Describing children as feral

[FollowingFlitwick]

Seeing a lot of posts on social media where parents are describing their children as feral due to spending all their time at home, home schooling during lockdown. Why? And where has this come from? Does this mean the sole responsibility for creating well-rounded children falls to schools?

Always makes me laugh when I read on here "schools aren't childcare", a phrase that ignores the fact that a significant chunk of our economy (that pays for the schools) relies on the fact that people can use them as childcare.

I swear half of Mumsnet lives on another planet.

(And yes, I’ve read your subsequent backtracking.)

Always makes me laugh when I read on here "schools aren't childcare", a phrase that ignores the fact that a significant chunk of our economy (that pays for the schools) relies on the fact that people can use them as childcare.

Yep. And if they weren’t there, other models would spring up - just as they exist for school holidays and wraparound. The reality is that schools plug a childcare gap on a semi-regular basis, and working parents plan around that availability.

The ‘schools aren’t childcare’ lot can’t seem to get their heads around this challenging concept.

@longestlurkerever

I don't have any agenda other than saying I object to the line "schools aren't childcare". The fact they are still open for keyworker childcare shows that this is a secondary and very valuable function they serve.

Schools provide childcare. They also provide an education. So it is and so it should be.

I object to people who, in non Covid times, treat teachers like shit, show absolutely no regard for education, schools, HTs yet when our Government closed the schools and ‘Education’ became their priority all of a sudden.
I am not talking exclusively about people who work, don’t work, have 10 children, have one child, WFH, don’t work from home - whatever.

I am talking about people who treat the education system with contempt and distain and are the first ones in the queue complaining because their childcare has disappeared.

@JassyRadlett

(And yes, I’ve read your subsequent backtracking.)

I had nothing to backtrack. My posts are minutes apart.

Schools are childcare. Anyone who says otherwise is being ridiculous. Parents are not allowed to sit in the classroom supervising their children or send a babysitter in with them, so they're forced to accept the 'childcare' offered by schools. So schools are in loco parentis. And because of this, the benefits system expects single parents of school-aged children to seek paid employment while the school provides childcare to their children.

ive left my children on a kerb with some alsatians and a packet of quavers each, charukter bildin''
Schools aren't open to enforce table manners, politeness less time for me to take selfies of my tits! Instagram wont update itself

The problem here is, most of you are talking about decent people who value education and I am not.

Many parents, including myself take advantage of the fact that schools plug a childcare gap on a semi-regular basis, and working parents plan around that availability.
Schøol is a place for learning, socialising and has the added benefit of providing a safe place for children whilst parents work.
Some people want to benefit from this at the same time as showing utter distain for the education system.

Finally an explanation for the stupid comment.

People that treat the education system with distain and people who 'use schools as childcare' are not the same thing.

People manage to create and embellish an entire story around just a few words.

What?!

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

Finally an explanation for the stupid comment.

People that treat the education system with distain and people who 'use schools as childcare' are not the same thing.

It was explained at 9.23. 8 mins after my original comment.

its a joke but it means theyve not really gone wild but have lost some of their more polished social skills and have no routine

No, schools arent entirely responsible for kids being well rounded.
A mixture of parenting and decent home life, outside engagement, family members and peers, activities and interests and education is what makes healthy well rounded kids. Not being stuck indoors, all schools shut, all playgrounds shut, with only your parents (and siblings) for company, no matter what the ability or standard of their care is, is NOT making well rounded well socialised kids.

I admire teachers and nursery staff as much for their containment efforts as their educational role. Does that mean that I don't properly respect them?

It is at least as great an achievement to keep several hundred naturally feral little creatures alive, fed and in good order in a confined space as it is to instruct them in phonics and numeracy. I don't necessarily see it as denigrating teachers to appreciate their 'childcare' function and therefore be sad when it is removed .

A mixture of parenting and decent home life, outside engagement, family members and peers, activities and interests and education is what makes healthy well rounded kids. Not being stuck indoors, all schools shut, all playgrounds shut, with only your parents (and siblings) for company, no matter what the ability or standard of their care is, is NOT making well rounded well socialised kids.

This. My DC can’t wait to go back. The structure, activities, lessons, socialising, interaction.
As a parent I want the same for them.
We rely on schools to provide this. School/teacher bashing needs to stop.
We are lost without them. As Someone said upthread ‘in loco parentis’.

Does that mean that I don't properly respect them?

If you’re a decent person you do.
Many don’t.
I agree with everything you say btw.

@Branleuse

its a joke but it means theyve not really gone wild but have lost some of their more polished social skills and have no routine

No, schools arent entirely responsible for kids being well rounded.
A mixture of parenting and decent home life, outside engagement, family members and peers, activities and interests and education is what makes healthy well rounded kids. Not being stuck indoors, all schools shut, all playgrounds shut, with only your parents (and siblings) for company, no matter what the ability or standard of their care is, is NOT making well rounded well socialised kids.

100%

They are joking.

I do know someone though who says her children are now fat, pasty, insular and have lost some speaking skills (they are 5 and 6 she started saying it last July).

And I don't know what to say to that. Kids are at home more than school. I can't see how that would happen to two children with a SAHM just because they weren't going to school.

I home educated for bloody years, so I'm certainly not one of the people who believe schools are responsible for everything.

@Fuckadoodledoooo

They are joking.

I do know someone though who says her children are now fat, pasty, insular and have lost some speaking skills (they are 5 and 6 she started saying it last July).

And I don't know what to say to that. Kids are at home more than school. I can't see how that would happen to two children with a SAHM just because they weren't going to school.

I home educated for bloody years, so I'm certainly not one of the people who believe schools are responsible for everything.

They're probably exaggerating but I do get what they mean. It's not just school that's gone from their lives, it's friends, extended family, activities, parties, treats and things to look forward to, a sense of rhythm and purpose and optimism, replaced with loneliness, anxiety and uncertainty. Taking children away from everything they know and isolating them like that would be considered abusive in normal circumstances, and could lead to depression, anxiety, lethargy and more. School won't replace all of this but it's a massive step back towards things feeling normal again. Even the Government acknowledged that "you shut down schools, you shut down children's lives". That's not true for homeschooling, obviously, but homeschooling, done successfully, isn't this.

I don't know. I've got a 6 year old too. If she was fat and pasty because of lockdown or loosing her speech, I'd be taking a good look at my parenting to be honest.

I have a five year old. I am concerned about her having too much screen time, not enough fresh air and exercise, not enough normal play and socialisation, I can see it having an impact on her emotionally and I worry physically too. I don't know how you can just replace all of the above by "better parenting", especially while working too and in a city with limited space. I have been taking her to the park and turning a blind eye when she bumps into friends to play with, and we had a childcare bubble till they moved away, but many people would disapprove of that, and neither playgrounds nor bubbles were not options in lockdown 1.

I'm not saying that. I was just a bit shocked when she said they were losing speech. I know it's horrific for working parents. But losing speech when you are with them all day?

I really worried about my 5 year old's speech in the first lockdown - she had some speech impediments anyway and seemed to be losing the progress she had made and losing clarity generally. In the end it turned out she had labyrinthitis so it must have been that causing it, but I was really worried it was the impact of lockdown for a while - not a direct result of no school but the stress and anxiety of all the unknowns- she started bedwetting again too.

Obviously there will be some children who have been horribly affected. But I was just talking about one person I know.

I don't know anyone really so my pool is small and I guess I'm lucky that my 6 year old and 18 year old have been amount the ones who have been fine with everything and actually flourish. I'm very greatful for that and all children's personalities are different.

I just hope that when they do return to school it's for good this time. It's the stop/start aspect that I think gets to them.