Page 22 | To think that if you can't remember to take your 8 year old home from the pub then you can't be trusted to run the country?

EssentialFattyAcid · 13/06/2012 17:52

This is why I only have one child and a not excessively responsible job. Ditto DP.

Cameron - know your limits I say

fuckmybackiskillingme · 13/06/2012 19:05

It's really pissing me off how many people are saying "oh, it's easily done..gigggle giggle!"

No it bloody isn't.

A typical example of self-obsessed parents.

Dramamumma · 13/06/2012 19:10

Can you imagine how stressful it is being PM? For goodness sake give the guy a break! Mis-communication, assumptions, too much going on - we have all done it. I left my baby in the house once when she was three days old - she was all wrapped and strapped into car seat ready to go, I got in the car, started up engine and then realised I had forgotten something! It wasn't neglect it was baby-brain - totally forgot I had a baby...maybe he was thinking about the Euro, or flooding and people losing their homes...shows he is human and one of us!

fivefoottwowitheyesofblue · 13/06/2012 19:10

FFS - I am tired of people saying '......social services would be on to a normal family like a tonne of bricks........' NO THEY WOULD NOT. I can understand how this happened and I think it 'normalises' the Camerons.

all4u · 13/06/2012 19:17

Once DS aged 4 hid from us whilst shopping in M&S and we went through the mill! It must happen to most parents at some time - hopefully not too often unless you have an 'absconder' like my neice who regularly did this to her parents. (She said she wanted to be away from them!) The multiple vehicles was the catch here I suspect.
No here the scandal is what his security detail were thinking of - remember West Wing??? If the PM's family is kidnapped surely s/he would have to stand aside as their ability to make decisions is compromised? when teenage Blair DS was picked up drunk in London parents everywhere thought it approprioate that it was not slung at the PM - personally I think it is a good thing that the PM has young school age children as that keeps them in touch with the reality of life for all parents!

zozzle · 13/06/2012 19:17

Cheap shot by newspapers. No harm done. He's only human and probably had other things on his mind - being the PM and everything!!!

All the holier than thou parents on here should try multiplying their stress and mental energy levels by twenty and seeing how perfect a parent they are after that!!

Give the guy a break. Was there no proper news to report on that day!

notavoicelikeShirleyBasseys · 13/06/2012 19:37

I'm quoting someone else here, I'm sure:
"what good for the country if the Prime Minister can't count to three?"

Hulababy · 13/06/2012 19:59

There are a lot of perfect parents on Mumsnet I find.

mathanxiety · 13/06/2012 20:22

'personally I think it is a good thing that the PM has young school age children as that keeps them in touch with the reality of life for all parents'

If only...

BoffinMum · 13/06/2012 20:23

I think the story here is not that the Cameron's forgot Nancy, it's WHY ARE THEIR SECURITY GUARDS SO CRAP?

mumcity · 13/06/2012 20:46

YANBU really really can't get my head around the view that it is easily done!! How exactly is it easily done? Can't imagine doing this even if I was blind drunk. To the person who thinks that she was securities responsibility.....are you for real? Don't care how unusual a family they are, she is their 8 yr old daughter and her mum and dad should have ensured she got safely back home.

diddl · 14/06/2012 08:57

"There are a lot of perfect parents on Mumsnet I find."

What-those who have never forgotten a child/baby?

I suppose it´s easily done if you´ve done it...

melika · 14/06/2012 09:20

Ok, how many of you have lost a child in a shop for a few minutes, not counting the perfect ones who cling to Mummys leg all the time. I had two runners and often they would hide under clothes etc. It depends also on the child, one who likes to explore even though you have told them a thousand times to stay by your side. Mine would not even hold hands. Nancy probably took herself off to the loo, thinking that was ok. But I think whoever was guarding them has a few questions to answer.

Original poster

PrettyPrinceofParties · 14/06/2012 09:38

It's a bit different though isn't it, to briefly have a child (i assume younger than 8) run off and hide in a shop to forgetting to take your child home when you leave the pub!

I can image the first scenario is an easy one to happen, which is why I will use reins on my son. To get home and then realise you're a child down is not so easy IMO. I know there were 2 cars, but really they should have checked with each other rather than assuming.

They do need to be more vigilant than the average family because of the position he holds.

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BigBoobiedBertha · 14/06/2012 12:16

I definitely think the protection are at fault.

As I said down thread, DH and I forgot DS2 last week (also 8). We didn't check where he was because like normal people, we had other things to think about and we aren't perfect. 99% of the time we do the same as all the perfect parents who have never misplaced a child and we think who has which child. But we are human and for a few moments we stopped thinking about the children to concentrate on something else. I suppose it hardly ever happens that we both stop thinking about the children at the same time but last week we did.

Thankfully, we locked DS2 in the car rather than leave him somewhere dangerous and went off into a hotel without him. It only took a couple of minutes to notice but I totally get how it could have been longer if you were in a car as you would have no way of checking instantly with the other car nor would you have reason to suspect you didn't have a child.

However, the protection are paid not to have that sort of lapse in concentration and they should have been more vigilent. Presumably there was more than one person on duty because otherwise that is even worse - all of them with their eye off the ball.

Parenting is full of momentary lapses of concentration. It isn't possible or healthy to be so focussed on your child they never get a chance to take a risk or make a mistake. You have to give them room to breath especially as they get older. I really don't get the condemnation of the perfect parents I really don't.

Original poster

PrettyPrinceofParties · 14/06/2012 12:55

Nobody is claiming to be perfect, just saying that they would manage to not misplace a child.

I think it's ironic that a lot of the misplacers are attacking the non-misplacers with this 'perfect parent' crap, as surely it's this type of parenting accident that DC would see as requiring parenting classes to improve.

And actually, if you're bringing out a parenting class policy, then you'd better damn well be perfect or expect some form of criticism when you're not.

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seeker · 14/06/2012 13:00

While is going home with mum. About to get in car, says "oh, I need the loo. I'll go home with dad"

Mum says OK and drives off. Child dives into loo without telling dad to wait. Comes out, and dad's gone because he though child was with mum.

No fault scenario.

BigBoobiedBertha · 14/06/2012 13:21

Indeed Seeker. 8 yr olds do have a mind of their own.

Of course nobody is claiming to be a perfect parent PrettyPrince - you would have to be very silly to do that on MN but there are some who are saying they can't imagine making a mistake. They are taking a holier than thou attitude which is frankly pretty smug. I suspect most of them don't have school age children.

Do you really think that a one off honest mistake would be the subject of a parenting class? Every single one of us had better get our names down for the classes then. The waiting list is going to be very long.

Besides in reality parenting classes are going to be for parents with children under 5. They aren't for parents of 8 year olds who are getting a degree of independence and a mind of their own and shouldn't need to be watched every second of every day.

Emmielu · 14/06/2012 13:38

Wouldnt you check to see the kids seatbelts were in properly? Soo, in order to do that, you'd obviously have to check you have all the kids?

seeker · 14/06/2012 13:44

Ell, not if I though my child was in a different car, no I wouldn't!

And actually, I don't think I would check a 8 year old's seatbelt anyway.

Original poster

PrettyPrinceofParties · 14/06/2012 13:48

But that's what I mean Bertha. Nobody has claimed they never make mistakes, just not that one. Yep, I only have one young son at the moment, but his dad and I are both pretty paranoid about this sort of thing. For example, I was in hospital for a week after his birth and in that whole time he was never out of either mine or hubby sight as I was so paranoid about baby mix ups.

I'm not judging anyone that this has happened to as I don't know their individual circumstances, but I can't imagine it happening to me for the reasons I stated. Maybe when I have more kids I'll feel differently, as I'll be more relaxed (pfb being your whole world and all that) but at the moment I don't see it that way.

I don't think it's worthy of needing parenting courses (unless it's a regular occurrence) and you're right the classes are for younger kids, but I stand by my statement that that particular policy will invite scrutiny of his own parenting skills. Incidentally he said he'd have like the classes, but then he would wouldn't he?!

Seeker If that's how it happened, which is possible then yes, it's more understandable. Though the parents are still responsible and should have checked with each other, due to the kidnap risk of being the pm's daughter. Someone up thread mentioned car seats too, so would be interested to know if both cars had seats for all the kids.

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seeker · 14/06/2012 13:50

No- the parents shouldn't have checked with each other- the child was 8, not 4!

BigBoobiedBertha · 14/06/2012 14:00

My 8 yr old doesn't need a car seat any more. He is tall enough to do without and he certainly doesn't need me to check his seat belt. He isn't a baby!! Blimey some people take paranoia to a new level.

PrettyPrince - I would have liked the classes too. An opportunity to talk about my children with somebody who isn't part of the family would have been great. Of course a mistake and the introduction of parenting classes will invite scrutiny but that doesn't mean it is justified or reasonable. (I should just say that I have never voted Tory and don't intend to do so so I am not sticking up for the guy as a politician but as a parent.

And yes, believe me having more than one child makes a huge difference. If you are on your own with them you realise that you don't have eyes in the back of your head and that you can't control both simultaneously. There is as the bad mother's guide puts it - not the opportunity for man to man marking if you are alone with 2 children or if you have 3 or more and both parents are there.

It still seems to me that parents do the best they can and will make mistakes. The protection officers on the other hand are there for security. they are paid to make sure that everybody is where they should be. The PM may have made a mistake but their job is to make sure that mistakes which are a breach of security are either not allowed to happen or are rectified quickly. I still think the fault lies with them.

Original poster

PrettyPrinceofParties · 14/06/2012 14:02

Normally yes, but as she's the pm's daughter and potentially a kidnap target then more care should have been taken.

Think we'll just have to agree to disagree.

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Original poster

PrettyPrinceofParties · 14/06/2012 14:07

X-post. I can see what you're saying Bertha. I not sure I agree with you 100% but ask me 8 years and 2 more kids down the line and I may well do!

Do agree that security definitely should have done a head count.

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