Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not want my child weighed

211 replies

moogster1a · 17/09/2011 09:11

My ds has received a leaflet about the weighing of reception age kids in order to ascertain just how many Greggs sausage rolls are eaten in the neighbourhood. ( healthy child programme)
I didn't object too much to this although I think it's a huge waste of money and time as fat kids' parents will get a letter telling them their kid is fat and I fail to see where they will go from there. but, thats by the by.
the consent form states " If you do not return a completed consent form your child's vision and hearing will not be checked but we will still weigh and measure your child".
Does this mean there is no opt out?
Do all schools do this? It's getting me more and more annoyed that we are living in such a nany state. I would rather schools cocentrated on teaching my child how to read ad write rather than attempting to do the full pareting job icludig deciding how fat he can be. ( by the way, he's a skiny runt so I'm ot objecting because I think we'll be haued in frot of the lard police and told to empty our cupboards of everything but rye bread).
in fact, I lied earlier, I do object in principle to the whole scheme. What a waste of money.

OP posts:
thecaptaincrocfamily · 18/09/2011 22:55

I only ask because all children under 5 have one until they go to school, when the school health nurse takes over. When a baby is born an NHS number is generated and generally the child has to register with a GP. The HV is either based in the practice or is in a different building but geographically attached to several practices. The HV practice responsible is contacted so they can visit once the MW stops visiting. The MW also contacts the relevant HV once the baby is born.

Everyone talks to each other, which stems from the Climie Laming Report in 2003. It was due to agencies not communicating that the little girl died Sad. It is perfectly legal for this to happen when acting in the best interest of the child. Read it in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' HM Government.

thecaptaincrocfamily · 18/09/2011 22:56

sorry! Climbie!

Pseudonym99 · 18/09/2011 23:00

Our HV left, and wasn't replaced with a named one. Although HV's do exist in our area (as far as I'm aware), we have no idea who they are or how to contact them (not that we need or want to). Our dc is registered with a GP. Its not like we're trying to get off the radar as such, although it is tempting to when the NHS trys to do things based on 'presumed consent'.

Pseudonym99 · 18/09/2011 23:03

Sometimes the 'best interest of the child' can be served by leaving the parents alone to get on with parenting, rather than nannying them or presuming their consent. That is the other side of the coin with agencies talking to each other - it then causes harm to those children and families by destroying trust in hcp's where there was no problem before.

thecaptaincrocfamily · 18/09/2011 23:35

Sometimes unfortunately those parents who are 'left alone' are the ones who harm their dc Sad. Often mums don't realise that they have PND, that a violent or abusive partner is detrimental to their child because they only ever argue when the child is upstairs Hmm and that taking the dc to get trollied at the pub is absolutely fine.

thecaptaincrocfamily · 18/09/2011 23:38

If ever you need a HV you can contact your GP and they will tell you who it is and their number Smile. They help with all kinds of things like eye sight or hearing concerns, hyperactivity etc by referring to other people on your behalf and will support housing applications for social housing etc so we don't just interfere Smile

thecaptaincrocfamily · 18/09/2011 23:40

Oh and parenting classes if you so wished. Lots of people have unmanagable dc who are aggressive/ violent etc and many people on here have found them useful Smile

nooka · 19/09/2011 01:34

Regarding school sight tests, my short sightedness was picked up at school (my family had no idea I couldn't see very well, indeed my mother used to get me to find lost needles etc!). With ds we were fairly sure that there was something wrong, but after two 'normal' sight tests at our local (otherwise very good) optician we were reassured. When he started school they brought all his tests forwards as they thought he had some developmental delay and it was discovered that actually he was very shortsighted (and had been when previously tested). High street opticians will not always have the right skills (and/or patience and perseverance) to test young children.

Stoirin · 19/09/2011 09:49

Being weighed once in school will make it "the primary focus of their lives"? Are you a whole family of obsessive exaggeraters?

mumeeee · 19/09/2011 09:53

YABU. They are just weighing and measuring your child. DD3 is 19 and they did this when she was in reception. She actually liked being weighed and measured and so did her friends.

Riveninabingle · 19/09/2011 17:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread