To think that not always, but quite often, it is the parents...

[ImImmortalNowBabyDoll]

I was a teacher for a few years and in the years I taught I saw behaviour getting MUCH worse and parents getting less and less inclined to support teachers.

I saw a facebook post today saying that it's unreasonable to blame parents for children's behaviour in school and it then went on to talk about how hard it is for ND kids to stay regulated at school and it's the fault of "the system" that they can't cope.

There's a family I know with 2 boys who are both constantly in trouble in school. The classroom frequently has to be evacuated because of the younger one's violent outbursts. He's about 8.

I saw him today in the library, running around, ignoring the librarian, and swearing profusely the whole time. They're both always out unsupervised, roaming the streets, and when I see him with his Mum, she speaks to him with the same language he uses for everyone else. Social services had to get involved because she kept smacking them, so now she swears and shouts at them and they hit her, and she asks what she's supposed to do now she's not allowed to hit them back.

I don't know if they are ND, but the problem is that they're barely being parented and when they are, they example being set is dreadful.

Some parents likely don't know how to swim themselves so can't teach their children.

But this is slightly the point of the thread, isn’t it (albeit being made in relation to a bit of a side issue)? That at some point parents need to stop making excuses and take responsibility for bringing up the children they chose to have. “Swimming lessons are too expensive.” Don’t worry, you can access subsidised lessons you can afford. “But I can’t afford the bus fare / petrol to get there.” Don’t worry, the pool is a fifteen minute walk from your home and also on a bus route that stops two minutes’ walk away, and you don’t have to pay for the bus. “But the lessons are at an inconvenient time.” There are lots of different time slots available. However, if despite all of that it is too difficult for whatever reason to get your child to the lessons, you could take them swimming yourself. “But I can’t swim.” FFS.

Pointing out that some parents won't be able to access swimming lessons for their child isn't making excuses. It's going back to my initial point that it is far from black and white.

Taking a child swimming if you can't swim is absolutely fine but if you can't swim yourself then you obviously aren't going to be teaching them how to swim.