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Telly addicts

*************************aged 12 and looking after the family*******************CH4 NOW

238 replies

Nemo2007 · 05/02/2007 21:02

looks interesting.

OP posts:
Mercy · 05/02/2007 23:12

I think the parents should be made to accept some level of intervention/support, whatever you want to call it. All the children are being neglected to some degree.

I felt so sorry for the 8 yr old when she burst into tears and said I wish my parent weren't blind etc - and a bit later said they are the best parents. Poor thing, of course she loves them but at what cost?

ScummyMummy · 05/02/2007 23:12

They absolutely could take the children away on the evidence of that film, turq.

batters · 05/02/2007 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aloha · 05/02/2007 23:15

But which one?

brimfull · 05/02/2007 23:15

couldn't watch this,glad I didn't now

Mercy · 05/02/2007 23:15

Agree Batters - did anyone else hear the number of child carers in the UK? Was it really 170,000? (even if it's 170, that's 170 too many)

threelittlesnowdrops · 05/02/2007 23:18

Should I be glad I didn't see this? Sounds so

ScummyMummy · 05/02/2007 23:19

I don't think these kids were typical young carers though.

themoon66 · 05/02/2007 23:21

I have an aquaintance who is registered blind and she deliberately got pregnant so she would have someone to look after her. She didn't think there was anything wrong with her attitude. She was pleased she got a daughter too, because 'she is more likely to care for me better than a son would'!

She tried to stop her ex DH having the daughter on weekends and told SS 'I need my daughter here because she is my carer'.

All very sad.

batters · 05/02/2007 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummytosteven · 05/02/2007 23:26

glad i didn't see this, sounds dreadful. my granddad was registered blind, and he looked after me, including nappy changing, on occasion when I was little.

ScummyMummy · 05/02/2007 23:27

Just did that batters. It doesn't say where the children live. Perhaps we could email channel 4 and ask them to forward a copy to the local social services? But, as the family are known to the young carers organisation and social services already, i suspect that local services will definitely see it. Maybe have already. I just hope that some action follows.

batters · 05/02/2007 23:33

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Quootiepie · 06/02/2007 00:54

OMG I have recorded it and have just watched the first 10 minutes and saw the baby asleep on the floor, eating bread thrown at him off the BATHROOM FLOOR. I am disgusted, and to upset to watch anymore. Absoloutly fucking disgusted.

AitchTwoOh · 06/02/2007 01:02

good plan, quootie, it will just depress the living daylights out of you. it's a major cry for help from the two girls, i think, so hopefully someone will take action now.

BassMama · 06/02/2007 01:07

I hope so. I hope SS come in and do something. This show made me sick.

those awful parents.. nothing to do with them being blind though i do think that their obvious mental impairment should be addressed by SS.

Where are the grandparents/aunties/uncles/FRIENDS??

Quootiepie · 06/02/2007 01:08

Well, I hope channel four are flooded with calls, aswell as social sevices, I know I will be calling first thing

BassMama · 06/02/2007 01:14

Good idea, think i will too. Have posted on the C4 website, in the forum about this show. dont know if they check it but thought it was worth a go.

Maybe a social worker somewhere near these poor kids will see it..

Quootiepie · 06/02/2007 01:19

I have contacted the NSPCC - I think this falls under the "neglect" section I really hope someone does something, I feel so powerless. That poor baby. And the new arrival aswell

AitchTwoOh · 06/02/2007 01:25

ah well, sweetie, that wee baby didn't make it. turned out she had miscarried when she went for her scan. [don't know what emoticon to use]

AlwaysTheMummy · 06/02/2007 07:49

just read from another site, they are from Bicester, somebody recognised the hotel by the graveyard they went to.

I was very shocked when I watched this programme, those poor children living like that, it seemed the parents didn't even offer affection when the kiddies hurt themselves and the bit about the nappies not being changed until the girls came home from school, it's not right and ss should def step in for the sake of the children, the parents are refusing help but it's the children that need it

wurlywurly · 06/02/2007 08:26

is this bein repeated?? was gonna watch but ds's were both ill

speedymama · 06/02/2007 08:31

DH and I don't normally watch things like this because they are usually depressing but Radio Times had it as the documentary of the week.

Well, all I can say is that I will avoid programmmes like that in future. DH and I were completely and utterly shocked by what we saw. Can someone please tell me why SS will quite happily remove children from loving parents who have the temerity to raise their voice at their children but parents like these who wilfilly neglect their children are left to get on with it?

Being blind is neither here or there. Both parents were lazy and emotionally detached from their children. The baby is crying and they do not tend to its needs. They leave the younger ones in soiled nappies all day until the older girls return from school but yet they both can see well engough to pour beer and light cigarettes? FGS. SS need to do something NOW. Tell them that they are going to get help or they are going to lose their children. The children's welfare must be paramount and the two girls need counselling for emotional neglect.

There is absolutely no excuse for this. Poverty and disability are just red herrings. My grandmother was left with 10 children when my grandfather died in Jamaica. There were no SS, no handouts, no nothing. All the children mucked in to help out around the two room shack that they lived in but you know what? It was clean, they were clean even though they had no shoes and my DM only had one dress which she wore to school. That was washed every evening by hand ready for the next day and DM said even though they had to walk barefoot to school, the teachers expected them to be clean and they were. This was in Jamaica in the 1930s.

This programme has sickened me to the core. How can this kind of neglect still be happening in the UK in the 21st century?

chisigirl · 06/02/2007 08:43

If I was a blind parent I would be FURIOUS that this couple had been chosen as the subject of the documentary. The mother clearly (well IMO) had problems that went well beyond her inability to see. As has been pointed out here, the vast majority of blind people can look after themselves and, with some help, their families. They can also work in many cases. The main problem of the parents was they were detached, unaware and neglectful and I feel strongly that this had little to do with their inability to see. How can the mother possibly think she is doing a good job?

I am generally against Social Services taking strong measures but in this case I feel they need to step in a significant way and take charge.

monkeymonkeymoomoo · 06/02/2007 09:28

I agree at the choice of family, I think the programme makers chose this family because they are so shocking and it makes for good TV however I don't think that they are representative of the disabled community as a whole.

Great idea to draw attention to the numbers of young carers and the problems faced but poor choice of family (need more families too IMO).