To think there needs to be a public inquiry into child development

"I grew up in a large faith community, big families, lots of kids in and out of each others houses (90s). I can’t remember any children who were non verbal at 4, and I’m not a ‘good old days’ type."

People like my non verbal 17 year old have always existed.

There’s also no punishment. Teens aren’t locked up for very serious crimes instead they get a bit of community service and I can’t imagine how that is enforced.
We need places to send very disruptive kids to try to sort them out and to hopefully get them motivated. But there’s nowhere.

There are loads of studies and research into early years. Nothing is done about it. An enquiry will be just a time wasting hand wringing exercise.I agree a lot of it is due to screens. The constant short term stimulation leads to lack of concentration, hours can go past without them interacting with another person. And that's adults ( including me) and children. Also poor nutrition. Kids who are simultaneously obese and malnourished because their food is crisp. It's so difficult to buy and cook healthy food when we are all so time poor. When you get to the basic level, some parents need to be taught how to potty train interact with their children and give them boundaries. Thst requires money and funding for outside agencies like childrens centres health visitors and social care. That is not forthcoming.

It won't be a popular view but I do wonder whether parents just don't get the opportunity to practice parenting, or the chance to get to know their children.
So many babies are in full time nursery, and then progress to primary school with breakfast clubs and after-school clubs, and holiday clubs in between, the parents barely get a chance to see their kids, let alone really hone the art of parenting and get to know their children.
I'm in my mid-50s - I knew no-one who went to nursery when I was a kid. Breakfast clubs and holiday clubs didn't exist.

I think the point about what happens to children who have poor parenting is a very interesting one. You’re quite right, children whose parents weren’t around much or didn’t give a shit would be outside, with other children, running about. I do think that’s less damaging than being unsupervised on screens for hours on end.

i think you 1 in 10 guesstimate is wrong..... its much higher.
parenting? children not out playing? screens? something in the water? surestarts going/limited funding has set early years back. ive my fingers crossed for a labour government and i dont even live in england (wider uk that still has limited surestart)

i agree and perhaps loss of family networks

ASD and MH problems are not a choice
Are you goady or just ignorant?

I agree OP, there does need to be some form of enquiry, and the future does look scary.

Whilst it is great that mental health is recognised (I have mh problems too), we can not possibly cater for every individual problem these children have now into adulthood and some personal responsibility/resilience has to come from somewhere. Of course, there will be individuals who will always need extra support, but we currently have a generation of kids who have the idea that they rule the roost because everyone is running around pandering to every whim. Add in technology to keep them quiet, parents on their phones, teachers with little authority anymore... it's a shit storm waiting to happen.

The workplace can not possibly cater to all these needs this generation will be bringing with them, and the state is certainly in no position to fund a generation of kids with so many issues.

What the fuck is this post

Completely agree, OP. I think it's a combination of things, including lockdown, but I suspect screens are a major factor. The number of adults who are functionally addicted to their phones is horrifying. As a result children are ignored and miss out on the kinds of interaction that are vital for development (such as F2F time) as well as missing out on seeing interactions between other people (because we interact on screens, there's nothing to see).

Round us the council has started a poster campaign telling people it's good for babies to be cuddled and talked to. A good message but horrifying that it needs to be said.

I am horrified by your last sentences. People do not CHOOSE to have mental health problems or ASD! And many people with such problems do work; and, if developed and used properly, AI may actually make life more 'user-friendly' for such people; and make it possible for more of them to work.

People who are 'different' in any way have always been treated by too many as 'disposable'; and the life expectancy for people with mental health problems or ASD is significantly lower than for the general population. It would become even lower if they were treated even more harshly and as more 'disposable' than now. But maybe that's what you want, with your comment on 'cleansing' the population.

Its easy to blame the parents but so many are ground down by the relentless trying to balance the budget, both working full time, rushing to drop off and pick up, in many cases being expected to log on again later in the evening or doing a side hustle to make ends meet. A more passive style of parenting is easier when you are exhausted. Far easier to give in to the screen to keep them quiet in the evening or at the weekend so you can batch cook/clean/wash/iron etc.

Then there's the impact of COVID and parents trying to wfh and home school at the same time - again best way to keep them quiet whilst you had your phone call was to give them a screen. Even if you took them to the park you might need to juggle that with a work call and so the pattern of being on the phone/screen gets set. I imagine many mothers in particular are still exhausted from that circus. All this without even starting on the impact that lockdown had on children and young people - many children in early years at school missed out on early age interaction with their peers as there were no baby and toddler groups running. That affects more than just speech and language development which we already know has been adversely impacted by lockdown.

I dont think you need an expensive inquiry to know its because parents don't parent anymore.

To be honest inquiries are generally just going through motions and costing a fortune. You’d need to have really specific terms of reference the area is too broad. Some of what you have mentioned will be or supposed to be covered in Covid inquiries. These things take years and years so you’d be looking at four years to get any answers of any kind let alone lessons learned.

I work in education and have very strict boundaries and high expectations. Its exhausting! Many kids can not concentrate for long, get bored quickly, feel they can swear or be rude. Many parents back them up (see endless threads on being able to go to the toilet whenever they want). Screen addiction, vaping addiction, and a general entitled society are my theories.

I do think there's an increase in kids that literally don't care! About teachers, their parents, the Police! I've seen some well meaning parents crying in desperation because they can't cope. When I've suggested some of the parenting tools I've used (I have teens) removal of privileges /phone time/ money etc they either kick off and start such a drama or run oitnof the door to be with mates! The Police locally were run ragged recently by a horde of around 30 11/12 year olds pissing about in a local derelict building! They were spotting and swearing at the Police who were actually trying to safeguard them.

Let's be honest parenting is also rather poor in many cases at present.
Yes current increase in neuro diverse children.
But we do need to address lack of parenting, boundaries and discipline.
Poor parental mental health may be affecting children as part of the problem also

Wow. Words nearly fail me.

You can't turn on and off ASD or MH problems.
And people with ASD or MH problems are not disposable.
Many people with ASD or MH problems can hold down jobs too.

The population may need 'cleansing' (I disgagree with that anyway), but if so, then maybe not of the people you are thinking of ...