal AND he's a driver!) to keep these women.

Surely yet again, children need little bits from each parent, instead of one thing from mother and another from father? What is the point in seeing your mother practically every second of the day, and barely recognising your father?

And you are right about the definition of "care". Does it mean the feeling that you "care" for someone or does it mean the practical things like feeding etc? Someone once said to me, "don't you want to stay home and care for your boy"? as though because I worked I didn't care for him!

Sorry, I know some of that is off the point Tom, but it is just a rant!!

[Jbr]

Not really relevant but I really enjoy this site. I can talk about issues without getting the 3rd degree about my own personal life!! Some sites want you to write your biography before you can even contribute!

[Emmam]

Anyone see the article in the Sunday Times (22/4/01)that apparently the longer children are in daycare the more aggressive they are likely to be when they start nursery school?!

Oh, pleeaaassssee.

But its OK - apparently if you can afford high quality daycare then your child will be fine. So, stale bread and water for tea tonight my darlings so I can pay for you to go to Montessori 5 days a week...

Mind you, the professor who carried out the research has a simple solution to the problem - working mothers should cut their hours in order to reduce time in childcare.

Thank you Professor Belsky.

[Lil]

Ha Ha Emmam, I spoke to my parents about this article and they said that what it failed to mention was that the study was made on 1970's kids, where the theory of the day was verrrry laid back, no boundaries that kind of thing, so childcare in those days was more lax than today, resulting in wilder behaviour.
Besides the fact of course, that the PARENTS just have to be a bigger factor than anything else, and no details about them!

Do you think this is a big media conspiracy to send us all home??

[Lil]

Actually thinking about that article, Professor Belsky has got his name in the papers for proving that poor childcare leads to less sociable children than higher quality childcare.

Amazing!!!

[Jbr]

What a load of rubbish! I notice it is always the MOTHER's fault when something is "wrong", not that it is wrong to put your children in formal education before the age of 5. But if it was wrong how come both parents aren't "guilty"?

[Jj]

The editor of the Life section of Salon.com has a great commentary on the study:
www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2001/04/20/day_care/index.html

(and today she has a good parenting essay, too: www.salon.com/people/feature/2001/04/23/parenthood/index.html )

[Kate71]

Emmam, this study was in the 1970's when more families could afford to have a parent at home. It was frowned upon by people when a neighabour went back to work. I assume that social problems lead to poor behaviour not the childcare.

It really makes me angry when working mothers are blamed for the ills of society. It was only in the 1950's that it was Mum that became the main carer during the day.

[Winnie]

Particularly as a mother but more and more as a father too you're damned if you don't and you're damned if you do!! There is a survey out there somewhere to prove just about anything. As if parenthood doesn't carry enough guilt. Instinctively we all know what is best for our children, some people have choice, some people don't, but fundamentally the last thing any one of us needs to do is take yet another survey of this sort seriously!

[Lil]

Jj very good article eh? i loved the starting paragraph....|

"There should be a drill for mothers taught, perhaps, along with burping, diapering and CPR that prepares them for the periodic and deeply traumatic announcements of the Early Child Care Study at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

It would go something like this: As soon as the headline appears, the radio blares or the concerned neighbor or teacher or pediatrician or father-in-law brings up the latest NICHD findings about the impact of child care on children, the mother should assume the position eyes closed, ears plugged and singing "Jingle Bells" until the subject has changed"

Glad they feel the same way in the US. I couldn't actually work out what the site was about though!