Should You Be Breeding If This Is Your Attitude To Your Babies Health?

Twenty-week-old Grayson easily could have become one of the tens of thousands of British babies left unvaccinated against polio. His mother, Lily, agrees with the principle of immunisation. But overwhelmed by the early weeks of motherhood, and suffering from post-partum depression after a traumatic birth, she was daunted by the prospect of a long journey to a doctor's surgery.

"I've been through the trenches, awake all night. You don't want to leave the house, or go to a different town."

Not even to protest your newborn against fatal disease? I know better than to wonder why the father couldn’t have taken the kid! 

Weeks ticked by, and eventually Grayson missed the polio and diphtheria jabs he was supposed to get at eight weeks old. By that point he was officially classed by the NHS as "overdue" for vaccination; effectively, he was on his GP's naughty list.

Then Lily realised there was a clinic practically on her doorstep - at a location she hadn't expected.That clinic - in Keighley, west Yorkshire - runs from a vacant retail unit at the Airedale shopping centre, a 1960s-era precinct that locals say has fallen on hard times in recent years, with plenty of empty, boarded-up units. The staff who created the clinic thought: why not use one of those vacant units to administer vaccines?

Well, marginally better than a self-immolating vape shop or Turkish barber VAT fraud outlet, I guess....

It's an imaginative solution to a national problem. Over the last 15 years, childhood vaccination rates have fallen across Britain. The share of five-year-olds in England who have received a four-in-one jab (which protects against viruses like polio and tetanus) is now 81%, down from 89% in 2014. About 84% have received both of their recommended MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jabs, down from 88% a decade ago.

And no, the culprit isn't what you'd expect, either:  

Beccy Baird, a senior fellow at the King's Fund think tank, says that despite colourful media reporting around "anti-vaxxers", most parents who turn down vaccination are not ideologically opposed to it. Convenience plays a big role, she says; vaccination rates are highest when parents regularly interact with medics, who can remind them to get their children jabbed and tell them exactly where to do it.

Then make sure the GP service is there for them to do it, and not ring-fenced by barbed wire and dragon-like receptionists that make it impossible to get an appointment! 

There's Lily, the 18-year-old who finally gets her son Grayson his polio and diphtheria jabs. And there's Keeley, an assistant in a ceramics shop, who arrives with her baby Luca, and is impressed by the clinic's convenience, with no need for an 08:00 phone call or complicated online form.

See? Why aren't the GPs run like this?  

Most of the young mothers have come across online anti-vax posts. "I see these things on Facebook where it's like, don't give your child vaccines because it's got ADHD in them," says Lily. Indeed, Hussain says she still hears parents asking if the MMR jab causes autism, a full 28 years after a link was suggested in a now-discredited paper by the former doctor Andrew Wakefield.

And you'll no doubt hear it until a more convincing arguement for the cause of the rise in the disorder is discoverered. 

The clinic - which serves a relatively poor community - has vaccinated hundreds of infants since 2023, helping to boost coverage in an area that's historically had a low rate of immunisations. As of March this year, 88% of the children registered with Modality AWC (the GP practice that runs the clinic) now receive their first MMR dose by the age of 18 months, up from 78% three years ago.

Is it a 'poor' area in monetary terms, or educational ones? 

Philip Larkin Was Right...

During the hearing, prosecutors played disturbing audio footage of phone calls with his mother, Marcee Gray, who described the 'fan art' drawings she saw online of her son. Gray asked his mother about the engagement his posts were getting, and seemed excited when she said it was a lot. She told her son that she would print some of the posts to show him, and even said she would keep some for herself. In one particularly haunting call, Marcee Gray promised her son she would make a 'Colty Shrine' in honor of him.

Why isn’t she in the next cell with him, you might ask? Or at least barred from future visitation.

Prosecutors argued that Gray's conversations with his mother and a documented fascination for school shootings proved he had carefully planned the heinous attack.

The case also marked a precedent of convicting parents for their roles in the crimes of their children. Gray's father, Colin Gray, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in March for purchasing the firearm and keeping it unsecured.

The US Justice system is way ahead of ours', clearly. 

Judge Primm said Gray's crimes reflected 'permanent incorrigibility,' adding, 'I will sentence you to life without parole for each of the malice murders you committed.'

And they mean it.  No early release in the US for killers.

You Can Never Close 'The Disadvantage Gap'

The gap between how well pupils from better-off backgrounds perform at school compared with their classmates from lower-income households has widened, according to a new report. Despite some improvements in the years since Covid, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) said the disadvantage gap had widened again in England and was still bigger "at every phase" of school than it was before the pandemic.

Ah, ‘before the pandemic’. Nicely slipped in there, that mad time when all plans were derailed, even socialist ones. 

The Department for Education said it was working to close the disadvantage gap by delivering opportunities for every child, including expanding government-funded childcare and extending eligibility for free school meals.

Working to close the disadvantage gap by funnelling money, taxpayer money at that, towards a hopeless cause. Typical socialist trick.

The EPI said the overall difference in academic achievement between low-income students and their wealthier peers was now 17% greater for children in early years than it was before Covid.

Hardly a crisis that requires government intervention, is it? 

"The size of the gap between the educational outcomes of children from more and less advantaged backgrounds is a scourge on our society," Julie McCulloch, chief executive of the EPI said.

Really? I can think of many things which could truly be considered a scourge on society, but this is not one of then. 

The EPI made a number of recommendations in its report for how to achieve it, including widening access to free funded childcare to all children, and increasing the amount of money schools can receive for the number of children they teach who are eligible for free school meals.

The Local Government Association called for more investment in the SEND workforce, and for a review into which children qualify for funded childcare hours, to make sure "those on lower incomes do not miss out".

The Department for Education said the government would do "whatever it takes" to ensure every child had access to opportunity, regardless of their background.

If some children don't take advantage of the access that already exists what more should be done is up to their parents, not the governement.

Well, Why, Against All Experience, Did You Believe He Would?

More than eight years ago my youngest daughter, Molly, died after being bombarded with suicide and self-harm material on social media. I had hope that Keir Starmer would finally take the measures needed to address the harm Molly was subjected to, but his social media ban for under-16s leaves me desperately worried for the safety of children online.

Why would anyone believe a word the man said? Well, apart from a man who wants the government to raise his child for him I suppose...

Instead of tackling the product safety issues that cost my daughter’s life, he is choosing to take a politically easy route which the evidence shows – and experts warn – will not work, and will leave children at continued risk.

Well, yes. He’s a politician and a beleaguered one at that who will do anything to cling to power, no matter what promises he has made in the past!

Parents are right that action is needed, and is needed now. But two years into this government, the prime minister has failed time and again to take on big tech with the tough regulation he promised in opposition. Starmer also promised me personally that he would implement effective measures to strengthen regulation and finally address the harm caused by social media. He has failed to keep either promise.

He hasn’t, as far as I can tell, kept any promises, unless it’s ones he made to the string pullers behind the scenes who want to see the UK brought low. 

He also promised bereaved parents after the recent consultation on children’s social media use that he would follow the evidence and take the time to consider his response then act decisively. Instead, he has rushed out a ban.

As we have seen in Australia, where a social media ban for under-16s came into effect in December 2025, teens and children are able to circumvent the ban – with 60% still accessing social media.

And they will do the same with this one, if he manages to get it through Parliament, of course. The man who will soon vie to sit in that seat may find that a little more challenging than expected.

Today’s news is giving parents false hope. But in this announcement, the prime minister has abdicated responsibility for product safety, and has failed to put forward a plan for tackling the algorithms that cost Molly’s life and, tragically, will cost many more.

If there's one thing that marks out this man, it's that concern for the welfare of children is little more than skin-deep. 

Don't Want No Short People 'Round Here…

A mum has spoken out after her son was left 'traumatised' following an armed police incident in Tameside on Tuesday (April 14).

It followed reports of a suspected gun at around 5pm. Officers responded and found a group of school-aged teenagers at the scene who had been in the vicinity.

Videos shared on Facebook showed the drama as it unfolded, with several police vehicles at the scene, including armed police. A police helicopter was also spotted circling the area amid the major response.

As you would expect from a report of a firearm…. 

Eye-witnesses claimed they saw youths with a toy cap gun who were understood to be 'firing it' at each other at the McDonalds restaurant. Police rapidly responded after reports were made via 999.

Reports of youths with a cap gun? No, a real one presumably. 

The mum of a 13-year-old who was arrested and surrounded by police with guns has now told of how her son was 'traumatised' and 'woke up screaming' following the ordeal. He had bought the toy gun with friends and was 'playing' with it before officers raced to the scene.

Oh no, a traumatised child! 

The mum, who asked to remain anonymous (Ed: And no wonder...), said her son had finished MMA training when he bought the toy gun. She explained: "He'd finished training and wanted a McFlurry from McDonald's. Before that he'd been to a shop and bought this cheap snap gun that makes a noise."Him and his friends had it, and I don't think they understood it could have been perceived as anything other than a toy. They were playing with it and didn't intend to cause fear. They are only kids.

"It would've been obvious it was just a small silver plastic toy. But then the police came and my son was scared and put it down and tried to run. He was treated like he had a gun and was pushed to the ground and arrested by officers with guns. My son is only small."

Why should the size matter? How big do you have to be to pull a trigger? 

She added: "It's been absolutely traumatising for him. I understand in a real situation the police would have to act on the severity of it, and I don't blame them. But it's clear someone rang the police because they were annoyed with the kids who were being a nuisance or annoying.

So who do you blame, the people reporting it? They may not have been acting responsibly but they may well have been. Surely you can’t expect everyone to know these days if it’s just ‘kids being kids’ as those days are long gone! 

Woe Is Me!

Angela has two daughters, aged 13 and 10, who both attend their local Girlguiding group in the UK. Like many girls their age, they enthusiastically collect their badges, make new friends and attend the organisation’s large summer jamboree every year.

A lie. She has one daughter, and a son.

But as of September, Angela’s youngest daughter will have to leave Girlguiding because she is transgender.

At 10 years of age, this woman has told her son that he can be a girl. In a sane world she’d be investigated by social services but we aren’t living in one, anymore…

“It’s deeply distressing for all of us. How do you tell a child that the place they once belonged, they’re no longer welcome at? I’m unable to give her a reason that makes sense to her,” said Angela, who did not give her surname due to fears for her daughter’s safety.

It’s pretty simple, actually, you just have to admit you were wrong and you lied to your little boy. 

Her elder sister, meanwhile, is torn about what to do. “It’s a very tricky position for her to be in,” said Angela. “Girlguiding has taught her values of kindness and compassion, and now she’s being told those values have limits and that limit is your younger sister. It’s very difficult.”

Girlguiding will - should!- have also told her that she must always tell the truth, that lying, even for what seems a good reason, is wrong. 

Lily, a Girlguiding volunteer on the GATE leadership committee, said: “We’ve got volunteers who’ve been in the organisation 10, 20, 30 years, who’ve given their lives to this, who’ve built their community in this, and who just can’t bear the thoughts of kicking out young members who’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.

They have indeed done nothing wrong, but you have, haven't you? Like this boy’s mother, you lied to them, in thrall to a poisonous ideology pushed by people that don’t have societal advancement in mind.

“We have had no issues in nearly a decade of being trans inclusive. We also have cisgender men as unit helpers and activity advisers, and there’s never been any objection to any of these men being involved in Girlguiding events.”

Are these men dressing in womenface or are they men?

“Groups are now risk assessing going out in public in uniform. The public perception of Girlguiding just a few short months ago was incredibly positive. Now we’re out and about thinking, is someone going to start yelling at us in the street? All because we’ve been dragged into doing something we don’t want to do,” she said.

You mean obeying the law? If you think that’s ‘something you shouldn’t do’ if you don’t feel like it you fully deserve to be shouted at in the street!

Katie Alcock, a former Girlguider who said she was expelled from the organisation for expressing her concerns about its trans membership policy on social media, said she was pleased the leadership had “seen sense” over the issue. “Finally, the organisation that had expelled me seven years ago was prioritising safeguarding and girls’ rights to single-sex spaces. It’s a pity it did it with such bad grace,” she told the Telegraph.

It’s only to be expected Katie!

“Where was the positive spin in this statement saying it is happy to be fully in compliance with the law and it hopes this will be the start of great things?”

It’s not happy to obey the law, so why would any responsible parent want to send their child?

Lily said: “We know Girlguiding didn’t want to do this but we still want to hold them to account for the decisions they’ve made and make it really clear they are hurting people. 

“At the same time, this didn’t start in Girlguiding headquarters and it won’t finish in Girlguiding headquarters so we do want to make it clear to the government that they absolutely need to step in because so many organisations that want to be inclusive are being attacked with legal threat after legal threat and they just can’t afford to keep defending themselves.”

Good, it’s about time your efforts to be ‘inclusive’ of perversion started to cost you! 

Shall We Play ‘Guess The Breed’?

 No need, it's (according to social media and other reports), a so-called pocket bully, smaller and not included in the DDA as 'not dangerous'.

The BBC has asked police how old the child was and what breed the dogs were.

And at the time of this report in the BBC, they didn't answer. They did act, at least!  

The force said one dog had been destroyed on the street and another at the house had been seized.

That mutt has also now been disposed of. 

District commander for Redcar and Cleveland Emily Harrison said officers remained at the address and an investigation was taking place. "Understandably this is a distressing and tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the child's family," Harrison said. "I would encourage anyone who has concerns or information to please speak to an officer."

It's a bit late now, the mutts are dead what is there to be concerned about? Other than, perhaps, when the DDA is going to be tightened up to include all strains of this ghastly breed, or when social services are going to begin to demand that possession of these dogs is incompatible with allowing children in your house, and neither of those are anything the police can push for.

False Economy? Call It What It Is!

London parents using dodgy Amazon “firesticks” to illegally stream children’s TV have lost hundreds after their bank accounts were hacked.

Why single out London, other than this is the local paper? Surely other areas are as affected? 

Around 40 per cent – or two in five – across the capital became victims of financial fraud, higher than the national average of 32 per cent.

Oh. Maybe it’s the demographics, maybe it’s the higher cost of living that accounts for this? 

Viewers pay on average £13.53 a month, or £162 a year, for illegal set top boxes to watch the likes of Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky and BT. But in Greater London parents say this false economy led to them being defrauded to the tune £1,821 when criminals gained access to private banking details on their phones, tablets or other devices.

Or could it be simple greed.  

BeStreamWise – a cross-industry initiative – says a single illegal app can expose multiple devices within the home, including those used for work emails.

Rob Shapland, an ethical hacker with 16 years’ experience in cyber security, said: “Streaming is a normal part of family life, especially during school holidays and weekends when demand for popular programmes is high. 

“But when looking for ways to keep kids entertained, it’s important to prioritise safety above all else. 

Theres a wealth of activities in London, acres of parks and institutions both free. But they usually require some input, some time, from parents and as we've seen, so many parents no longer want to do that. Which makes you wonder why the had children in the first place. 

“Criminals aren’t focused on what you’re watching – they’re looking for opportunities to access valuable information. 

“Unofficial streaming sources can sometimes open the door to risks such as malware or data theft, potentially putting your devices, bank details, passwords and personal information at risk. 

“Taking a few simple steps, like sticking to trusted platforms and keeping security software updated, can make a significant difference in protecting your data and devices.”

First step being, NOT plonking your kid down in front of the widescreen babysitter in the first place, and it you do, at least pay for it. 

This Isn't Good News Polly!

The news is very good (mostly). The cost of full-time childcare in England for children under the age of two has dropped by a phenomenal 39% since last year, thanks to government funding. This stat, from the 25th annual survey of nurseries by the children’s charity Coram, provides a good opportunity to stop and consider how far the country has come in that quarter-century.

As ever, Polly is, I suspect, on the wrong side of history here.  

In 1995, there were nursery vouchers for a few, but only 4% of children under five in England were in nursery: the right argued young children were the responsibility of families, not the state, and that mothers should stay at home.

And have we blossomed into a paradise as a result of scrapping that policy, Polly? Are children better behaved, women gainfully employed in vital roles? Or has it resulted in the opposite situation? 

Labour’s strong cohort of women arriving in the Commons in 1997, led by the veteran Harriet Harman with her childcare strategy, fought hard to finally add the missing cradle to the “cradle to grave” welfare state.

 When she wasn’t supporting those who wanted to have sex with them, you mean?

In 2003, the Treasury introduced child care tax credits, although more as a way to get women into work.

And now every HR department in every large organisation is chock full of women, and are we better for it?

Then, in 2004, the government extended free part-time nursery places to all three- and four-year-olds in England. That was a giant step – but every step of the way was a fight, and still is.

Free? I don’t think so. 

Since last September, parents have been able to claim 30 hours a week of state-funded childcare for children from nine months old until they start school. This could save working parents an average of £8,000 a year per child. Take note of what campaigners always said would happen: just in the past year, these extra free nursery hours have enabled nearly a third of parents to up their working hours.

Families can also save up to £450 from free breakfast clubs and £500 more in September, when half a million more children will get free school meals.

Free school meals paid for out of taxation aren’t really ‘free’ at all. As they have no choice but to admit:

Early years childcare is neither totally free nor universal. That precious 30 free hours is only during the 38 weeks of term time, so parents have to pay the holiday gap: one week for a child under the age of two can cost about £189. Funding is too low at a time of rising energy and staff costs: many nurseries also charge extra for meals, trips, nappies, sun cream, anything they can think of. Private nurseries, often run by large private equity chains, are in wealthier areas, shunning families who can’t pay for extra hours.

But here is the great perversity that undermines the key social purpose of the nursery movement: early years education does the most good for the most deprived, yet those children are ineligible for the full hours until they reach the age of three. What makes them “ineligible”? The very things that make them deprived; if their parents don’t work or work too little to earn £10,158 a year, the child gets nothing until aged two, and then only half as many hours as the rest.

This year’s report from the charity Kindred Squared found that about a third of children in England who started reception in 2025 were not ready for school. Some of them were still in nappies, not using knives and forks, not able to sit still, barely speaking and unsocialised. Some teachers felt that less time in early years education contributed to these issues.

And so, I ask a question I've already had to ask over at 'Orphans',  why aren't people raising their own children any more? 

Perhaps French Children Have Changed..?

In French culture, seven is known as “l’âge de raison”, the age at which children know right from wrong and can take some moral responsibility. France’s national rail operator, it seems, puts the age at which a child can be trusted to behave in a non-annoying way onboard a train a bit higher.

Well, yes. 

In launching its new Optimum plus tariff earlier this month, offering spaces onboard its weekday TGV trains between Paris and Lyon with bigger, more comfortable seats, fancy food and no under-12s, SNCF was trying to appeal to the many business travellers who make that journey.

Perish the thought! Unusually for the 'Guardian', who usually feels there's no desire so niche that it shouldn't be satisfied, the desire to not have your work commute enlivened by unruly brats is considered beyond the pale, and they found a columnist who agrees. 

But the move has sparked a backlash and a philosophical debate about the place of children in society, against the backdrop of a worrying decline in French birthrates. “We can’t on one hand say that we are not having enough children and on the other hand try to exclude them from everywhere,” argues Sarah El Haïry, France’s high commissioner for childhood.

And the name of the high commissioner is itself a clue to the social change, I suspect...

SNCF’s move was certainly a surprising one in a country that has a reputation for being family-friendly and respecting children’s right to take part in the rituals of everyday life, starting with the elaborate three-course meals they are served in school canteens. My own half-French children, growing up in Paris, have had customs such as politely greeting neighbours and shop workers drilled into them from babyhood, not to mention sitting patiently in a restaurant and chacun son tour (taking turns) on the swings in the park.

Perhaps the influx of 'new French' don't feel the same obligation that you felt to adapt to the social mores of their new homeland. 

A society that cannot bear the presence of children is “worrying”, El Haïry argues. The former minister has spoken out before about the “no kids” trend, whereby restaurants and hotels are increasingly targeting child-free grownups who are seeking peace and quiet and have deep pockets.

Is it because they have acquired a loathing of well-behaved children with their fortunes? Or is it because well behaved children are no longer the norm? 

What About The Harms Done To Them By Parents Like You?

Esther Ghey has called on MPs to vote for an age restriction on social media in the coming weeks, as she accused the government of “kicking the can down the road” with its planned consultation.

Who she? How quickly one forgets, eh, Reader? 

She has previously detailed how she believes her daughter’s social media addiction contributed to her mental health issues, leading her to take risks with her personal safety.

Except she didn’t have a daughter, she had a son. A mentally ill son who believed he was a girl, and who she supported and encouraged in that belief, instead of getting him the help he needed. And now she has the gall to believe anyone should listen to her on this subject:

“Brianna wasn’t alone. We know that there are each day, in England alone, 500 mental health referrals for children and we need to really think what is impacting this, why is there such an increase in mental health issues, why is there an increase in peer and peer violence in schools, why is there a difficulty retaining teachers in schools. 

“We need to move now because as we’re waiting, more and more children are being harmed.”

They are. But not all of them by social media. 

If She'd Cut Herself On A Sharp Knife Would You Complain To The Media About That?

 Silly damn question - the answer's almost certainly 'Yes',

Amy, 36, from Norwich, bought the brush online for £4 to "make life easier" with housework, but it caught in her daughter's hair when the child took it out of the box. She reported the item as it appeared on the shopping site to Norfolk Trading Standards, who said Temu had now removed it from sale in the UK.

Amy said that when the brush arrived, her daughter picked it up and "it just came on, the brush flew off.. and just sucked her hair in". "I didn't realise how bad it was at first," she said.

I was puzzled as to the nature of this brush, until I saw the image accompanying this story:  

And I realised I had the very same type of brush, bought from Lidl's home cleaning range. It's motorised, works on battery power and the idea of leaving it where a small child could access it would be unthinkable to me, who doesn't even have - or like - children. 

"I don't want any other child to go through what she's been through."

They probably won't, because not all mothers are fucking stupid or careless... 

A spokesperson for trading standards said Temu's UK representative "voluntarily withdrew" the product to conduct a review of the appliance in line with legal requirements, particularly in relation to warnings and instructions.

As if parents like this one would read any instructions. 

The e–Bogeyman Again

Children in the UK should be offered the same protection from voracious social media companies that the Danish government has committed to providing (Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s as PM warns phones ‘stealing childhood’, 7 October) so that we can put a stop to the immense damage they are wreaking.

What 'damage' ? And if there is any, is it not offset by the good they are doing in keeping children enytertained and in touch? No tool, after all, is ever single purpose...

...we are not alone in wanting action – 70% of the UK public believe that social media companies are robbing children and young people of their childhoods, and want to see the digital age of consent raised from 13 to 16.

70% of the UK public believe all sorts of crazy things, like reality shows being worthehile tv, and Roger Moore being the best Bond. Can we have an example of of what these phones are allegedly doing? And perhaps why it isn't up to parents to choose?  

From disrupted sleep and shorter attention spans to reduced social skills and exposure to radicalised and extreme views, children and young people are being exploited by big tech executives who are making billions as a result.

Ah, I see - all the usual teenage things are blamed on a device so mumsie and popsie (if that latter exists in their life) can have a pop at capitalism. No doubt signing up to this on their own fondleslab, the hypocrites! 

We are calling on our government to raise the age of access to social media to 16, create space on the school curriculum to teach digital literacy, and introduce a windfall tax on social media companies to pay for mental health services that go some way to undoing the damage they have inflicted on children and young people in this country.

No do the Covid lockdown and unrestricted immigration. 

'Mum Of The Year' Award Can Be Given Early....

Amanda Shannon, from Dovecot, claims Rainhill High School has repeatedly failed to implement "reasonable adjustments" for her daughter Rebecca, who began the new term in September wearing nose and upper lip piercings - a birthday gift from her father.

One of the most unpleasant and unattractive of modern 'fashions', and of course, mum exercises no taste or control and so agrees to this. 

Rebecca, who has inattentive and hyperactive ADHD and is awaiting assessment for pathological demand avoidance (PDA), is said to have been placed in isolation and later excluded for two days for breaching the school's uniform regulations.

A grab-bag of initials that prtobably means 'perfectly healthy but disobedient and disrespectful little hellion'.... 

Amanda claims the school declined to allow Rebecca to wear transparent retainers whilst on the premises – something she believes would have represented a reasonable compromise.

You seem to be forgetting they have no readon to compromise - they laid down the rules, and you need to follow them. 

The piercings, Amanda maintains, are vital to Rebecca's sense of self and fulfil a practical function by serving as a "fidget toy" in her mouth, helping her concentrate during classes, reports the Liverpool Echo, reports the Mirror.

Strange hoe such things weren't needed when I was at school, we all concentrated or we knew what would happen! 

The 44 year old told the ECHO: "She sees it as part of who she is. Rebecca struggles with identity and confidence. She's said to me: 'This is me, this is who I am.'

"Last year, even getting her into the classroom was a struggle. This year she really wants to learn. She's told me she wants to progress sets and do well, but now it feels like she's being shut out."

She probably is, if I headed up that school I'd do anything I could to ensure she stayed out, for the sake of the kids who want to learn without disruption. 

Amanda, an NHS critical care nurse (Ed: !!!) , also claimed that Rebecca was denied access to the school canteen during her isolation period, stating: "Rebecca rang me saying, 'Mum, I'm hungry and they won't let me get any food.' I had to tell the teacher they were breaching her basic human rights. Only then did they let her get something to eat."

School says 'Didn't happen!'  

Rainhill High School has categorically refuted this, asserting: "We can confirm that we would never restrict access to food or drink for any student, regardless of the situation."

Translation: 'Chavmum is trying it on, just like her hellspawn. Who probably learned it from her in the first place. 

The concerned mother worries her daughter could face permanent exclusion unless the matter is resolved.

Again, if I were headmistress, that's what I'd be planning. 

What's Wrong With Children In The UK?

A 17-year-old boy who filmed a 'hero' grandfather as he lay dying on the street before sharing the video on social media has avoided jail.

Is that even surprising anymore? And of course, it wasn't his sole transgression: 

The boy pleaded guilty to sending a grossly offensive, indecent or menacing message at Worthing Youth Court, West Sussex, yesterday. He also admitted possessing cannabis and was given a 12-month Youth Referral Order following the incident on Gladonian Road in Littlehampton, West Sussex.

This incident appears to be yet another case of killer 'children' (for that is how the justice system will treat them): 

Another 17-year-old boy, from Bognor Regis, has been charged with manslaughter. He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 6 for a pre-trial preparation hearing.

Meanwhile, elsewhere:

A 16-year-old girl and two boys, aged 14 and 15, have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in a seaside resort. Kent Police were called to the Warden Bay Road area of Leysdown-on-Sea, on the Isle of Sheppey, shortly after 7pm on Sunday, following an altercation involving a small number of people.

Alexander Cashford, 49, was confirmed dead at the scene, with the force saying multiple injuries to his body were reported.

What the hell went wrong with our society? 

They Will Never Stop Until They Are Made To Stop...By Parents

Primary school children aged just four are being taught about surrogacy when they learn where babies come from for the first time. Reception classes are told that children can have a ‘tummy mummy’ as well as a ‘mummy and/or daddy who will be their parents’ when learning about the basics of reproduction.

 They are four. At four, most children have a hard time learning more important concepts, like not sticking everything they are offered up their nose!

Among ‘key vocabulary’ four and five-year-olds must learn are ‘surrogacy’ and ‘donated sperm or eggs’ in a module titled: ‘Where do babies come from?’

That seems a bit harsh, until you remember that one four year old in class who could pronounce all those dinosaur names correctly. And that had more value to their future life than this nonsense!  

Parents and campaigners say it is ‘highly inappropriate’ to teach these topics to such young children, saying it is only likely to confuse them. They add that the concepts should be introduced only to much older children ‘as part of lessons on thorny ethical issues such as euthanasia and abortion’.

Ball's in your court, parents - take an interest in what's being taught and pull your children from school if you find it's something you don't agree with. 

Helen Gibson, founder of Surrogacy Concern, said she is ‘appalled’ to see surrogacy being taught to such young children and has written to the Department for Education (DfE) to raise concerns.

A letter they will throw straight in the bin. 

The DfE said the teaching material was developed by a private relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) provider and is not compulsory in all primary schools, adding: ‘The RSHE guidance is clear that where schools choose to do so they must make sure they teach age-appropriate topics.’

A very modern response - 'it's not our fault, big boys did it and ran away'. 

I Suppose Watching Your Offspring Like A Hawk Isn’t An Option?

The news that a child damaged a £42m Mark Rothko painting at a museum in Rotterdam last month had me wondering how I’d feel if my toddler was the culprit.

Probably delighted to have material for yet another tedious 'Look, I've reproduced, worship me!' column... 

This story has brought out two categories of people that I’ll admit I struggle with: people who don’t get the work of Mark Rothko, and people who dislike kids.

Oh, give me strength…. 

...it’s the usual calls for children to be banned from public spaces. They shouldn’t be allowed into galleries if they can’t behave, and their parents should be made to pay – that sort of thing.

And you can see why! 

Children respond instinctively to art. They have not built up defences, or preconceptions about it, and the earlier you take them to galleries and expose them to different styles and mediums, the more open and receptive they will be to things that are experimental, unusual or transgressive.

Or maybe children are just unsocialised little animals that shouldn’t be allowed free rein in society? 

Children explore the world through touch. My boy loves to scratch his fingers against woodchip wallpaper, to stand with his palms flat against the rough bark of a tree. Anyone familiar with kids will be able to imagine what went through that child’s mind as they stood in front of Grey, Orange on Maroon, No 8. Something about the unvarnished, slightly chalky surface of the paint made them want to feel it. And so they did. Arguably, in doing so, they connected with the work of Rothko on a deeper level than many adults.

🙄

Either way, I hope that the child wasn’t made to feel too bad. Perhaps it’ll be a funny story that the parents tell someday, and I bet they watch their child a bit more closely in future. I don’t want to add to the shame they are probably already feeling, but I do wonder if it’s time modern parents had a think about rehabilitating the much-maligned toddler reins of the 1980s and 90s, even if just for occasional use.

But wasn’t it your type of progressive mummies who demanded their use be curtailed as they stifled ‘free expression’ in the first place?  

Instead Of Questioning What Went Wrong With The Finances, Why Not Question What’s Going Wrong With Biology?

The financial threat hanging over English councils, as a result of the last government’s decision to mask special needs overspending with an accounting ruse, is made plain in a Guardian investigation that used freedom of information requests to dig into their accounts. How ministers plan to deal with the £5.2bn debt that will reappear on balance sheets in a year – having been temporarily hidden by the Conservatives – is unknown. But doing nothing is not an option.

Clearly, trying to find out the cause of this increased spending is also not an option. Since no-one appears to be asking the question.  

The alarming mismatch between the steeply rising need for special education and the budgets allocated to pay for it is one of the biggest challenges facing the government – with at least 18 councils at risk of insolvency.

They've known the bill will come due for seven years. Maybe if they'd cut back on DEI nonsense and activist pandering, they'd have a few more pennies in the kitty to pay for it? 

There is no short answer to the question of what went wrong.

As this is the 'Guardian', I'm sure the blame can be laid at the feet of the previous government, can't it? 

But reforms brought in under David Cameron are responsible for pitting families against councils in the struggle for additional support – while central government sits on the sidelines.

Thought so!  

Between 2015-16 and 2024-25, high‑needs funding in England rose by 59% or £4bn to nearly £11bn.

Why? For the love of god, doesn't anyone ask WHY?! 

The Piper Always Has To Be Paid Eventually…

The staggering cost of England’s special educational needs and disability (Send) crisis shows no sign of easing. A Guardian investigation has revealed councils will overspend on Send services by nearly £2bn over the next year, pushing their accumulated deficits to at least £5.2bn by 31 March 2026. The date is crucial because that is when the £5.2bn debt, hidden away off local authority books using an accounting fix for seven years, is due to come back on to the balance sheets, threatening to instantly bankrupt scores of town halls.

They've had seven years of knowing this axe was going to fall, and what have they done, except spend like drunken sailors on DEI nonsense and pandering to every crazy activist in the area? 

The government faces a massive headache: not just what to do about the rapidly increasing billions of historic Send debt, but how to keep a lid on future Send spending, which shows no sign of abating.

And is anyone asking why this is? Why are a growing number of children requiring SEND assistance? Wouldn't that be a sensible thing to do?  

City of York council, the only authority surveyed by the Guardian that is projecting its accumulated Send budget deficit to move into surplus next year, was sceptical about keeping its head above water in future. “Unless the system is changed, we will go back into deficit quite quickly,” said Bob Webb, York council’s executive member for children, young people and education.

Bob doesn't seem too surprised or even concerned at anything about this, except the bottom line for his funding. He's not the only one. 

Mike Cox, the deputy leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council, whose forecast deficit will hit £168m by 31 March 2026, up £60m in a year, predicts: “[Government] is going to keep kicking the can down the road. The only thing that will change is that the can will get bigger and harder to kick.”

Maybe you should be shouting about where the can came from in the first place instead? 

🎵Friend, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated by the presence of emojis in your community..🎵

Police and schools have issued warnings to parents about a 'sinister emoji' code used by incel teenagers in the wake of the success of Netflix hit Adolescence.

Is there no end to the ridiculous panic over this TV propaganda? Now every quango and charlatan wants a piece of the 'incel' grift... 

Teachers and police forces have distributed a 'periodic table of sinister emojis' believed to be used by under-18s to conceal disturbing messages about violence, sex, drugs, and extremism.

In case any parents were thinking 'Whew! At last, the police and schools are on OUR side!' then I caution you to think again.  

Merseyside Police have already circulated the emoji table to schools and parents, according to the Liverpool Echo. However, critics have dismissed the warnings as 'moral panic'.

And they are right.  

Amit Kalley, the founder of education charity For Working Parents urged mothers and fathers to 'keep researching and asking the right questions' about their children's digital lives. He told the Telegraph: 'The table I created is far from an exhaustive list, but I wanted to include emojis beyond incel and misogyny, because lots of young people are groomed online into drugs and violence and lots of young people are involved in dangerous sexual behaviours, which they can hide from parents by using emojis and acronyms. '

OK, Amit, I'll ask questions: Why the hell is anyone expected to listen to you and your little grift frightening parents about what their kids might be getting up to? You don't appear to have any qualifications for this, after all.