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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be shocked at those who went on strike today and took their kids along to hold the placards????

111 replies

Thruaglassdarkly · 01/12/2011 02:49

I am a teacher of 12 years on a break to look after my small kids. I'm married to a teacher also and we now live on one wage, which just about does us fine if we're very careful, so I feel quite lucky about that. Obviously, the pension cuts will affect us and we're not overly happy, but we are both against the idea of striking for many reasons, not least because it'll hurt many people - the kids, many parents who need to take a day off etc etc. We don't think that we should impose on others for our own gain, in short.
So, I have a lot of friends who are teachers who think otherwise. They took their kids on the protests today, took photos of them holding placards and put them on FB. AIBU to find this all a bit distasteful??? I think that these same children- should public sector workers get their way - will be facing a massive tax bill in years to come, way beyond our imaginings. Is it right therefore, to stick a placard in their hands when they are 5, 6 or so and photograph them "protesting"???? It seems a bit cynically exploitative to me and I'm so shocked that my friends have taken advantage of their kids in this way to make a political point. No flaming please - just reasoned debate. Many thanks.

OP posts:
dancingmustard · 01/12/2011 02:52

I haven't got any sympathy for the teachers where this particular strike is concerned yes they do a fine job but they do get paid
Taking children to a picket line is out of order.
You're right to be concerned and I applaud you.

GlitterySkulls · 01/12/2011 03:29

what else are the meant to do with them though?

they can hardly leave them home alone.

BebeBelge · 01/12/2011 03:38

You're 'shocked '?? Wow.

I imagine their schools/nurseries were closed and they had no other childcare. What should they do with them then?

Or maybe, they feel so strongly about striking that they wanted their children to witness it first-hand, to show them that principles are worth fighting for? Sure, they're not the children's own principles right now because what 5 yr-old has an opinion on pensions but maybe their parents are teaching them a valuable lesson for later in life, ie. that if you feel strongly about something, do something about it and never feel your opinion isn't valid or shouldn't count.

As long as the picket was not aggressive or violent, i do not see a problem in children being there.

CurlyBoy · 01/12/2011 03:38

We took our 2yo on a march to protest the cuts during the summer. How else do you teach the next generation that political activism is a good thing? Our lad had a lovely time! It was a sunny day day and he got to take a nice walk in his buggy through the city centre. He enjoyed the brass band and all the colourful signs. I can't see why you have a problem with this or why I should be considered a "bad parent".

Bobbish · 01/12/2011 04:25

YANBU I think it is wrong to inflict political opinions on children far too young to have any understanding of the issue.

libelulle · 01/12/2011 05:21

So what do you do? Withhold any judgement on the world until they teach 18? You think that's really the way to raise an intelligent, socially aware, principled child? Of course not. You raise them by telling them your principles and your view of the world, and as they grow, encourage them to develop their own views and to always question received opinion. I hugely respect the fact my parents had strong pBy the by, protests are fantastic fun for kids. I was at greenham common with my mum along with dozens of cnd marches. I loved it!

SuchProspects · 01/12/2011 05:22

I don't think it's "shocking". Having kids at the strike is probably partly down to necessity and partly because some strikers will want to make it clear that their jobs have an impact on their whole family - that's not really manipulative or exploitative. I hope no-one would be naive enough to think 5 year olds at a political protest are there because they really wanted to be adding their own voice. Kids are a part of life and there is generally no harm in having them come along with their parents most places, in general I don't think we should artificially keep kids out of activities or places unless there is an overwhelming reason not to. Sounds a bit boring for the kids, but for one day that's hardly the end of the world. Shadowing parents can be good experience for kids, even if they grow up to do the opposite of their parents.

libelulle · 01/12/2011 05:26

Oops bloody phone. Meant to say that I hugely respect the fact my parents had strong political views and took the trouble to tell me about them and why they thought them important.

echt · 01/12/2011 05:58

OP, do you have similar views on raising a child religiously, or teaching them any moral standards, or do they to have some bizarre value-free upbringing until they can vote?

notevenamousie · 01/12/2011 06:05

My first experience of political activism was aged about 8 - and my younger sister would have been there too. It was one of the great things about the way we were brought up - that we weren't too young. I don't find it distasteful, I find it great to hear of others telling their children about these things that are so important, encouraging their children to get stuck in to politics and issues that affect NOT just them but many others. I am far more worried by the millions of parents that don't vote and don't model involved democracy to their children.

Bobbish · 01/12/2011 06:20

libelulle - I'm talking about parents taking kids in buggies (ie kids too young to form any political opinions) out with placards. Here in New Zealand they passed an anti-smacking Bill a few years ago - parents were protesting with their toddlers holding placards (protesting their right to be smacked).

I accept that a lot of young people are influenced by their parents over these things, whether for good or bad.

echt · 01/12/2011 06:25

Unbelievably muddled thinking here. Parents influence their children all the time.

What seems to get on the threepennies of some posters is it's something they don't personally agree with, so it's out of order.

Santa Clause, anyone? Tooth fairy?

At least these demonstrations have the virtue of being about something significant.

echt · 01/12/2011 06:26

Sorry - Claus. The new Word application on my machine is predicting stuff like mad.

Bobbish · 01/12/2011 06:27

i fully support the strikers myself. I just wouldn't expect my 3 year old to share my opinion!

lecce · 01/12/2011 06:27

As others have said, what else would you have suggested we do with our dc? Dh and I both felt strongly about attending the march (not picket-line but I am assuming you find this wrong as well) and have no other childcare. We took them on the summer one as well. They had a pleasant walk on a sunny day with flags to wave, whistles to blow and lots of colourful banners to look at . Ds1 was determined to get in front of any camera he saw and was thrilled to find that he could briefly be seen on our local news! When the march got into town, I veered off and took the dc to soft play and dh attended the rally alone. I feel confident that both enjoyed it, though ds1 was a little tired by the end (ds2 ws in the buggy). It took an hour - 90 mins ish, so hardly ruined their whole day, even if they hadn't enjoyed it.

I am so angry about what this government is doing to education, as well as other areas of life, and, yes I do worry about the future that is being created for my dc - though not in the way you mention, OP. There are other options for tackling the defosit, you know, other than getting public sector workers to pay and playing on their guilt when they've done nothing wrong.

Of course dc must be able to make up their own minds about these issues but they won't make a very good job of doing that if their parents have kept them in some kind of moral and political vacum all their lives. I appreciate the way my parents involved me in these kinds of events and discussed issues with me frankly - it doesn't mean I have grown into their clone, though.

I am proud to live in a democracy where we still have the right to protest about the actions of those who rule us. To suggest that children should be kept away from this vital expression of our free speech is, frankly, nonsense.

lecce · 01/12/2011 06:32

Excuse the many typos and sorry, OP, you didn't mention picket lines. It's too early!

Einsty · 01/12/2011 06:36

I am not keen to see kids with placards, but the rights and conditions we all take for granted were secured through activism such as striking. Isn't that an important history lesson? And surely more truthful to take them on strike than to shopping centres, if you are off that day as a protest...

echt · 01/12/2011 06:47

Oh, bobbish read the post. How many of your opinions do you inflict on your child? Lots, I'll bet.

EricNorthmansMistress · 01/12/2011 06:56

YABU!!!!!!!
I thought it was great seeing kids on the
march, holding their homemade placards! If we don't teach our children to stand up for what we believe is right, what are we supposed to teach them?

Iggly · 01/12/2011 07:01

What's the big deal about kids holding these placards?

Parents wittingly or otherwise pass on their opinions onto their children. You'd be foolish to think otherwise.

Good on the strikers. At least they've done something - what other options are open to them? Write a polite letter to the PM?

FWIW I think higher contributions and longer working age plus a lower pensions individually are not difficult to take - it's all three together. I'd pay more and work longer to get the same pension. But it's a bit galling to do more for less, especially when payrises will be held down significantly making it nigh on impossible to save additional.

I'm not a teacher BTW

MistressFrankly · 01/12/2011 07:01

Like echt said we influence our children on a daily basis, why stop when doing something we feel strongly about? I was lucky enough to have a passionate politically active mother who took me to various protests. I was brought up to understand if you don't like something, don't sit and moan, do something about it and i will be forever grateful of being shown by example. I may not have understood the issues but i understood the act of protest.

boschy · 01/12/2011 07:05

I'd be interested to know what level of explanation you could give a 5 or 6 year old tho. "We're having a nice day out waving banners because the nasty Govt want to take away Mummy and Daddy's pension money when we're as old as Granny"?

Not sure quite what impression that would make on a smallish child.

usualsuspect · 01/12/2011 07:12

I think its great ,I took mine on Poll Tax Marches

I taught mine to stand up for what you believe in ,thats not a bad thing

MistressFrankly · 01/12/2011 07:14

My mum used to say we are going out to meet up with friends so the government can see we are not happy with them.

cue "but whhhhhhy?"

"because sometimes they try to ignore us and we have to gang together and be a bit noisy"

That was pretty much all i remember. As we got older she gave us more information on the issues and but as a kid it was get your coat on mum has some complaining to do Smile

mummytime · 01/12/2011 07:14

Yes teacher's kids will be affected by any future Tax rises needed to pay for teachers pensions, although I've seen a graph which seems to indicate that the cost of teachers pensions will fall whatever happens. However if the Pensions are cut and those teachers are in need, it is their children who will probably have to "help out" Mum and Dad.
Personally as the whole situation was controlled and peaceful I have no problems with kids being there. (But then I joined my own teachers on a protest as a Sixth former.)