Do we need to nanny parents these days?
The British Medical Association has called for all children under the age of five to be given free toothbrushes by the Government. So many kids have rotten teeth that doctors also want cigarette style warnings to be printed on packages of children’s food that have a high sugar content. “It is shocking that so many children this young need to have teeth removed, often in hospital under general anaesthetic,” said Dr Iain Kennedy, the BMA public health committee chairman.
Also, this week teachers complained that too many children were starting school without being properly toilet trained. This is a significant waste of resources and causes great distress to the pupils who have yet to learn such a basic life skill.
What does all of this say about us? How can a parent not know to buy their child a toothbrush? How can a boy or girl get to four years old and not know how to use the loo? Is nannying mums and dads the answer, or will it create yet more problems? And finally, am I now so old that I have got to the stage where I start talking about how parenting was different in my day? Oooh, I do hope so.