Recent study of children joining reception class

I know at least 4 adults in their 30s who have American accents.some of them mentioned that watching tv all the time
as kids is a reason when asked. a couple of them I suspect may have slight autistic tendencies. All of these adults are what I would describe as above average intelligence.
i don’t really think that aspect is a new thing.

I was fortunate to have kids in the sure start era, lived in London.
In most of the SS funded programs we were lucky use most were attended by middle class, reasonably affluent SAHM. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but v little engagement from what I suspect was the intended groups. And those were the children who really could have benefitted. The rest of us would have funded those activities anyway.

i tend to agree with @babyproblems.

When my DC were small, (50 years ago) potty training, with the result of getting them out of terry towelling nappies was an automatic part of parenting toddlers. I had two within 18 months, and my nappy bucket was in permanent use! I was at home til the oldest was at school, then part time work so DH and I shared care. No family around, no affordable nurseries. No Surestart, no online help or information. Just a bit of common sense and effort. I don’t recall any four year old in their classes being in nappies, and we didn’t live in an affluent area.

As parents themselves, they worked, DGC went to nursery, so of course they were school ready.

Saying that, it’s upsetting how many toddlers I see being pushed round town or the supermarket in their buggies, with mobile phones held up to their faces, watching goodness knows what and not taking in their environments at all.

I think it’s poor parenting caused by inability to parent properly - not incompetence but poverty, lives that are stretched thin, low wages, poor housing, poor lifestyles, poor nutrition, poor education. I don’t think it’s anything to do with Covid or benefits as has been suggested. I think parents’ in some demographic bands cannot cope and live lives that are not conducive to ‘successful’ parenting. I think the absence of services - health visitors and sure start is also to blame

There is a rising percentage of children with additional needs, for whatever reason.

Also, a lot of autistic children I’ve worked with have had American accents, maybe from watching tv, but the ones I’m thinking of had involved and dedicated parents, who interacted with them well.

Well it’s obviously not working parents as their children are at nursery during the day with a full programme of learning, lots of daily physical activities and no tv. Seems you’re blaming SAHP of using too much tv during the day?

Wow some massive assumptions here. One of the worst examples of this was a guy I knew who earned in excess of £250k as did his wife. Theor kids were permanently stuck in front of YT by either themselves or their Nanny as it was deemed a good way for children to be seen and not heard.

I expect the difference here is they will ultimately have gone to private boarding school where their delayed development will be sorted out behind closed doors.

It is tragic if this is how children are starting school, but it is not a class based issue. It is a parenting choice issue.

Plenty of us ‘non lazy parents’ state educate our children, too - and I say this as someone who was privately educated.

I’d suggest the laziest parents are those who ship their kids off to boarding school.

Some have even suggested that the parents who can’t afford the VAT should be less lazy and earn more - which is as ridiculous as tying poor parenting to VAT on school fees.

Back to the OP - it’s revolting and people should do better than putting their kids in front of YT. Even CBeebies would be better, if they don’t have the capacity or care to interact personally.

They won't be the ones at nursery as they are not watching tv at nursery

All of mine went to nursery full time from 12 months until reception class. DH and I had to both work full time. Ours don't have American accents and were out of nappies by 2 years old (nursery did the majority of potty training).

I would say it's plain and simple lazy entitled parenting that's created the current situation if they are turning up at school like that.

It’s so terribly sad. I think we have to look back 30/40 years when things started to change significantly. The breakdown of the traditional family units/behaviours and increase in - essentially - kids having kids and being enabled by the state in terms of benefits/housing etc. not that you’d have wanted teenagers to be ill treated having got themselves or someone else pregnant however, we are in a situation now where 3+ generations have been brought up in households where not supporting yourself and expecting the state to provide everything for you is normal. It was inevitable there would be issues like this. Covid threw another bomb into this already embedded situation. And here we are.

It just lazy parenting and I'm tired of people using full time work as an excuse.

If you look at the demographics these typically AREN'T the kids going to nursery, they are the ones at home with SAHP but who are parking them in front of the tv.

Find it infuriating when paired with private school VAT as this is the education system Labour wants non-lazy parents to but their children in

Yes, I heard a child the other day speaking with a YouTube American accent, whilst her mum and nan had a London one.