The madness of modern families

[themoon66]

This is on BBC2 tonight at 8.30pm... looks interesting I thought.....

The Madness Of Modern Parenting

All parents want the best for their children but more people than ever seem to be turning into panic-stricken obsessives in their over-zealous attempts to get it all absolutely right.

As this series shows, the madness can descend on many fronts ? from competing against other parents to plan the most elaborate birthday party for their precious offspring, to the quest for the perfect family holiday.

Then there are the lengths parents will go to to get the very best for their child, whether faking church attendance for the sake of a decent school entry or spending all weekend doing their child's complicated school project, alone.

A selection of bemused mums and dads reflect on their madder moments in this entertaining, witty and affectionate look at the absurd behaviour being displayed by parents all over Britain.

Does anyone actually stay up making a cake the night before? Don't we all buy some horrible thing with coloured icing, knowing it'll be shovd into the party-bag and squashed, and probably thrown away?

i didnt see this it sounds surreal reading it so will try to watch next time
when is next time anyone?

did nobody else recognise the lady telling the barbie cake story?, i'm certain it was carrie, as in mumsnet carrie. i recognised her from the mums the word programme. she was wearing burgundy and still pg, so must have been filmed last year sometime.

I think programmes like this are a waste of time and money. All those ridiculous tongue in cheek anecdotes about their kids parties. Leaving the country for FFS to avoid having to throw a b'day party. Get a grip. These aren't real people. I have a theory about children's parties. They're hell. I have only ever had about two in my home, and that was my DD's 1st and 2nd. And they were only small affairs. Even parties at venues I find stressfull. My DS's had b'days in Nov and Dec and we did away with parties and just had family round for a b'day tea and cake. We all enjoyed it much more. I refuse to have my house trashed by other people's kids. If some of the parents on last night's prog are MNetters, I bet they're the ones who react really extremely and ridiculously to certain comments or points made or thread titles.

It was utterly bizarre

what planet are they on? surely they were all reading from a script?

bore no resemblance to any parent I know

they all came across as utterly shallow and insecure

and as crap parents

extreme , yes, unusual sadly not

I'll come clean, I'm one of those mad parents.

I throw a big Pirates party at a soft play area for both children a couple of years ago. I had to be very specific on the party invites that the fancy dress must be pirates and it was not a pirate theme - otherwise I would have had two very distraught birthday children. I just knew that if I didn't spell it out some one would try and sneak a Peter Pan or Wendy in and the birthday children had those roles

Perhaps I should have been on the programme last night !

At DS and DD's schools (DD's in particular) there are a lot of competitive parties - and she had a small boycott because some girls didn't want to be pirates (f* 'em) I said - their loss, and my money saved on those additional competitive party bags I didn't have to do

I can't wait for the schools episode next week. I 'moved' for two years to get my children in the school I wanted, only to be disappointed with the teacher after two terms in Reception and changed education sectors !

Oh the humiliation of posting this, I've had to change my name -

your children sound spoilt

adn you are not helping them by doing this

V mildly amusing cheap tv. Thought it would be much better than this actually, rehash of various similar progs no? Glad not to see the same old celebs on this, but thought ALL were London & Home Counties 'types' and the prog was probably watched & enjoyed by similar saying 'yes my point precisely Philomenea dear, gahstly dahling'. Normal people must have been as aghast at this as these people would be watching a programme about life on a Glasgow sink estate!

Mind you I did lol at the woman who said 'even around here you dont have yoga at children's parties'

'Children's parties have become the acme of competitive parenting,' said Hurley. 'It's not unusual for 60 children to be invited and the cost to reach £50,000.'

Yes it IS bloody unusual you moron!

Coverup, honestly, I agree with Enid. I don't think this sort of thing helps your children in the long run. The world won't always run to their exact specification and tbh I think it is bad manners to demand your guests dress up in such a specific way.

I was really disappointed that they could have made a real vox-pop programme about parties/schools etc as experienced by the massed ranks of ordinary parents, instead of a small enclave of bubble-headed meeja types. Whether or not it was Carrie molesting that cake, (quite liked that story, especially the threat to sever Barbie's legs), I recognised John Farrell and Lucy Cavendish for sure, and some of the other faces were familiar.
I expected a lot more of it - fool that I am.

Does anyone really have a themed party for a 1 year old?? [ahock]

that'll be of course

I wonder why they didn't caption anyone? Some people were recognisable, e.g. John O'Farrell, author of "May Contain Nuts" and Marcus Berkmann, author of "Fatherhood".

Why get some "famous" faces and then not put up their names and "qualifications"?

I went to one party where names were taken as you arrived by lady with clipboard - alist of allergies garniered and name badges issued. there was a bouncy castle (indoors) several organised games and 2 separate craft activities organised. In the kitchen was a programme of all the events including a timetable for the cutting of the cake (4.45).

V sensible & organised or overcompetitive?

it was rrrrrrrrrrrrrrubbish

'oh they went to a FARM! on a TRACTOR!"

not everyone lives in the city you moron

now Ihave given name stickers if 15 or more kids

helps dh and whoever is helping

nowt wroing with bouncy castle and craft activities - have done these, relatively cheap and free

and also have written bsaic timetable - would have died if anyone had seen it though

nowt wrong with name badges or allergy info (always better than having to dial 999 I find) and I must admit, I've been known to stay up late making a cake the night before

but the enormous cost and competitiveness have certainly passed me by

and we've been to a few children's parties of London meeeeeeeja types and they were nothing like the ones described!

cover up name don't be embarressed , i feel the same, we are not home counties or london but i htink childrens parties are a competive sport ( spectator sport for fathers!) my dh phsl at the programme as i was struggling to write out 45 party invites using my L hand to make it seem like my DD had done them herself .....and i have been up till 3 am making a barbie as swan lake cake one year, and all the balloons have to be printed with the childrens names and i spend hours of work time surfing the net and onthe phone to try and get some entertainment no one else has used to come to our back water.....is so my dd has a fabulous birthday - hell no it is so the other parents go home mildly choking on hteir home made happy feet penguin shaped cake ( this years extravaganza) because they didn't do it first - hahahaha queen of the playground me! ( actually I think it is a working mothers guilt trip thing)

god I'd hate to have your life