Hungry kids and shitty views

[icequeen34]

I apologise as I'm sure there are already threads on this topic. But I feel so so sad and angry today, not only about Marcus Rashfords campaign to feed hungry kids over the holidays being rejected. But some of the horrible views and justifications being spouted - mainly the old 'lazy parents need to take responsibility for feeding their kids' remark. Some utter twat was saying poor families should grow their own food because 'it's not hard' and another Tory MP claimed the blame lies with absent parents (as if his leader isn't one of those).

These are terrible comments from privileged people who clearly don't understand the lack of time, money, outdoor space and education needed to grow your own or shop more savvy. But even in the cases of the worst most lazy parents, why can't people see that the children shouldn't be the ones to suffer? It really boils my blood especially when MPs get so much in terms of expenses for food.

Sorry for the rant I just feel very disappointed and upset today.

@Badbanana

That’s what you took from my post, that your nan could cook a stew?

Google Sophie’s Choice if you don’t understand the reference, and then read my post again.

Good that you admit your nan obviously had help, I’m assuming from friends or family. And what exactly do you think people who don’t have that support network do?

People have help here what do you mean? Tax credits and UC. It’s how I pay my childminder as a single parent myself. I have no support network and recent fell upon hard times myself hence me using a CM. What’s your point???

@CherryPavlova exactly nobody wants to look at that possibility though. Plenty of people are getting by on low incomes and getting help with childcare costs and rent costs.

The historical “my granny managed fine” is twaddle. Lies or rosy specs.

Half of children in suffered significant malnutrition in the period between the wars. No NHS support saw children dying of diseases related to poverty. State aid was a spoonful of cod liver oil and malt for seriously underweight children. Rockets and scurvy were quite commonplace as were the effects of living in overcrowded and unsanitary tenement blocks - polio, diphtheria, typhoid, scarlet fever all spread rapidly and resulted in high mortality.

It really wasn’t all Downton Abbey or Darling buds of May.

[quote CanwerollontheNY]@CherryPavlova exactly nobody wants to look at that possibility though. Plenty of people are getting by on low incomes and getting help with childcare costs and rent costs.[/quote]
I think Cherry was being sarcastic - in both those scenarios the children are hungry. Or do you really want to punish the ones who have shit, lazy, drug addicted parents a bit more than the ones whose parents are kind but useless?

[quote CanwerollontheNY]@CherryPavlova exactly nobody wants to look at that possibility though. Plenty of people are getting by on low incomes and getting help with childcare costs and rent costs.[/quote]
I think I may have made my point badly.
A hungry child is a hungry child. There is no ‘genuine’. They all are.

@Pumperthepumper no I don’t. But as a single parent myself I don’t want to be in a shit load of debt either! Is that fair enough? What don’t you comprehend from your magical money tree view?

My parents were abusive and neglectful and this law would have enabled their abuse.

If children are not being fed that should be a red flag for the authorities.

It’s always overprivileged fuckwits of the Mumsnet ilk who feel the need to voice their ill informed and experience lacking opinions on this shit.

[quote CanwerollontheNY]@Pumperthepumper no I don’t. But as a single parent myself I don’t want to be in a shit load of debt either! Is that fair enough? What don’t you comprehend from your magical money tree view?[/quote]
What the fuck are you talking about? You’re the one who came on here saying your gran managed, how she managed you won’t say, yet are determined that if she can do it anyone can. You scoff about electricity costing money. You scoff at equipment costing money. On a thread about the government stepping in to feed hungry children you think there’s a difference that nobody talks about (the deserving and non-deserving poor) - it’s still hungry kids!

Shame on you.

@Roosterbooster99

My parents were abusive and neglectful and this law would have enabled their abuse.

If children are not being fed that should be a red flag for the authorities.

It’s always overprivileged fuckwits of the Mumsnet ilk who feel the need to voice their ill informed and experience lacking opinions on this shit.

It is a red flag for the authorities, but being hungry does not mean you're being abused, the two are not hand in hand, and no one is removed from their families simply because they have tiny portions or one meal a day.

Do people not realise that feckless parents exist in every walk of life - not just those on benefits? But of course its only people on benefits who are demonized. My middle class, well paid mother was one of those parents who spent more money on cocaine and alcohol every week than she did making sure her children were fed, clean or clothed. Nobody cared because to the outside world she was upstanding member of society.
The majority of parents living in poverty are not choosing between cigarettes and a meal for their family - they are choosing between money for the meter or a loaf of bread. Many are working parents on minimum wage in high rent areas. Most are going without themselves to make sure their children have something to eat - even if it isn't enough. There are some very naive or downright cruel people who think it is ok for a child to go hungry.

What are your suggestions? Put a child into a care system that is already overstretched and underfunded and will cost far more in tax payers money than some school dinners? Forcibley sterilize mothers (it's always the mother isn't it) so they can't have more children? Also more costly than a few school dinners. Just let the children suffer? But of course the MPs can still have their subsidized meals that the tax payer pays for and cost far, far more than a childs school dinner would.

Sorry, what a dick. Totally ignored your statement about having abusive and neglectful parents. I'm really sorry that happened to you and I do agree there are ways that can be covered up if well meaning people pick up the pieces all the time, but I don't think that's a reason why children shouldn't be fed if they're hungry.

It's absolutely disgusting and I shall be emailing my (frankly appalling) Tory MP who voted not to provide it. Not that she will answer, she's to busy picking fights with Andy Burnham on Twitter.
We are skint but I will be putting some stuff in the food bank trolley tomorrow as no child should be hungry no matter what the reason behind it.

@Roosterbooster99

“It is a red flag for the authorities, but being hungry does not mean you're being abused, the two are not hand in hand, and no one is removed from their families simply because they have tiny portions or one meal a day”.

Parents who are not abusive access the myriad sources of help.

If they’re not doing that it’s because they’re abusive and don’t care about their kids.

I have a background of abuse and was a care leaver. As a result I receive support from social services with my family. During lockdown I’ve been offered so much food I’ve had to call people and ask them to stop because I don’t need it.

You are exactly what I’m talking about - an over privileged fuckwit intent on supporting policies that will harm needy children just to boost your own ego and let you delude yourself that you’re a good person. Y

You’re really, really not.

Oop, ok. I actually don't disagree with you entirely but I guess my wording was off with my first post. I don't think I'm a fuckwit, I'm a teacher who has tried to make a difference to the deprived families I serve. I also have an addict brother in law who took every bit of money and food from his children to feed his own addiction. So I feel like I have some understanding of realities. But evidently I'm coming off like a fuckwit and a bad person 🤦‍♀️ I can't see how you've made that assertion to be honest but I think I'll leave this thread now. Enjoy.

If my parents had been given this they would have eaten it themselves, I would never have got a sniff of it.

Tyranttoddler Don’t leave, you haven’t done anything wrong. That poster is on the wind up, they’re here to cause trouble. Nobody is suggesting that kids are starving to death, nobody is saying this is the policy that will end child hunger or neglect. We’re saying it’s the bare minimum this government can do.

I'm a teacher who has tried to make a difference to the deprived families I serve.

Exactly! My kids school phone every family every week to make sure we’re okay and we have all we need. Every family is signposted to help and aside from that - we look after each other in my community.

You do realise this isn’t free, right? Our children will be paying for this shit their whole lives. Help must be targeted at the needy, not scattergunned out so left wing idiots get to feel like they’re virtuous when they’re really not.

Yeah so you have no idea about the job I'm talking about but somehow you're twisting what I've said to make it about you and your situation... It's very strange and I don't have the energy to talk to you because I don't get your angle.

I can agree that the food might not go to the children - MIL talks about how during the War her mother didn't stop her brothers from eating up all the rations, so she and her sister went hungry. They both left home and married as quickly as they could. However, it doesn't alter the fact that the idea behind rationing, to make sure that the whole population was adequately fed, was a sound one.

@BoulangerieBabs

It's an absolute disgrace but I've seen comments on here today of "I'm not paying my taxes to feed children all year".

We're privileged in our household but we get it, sadly others don't and choose to put their sunglasses on rather than actually see the horror in this country and the deep divide.

This is so true! I grew up very poor and my mum struggled to feed us. Having worked my butt off throughout my career I am better off now but we don't take it for granted. If I lose my job I will have to access the benefit system for the first time ever in my life and I feel for people already going through it. People need to realise that one day they may need help from the 'system'.

I was a child who wasn't fed enough due to my mum's bipolar and issues around controlling money. To be able to get to the school for free meals in the holidays I would have had to ask her for the bus fare and she would have said no and that I could have the tiny lunch she provided for me instead. I think if the government provided food vouchers or gave part of benefits as food stamps instead, like they do in the usa, it would solve the problem because it would force mentally unwell parents to use the money for food, instead of trying to save it or using it for things they didn't need. Our fridge would have had a lot more in it.

I was on food stamps in the usa when my baby was born and it was great because there was no worry about where my money should be going and I would just get as much food as I needed.

I'm on benefits in the UK now and would love to work and improve my situation but the costs of childcare, extremely high bus fares and low job opportunities in the area and just don't allow it. Ive looked into starting a business but the rates are so high and again I would need childcare to get started. My daughter always gets fed but I always feel that she isn't getting enough socialising because I simply can't afford to take her to all the activities which cost money. Especially since they closed the sure start centres too. We do watch a lot of TV and I hope when she is at school work will be a thing. Yes an absent partner has caused all of this- (I was a hard worker before I got pregnant) but are the government going to chase him down and punish him/force him to get a job? So of course I am dependent on the state, because without childcare, I'm not able to be dependent on myself for a few years. Luckily I'm an ex maths student and know how to account for every penny and know how to prioritise food and keep my electricity low etc, find discount schemes etc and my relatives always get her clothes and stuff at christmas and birthdays- but is every single mum that lucky? Especially as it could be all new skills to learn if a person hasn't had to be so responsible on such a low budget before. What about people who have a mortgage, worked hard all their lives and lose their jobs- the mortgage isn't covered by welfare. Should they lose their home and forever be paying out extortionate rates of rent with no progress? People who are rich and think poor people should just do xyz to fix their situation, clearly only got to the ABC part of their education.

@Roosterbooster99

And you’re basically saying that your brother in law should have had his abuse enabled by the state (not that I believe he exists). Well done. slow hand clap

Me? No I don't, his children were removed and he is now dead.