Am I the only one thinking that Cameron's discuourse on broken society, lone parents and absent fathers is going to make our lives much more difficult than they already are?

[MeMySonAndI]

It seems that the message that is being sent to society is that the majority of us are not able to control our children, that we are not working by choice, and that we are happy to keep bringing children to the world as the government is footing the bill.

I am trying to raise a well rounded individual singlehandedly, doing the job of two parents, dealing with health and special educational needs problems. I sit with my son everyday to help him keep up with his school work. I spend time with him, cook healthy meals, while also keeping a very demanding job. Yes, I get help from the government, a small amount of tax credits that helps me to pay childcare fees while I work and for which I will be forever grateful as not having it would turn our lives around.

I'm sure the great majority of single parents are doing a hell of a good job, mostly so considering the difficult circumstances under which many of us operate. Yet, it seems that Camerons discourse is bringing back the idea of what a single parent is half a century back by tarring us all with the same brush.

Am I the only person worried that Cameron's discourse, by focusing in the bad deeds of a small number of single parents is making our general portrayal in society even worse?

Ignore it.

Works for me

when some teenagers were rioting in london others, including mine, were at a youth camp for single parents, playing rounders, supporting each other, crate stacking, orienteering and zip wiring.

That wasn't in the news though

DC is something of a hypocrite...at uni he certainly spent the odd evening off his face on Bollinger, chucking potted bay trees through restaurant windows. He knows v well what it's like to be an unhinged kid being egged on by other unhinged kids and going too far. Even though he wasn't actually looting trainers or plasma TVs. I bet he would've, had there been Bolly, riots and plasma TVs in the same place at the same time.

I don't believe he was raised in a particularly stressful, single-parenty or poverty-stricken environment. His parents tried, no doubt, to do the best they could by abandoning him to a decent public school.... but WHAT does he know of the real world? How much does he think these kids even know who their parents are, let alone listen to them? And as for 'respec'...Does he think maybe these uneducated, struggling parents of many offspring have the resources to change their parenting techniques? Can afford the luxury of even thinking about parenting?

Give us a break, Dave. hic shatter of breaking glass Plasma TV, anyone?

I think that most uneducated struggling parents also find the way to think about parenting. Unfortunately are just the extremely bad examples that shine through.

I totally agree! But while they shouldn't be forguven for antisocial behaviour, they at least have a reason for being angry/disenfranchised. It's that they're getting all the bame when the bad examples higher up the salary scale get away with it. The tax dodgers and thieves at the 'top' are even worse in a way because they do it behind a veneer of respectability. No-one takes away their MPs house in Chelsea and Westminster.

-duh - I mean forgiven

and blame. Sorry. Must proofread.

I was thinking the same, re. politicians getting on a moral high horse and making sweeping statements about single parents alongside this society being sick etc etc. Every time I see DC on television at the moment I want to throw bricks!
Actually, I would rather my kids were in their present situation, being raised by a single parent with a moral compass, than with a father like bloody DC.

being a lone parent myself, and looking after two boys, one having behavioral learning and social difficulties, and therefore unable to go into childcare, only working for Avon to bring in a few extra pennies, and to be able to work around the kids, I honestly think DC needs to live this life, live on this money and find a job that is only available during school hours. I will hopefully be spending two years in college next September (providing DC doesn't make this impossible) to train in childcare, and then be able to work in a school environment and around school hours. (again, if DC doesn't cut schooling budgets) The majority of lone parents want to work if only for a bit of sanity away from the kids and to show them that you have to earn your living, this is certainly the case for me and a lot of my lone parent friends. In fact I don't think I have met lone parent yet who isn't working or job hunting, or trying to further their education for that ultimate job. However I do think that encouraging the long claiming jobseekers back to work is perhaps a good thing, IF there was enough jobs to go around. I've had countless friends all apply for the same 1 job and get nowhere, there were at least a hundred applicants for one opening. Maybe DC needs to support all businesses and perhaps that way, there will be enough jobs to go around.