As a parent, what "issues" annoy you the most?

[willow2]

OK, what is it that gets you ranting? Holiday prices, education reforms, the state of the maternity service? What would you change most, if you could? Discuss...

I don't like the way that state education is universally condemned as failing all children when in fact it isn't. A lot of children who come out of school without achieving much do so because they could not be bothered to listen, learn and behave(you can lead a horse to the water but you can't make him drink it).

How teachers hands are tied when it comes to disciplining unruly children and their parents who threaten the teachers also.

Parents who do not properly restrain their children in cars.

Parents who are too lazy to feed their children nutritious food. If you don't know how, learn. There are plenty of books in the public library.

Parents who are incapable and indifferent to disciplining their children and then expect society as a whole to put up their homegrown miscreants.

The notion that it costs £xzillion to raise a child. No it doesn't. If you want to be a consumerist lackey and buy everything marketed, then more fool you.

I hate the fact that if a child does not go on holiday every year, then they are viewed as deprived. No, a child is deprived if s/he is unable to eat every day.

I hate the fact too many parents are too lazy to walk their children to school when they can walk. Then they proceed to block people's driveway, school gates, park on double yellow lines etc. So inconsiderate and selfish.

Harpsi - agree with that but the other extreme is just as bad:
people who believe that 'official guidance' is somehow gospel rather than a culturally-specific, sometimes oversimplified, response to a particular situation and a particular body of evidence, and think that if you're not following it, it must be because either you don't know about it or you don't care enough about your children

Old people getting snotty when you park with your disabled child in a disabled parking space. I can see what they think, they see a women getting out of car with physically able 11 year old, and gets a (major) buggy out of the boot, to put a child into it, why does she need a space... but, they don't know the true story. One old lady shouted at me once and actually made my 11 year old (normally, very+ stoic) daughter cry. Now I just say to them in a very controlled low pitched voice, it must be wonderful to know that you had good health at one point, he (DS) has never had that. That shuts them up.

Ooohh goody ...a rant thread...

Pink and blue stuff as has been mentioned once or twice. DD WILL NOT WEAR pink anymore as she hates it...her fav colour is yellow apparently which is tricky to get hold of...and unfortunately friends child who passed on clothes to her appears to love pink.

I beleive in benign neglect of my kids ...ie I let them out to play with their friends in our cul-de-sac and don't have a fit if they fall over and graze their knees. And I don't beleive that a paedophile lurks around every street corner as someone mentioned earlier. What annoys me is that I'm regarded as a dangerous idiot by some parents and society in general. ..when in fact I'm not dangerous at all...the idiot bit is debatable...

The fact that the govt seems to want us to be scared of everything 'cos we behave ourselves then.

Children being treated like slightly alarming ill-behaved animals in public places and only allowed in to restaurants after much shaking of heads and pursing of lips. How do they learn to behave if they aren't allowed to mix with 'real' human beings.... Actually scrub that...my kids behave better than many adults....

Parents who are treated to the sanctimonious raise of the eyebrow when they mention that they go out to work.

People who are squeamish about breastfeeding in public and a society that doesn't make them ashamed to say so.

OK...that'll do.

Kate

Men who berate women for breastfeeding in public whilst drooling over Page 3 of the Sun!

Boring 'girls' toys; violent 'boys' toys

Stupid girls clothes that say 'princess' or 'beauty queen' and are always pink

My friend has 5 great kids and EVERYONE says "Oh, you poor thing" or "you must be so tired". But she is really blessed I think (and she thinks), and our society sucks if people don't value children enough to see that.

education - quality of
inequality of opportunity
private education
snobs
other parents

people who have nannies and cleaners.

People that keep asking me when I am having another child-Has it not occured to you that I may only want 1, or that I want to be in a stable relationship before bringing another child into the world?
Boys clothing-lack of choice, colour, the whole trouble/demon/messy/pirate/rebel thing etc
People that tell me I'm doing 'it' wrong when I feed him what he eats-it's not my fault that if I put something else in front of him he won't eat it no matter what I try.
People that tell me that ds is 'naughty' because they believe that ASD doesn't exist.
The fact that holiday companies screw me over twice for being a single parent and wanting to save money on a child place.
Little gobsh*tes that swear at me when I tell them to watch their language in front of ds.

That'll do for now. Guaranteed that I'll think of more later.
Actually feel better for that

Aaah speedymama, a favourite rant of mine.

Why is it that being a teacher means it is acceptable to go to work every day under the threat of violence? For example, yesterday I had a long conversation with a lad I teach (aged 17) and his tutor. I had asked him to leave a class after he called me a b*ch. He then invaded another class of mine and refused to leave, shouting that I was the worst f*ing teacher he had ever f*ing had. He threatened to me and told me to watch my fing back. Now, he's only ever come to two classes of mine this year, so the worst teacher comment was a bit unfair. He is, however, part of a nastly gang of thugs who terrorise the area. His tutor gave him the option of attend all classes or leave the course. He couldn't face the prospect of being expected to attend all his classes, with his mobile phone turned off, not being allowed to listen to music on his ipod in class, and, horror of horrors, being actually expected to do some actual work in class, so he decided to leave. Having made the decision to leave the course, he turned around and threatened me again in quite explicit and chilling terms. Suddenly, now that he was no longer a student, the threats were taken seriously and our local policeman called.

So why is it that as long as he was a student I was supposed to put up with his agression, violence and threats but as soon as he no longer was a student it was treated as criminal behaviour?

oh spursmum - that always annoys me as well. Food and an ASD child. Nightmare. And then people suggest the most obvious things and you're like "really, no? I hadn't thought of that" durr.

That's the one Jimjams
'Have you thought of hiding the veg?'
Little sod can discover life on mars, he's that good!!
Let him starve- he went without food for 2 days. Not again!

My worst is cars that park on the pavement so that you can't get past with your pushchair or even holding onto your toddles hand

Let him starve results in ds1 producing ketones and puking up for 3 days wwith a migraine. That has happened a number of times - when he wouldn't eat at all- not even "acceptable" foods.

Can recommend "can't eat won't eat" Not really for any advice, but to make youi feel better! It's a common problem!

Thanks for the advice. It does get me down when he turns his nose up at food just because it's not acceptable to him.
I have a specific rant to where I live.
I live at the opposite end of a housing estate near the University of Herts and the students use our parking spaces because the Uni didn't plan better and the students don't want to pay for permits to park on the road.

omg how can society treat children like this and then moan because they turn out like they do? i'm not saying that all children are the same because they're not - some are really nice and lovely manners. as for the parenting issues, *dp's aunt bought my baby a bikini
*tarty clothes on young girls (can't remember who said this one, sorry)
*people who give you funny looks on buses when dd is being chatty
*said people also not helping onto bus in 1st place when you are obviously struggling
*work colleagues shoving their fingers into dd's mouth to check for teeth before i can stop them, then moan when she bites
*cost of first shoes
*the mother and baby room in boots, taunton - any1 been there? it's rubbish, little plastic chairs and no place to bf if thats how your lo is fed
*baby rooms being called mother and baby, not parent and baby or even just baby rooms, its not fair on the dads - has any1 took them to court for sexual discrimination? ........

i could go on forever

omg how can society treat children like this and then moan because they turn out like they do? i'm not saying that all children are the same because they're not - some are really nice and lovely manners. as for the parenting issues, *dp's aunt bought my baby a bikini
*tarty clothes on young girls (can't remember who said this one, sorry)
*people who give you funny looks on buses when dd is being chatty
*said people also not helping onto bus in 1st place when you are obviously struggling
*work colleagues shoving their fingers into dd's mouth to check for teeth before i can stop them, then moan when she bites
*cost of first shoes
*the mother and baby room in boots, taunton - any1 been there? it's rubbish, little plastic chairs and no place to bf if thats how your lo is fed
*baby rooms being called mother and baby, not parent and baby or even just baby rooms, its not fair on the dads - has any1 took them to court for sexual discrimination? ........

i could go on forever

sorry!

sorry!

Gina Ford, Baby Whisperer, Supernanny
Pink shite for girls
early sexualisation/celeb worship

Shops that crowd the aisles with so many displays that it is impossible to get past with a pushchair.
Shops that have a monther & baby room,but don't have a toilet that they will allow your toddler to use (BOOTS I'm talking about you?}
Horrible childrens menus
toddler boys with hair gel & toddler girls in tarty clothes.
'Nice' but ditzy mummies who are to busy prattling to their friends to notice that their angel child is running riot at playgroup.
Trousers that aren't designed for babies who wear real nappies.
That'll do for now.

Toys that encourage little boys to be aggressive (knives, swords, guns, that sort of thing)

The parents who give them those toys

Children's shops or children's sections who cram their clothing racks too close together for the average buggy (John Lewis, I noticed last week)

People having an opinion on the fact that I chose to bottle feed my baby from the beginning

People not respecting their kids - dragging them around, shouting at them, not taking the time to listen to them. That really upsets me.

Fransmum, know what you mean about boots in Taunton, also the fact that all baby stuff is upstairs via that poxy little lift!!

i go to superdrug now!!

A holiday costing £1000 in Januuary is suddenly worth £3000 when booked in school hols