Kids having kids

I know we can’t keep our children in cotton wool all their lives but we can certainly ensure they enter adulthood with a high degree of confidence in reading signs of unacceptable behaviour or advances from those they choose to associate with.

But mostly we talk to our children regularly about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, and inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Where once I used to spend most of my Saturdays at the pub betting recklessly on slow horses, pressing unlucky poker machine buttons, and buying drinks for friends who didn’t reciprocate - I now spend quality time with my children at sporting events or social gatherings.

I hope parents who allow their children to wander free during the day and night with no restrictions do not become the subject of national media scrutiny like those parents were in early 2008; when their children allegedly engaged in prostitution work in return for cigarettes and alcohol from willing truckies visiting the area.

For those defenceless parents, single mum’s in particular, who are physically intimidated into turning a blind eye to perpetrators accosting their underage children within their community, I recommend strongly that they show some ticker and report them to the police. If the local police don’t take their complaint seriously then report them to a higher authority.

It also appals me that parents allow their children to consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes at home - believing that it is best to control their consumption. Their action in condoning this behaviour is unlawful and should also be reported.

It is also beyond comprehension for me that parents allow their children to bring their boyfriend or girlfriend home and then into their bedroom for privacy. Parents have got to be kidding themselves if they seriously think their child is exchanging school notes or iTunes (which is exactly what Chantelle Steadman’s mother thought when little Alfie visited her house to play games behind closed doors) when in all probability they are venturing into the realm of risky sexual activity.

Ignorance of our children’s behaviour should never be an excuse.