Do you think that mothers should be checked on every now and then to see how they are raising there children?

Question

In the light of all these recent allegations of child abuse should parents be checked once a year?

Answer 1

No. Why have you not mentioned fathers too?????

And what is wrong with rubbing cream onto a 12 year old? My eight year old loves the massage he gets when i rub cream on his back and neck. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with this. We are actually told these days that masssaging a new born baby is important and that mother and baby benefit from it!!

Answer 2

Yes - and they should be whipped with wet horsehair if they're rubbish parents.  Also if they're really bad parents they should be made to leap off a cliff onto a spike.

Answer 3

i think that there are good points and bad points on an idea like this.

Answer 4

no because they love their children and they will do anything to protect them

Answer 5

It shouldnt have to be that way, but I totally see where you are coming from and yes in acutal fact maybe some sort of action like this does need to be taken! Its a disgrace the way some children are treated and perhaos regular visists from helathcare workers etc would eliminate this. They do it for babies a few months after theyre born, maybe itd be good if they did it every 6 months until the kids 16. Sad, but look at the world we live in and you'll see its actually logical.

Answer 6

I do but I don't agree with this........I'm in the middle lol. I don't think its a bad thing if parents are raising their children well because they'l have nothing to hide however, I do think theres more important things the social services should be doing like rescuing children who are being abused.

Answer 7

The health service in my area has changed so dramatically, this is me comparing when I had my older son who's now 12 and my youngest who's 2. My baby doesn't get regular appointments for check ups and weigh-ins and any advice I want, I have to go a central clinic to see a health visitor instead of my just walking to my doctors surgery. So many walk-in clinics have stopped at the local doctors as well as regular 5min appointments to check your babies progress, so many more children are not being monitored for health and well being. This is the government and their cut backs. This would have stayed a good way to monitor parent and child progress but sadly it's all to do with money.

When my baby was due his jags at 9months and 11months, he had been ill both those times and couldn't make the appointments. No-one questioned me - or even asked if I wanted to make a later appointment! They just told thanks for letting us know you can't make it in. Now that was a lack of concern!!

I have nothing to hide and I wouldn't mind if a health visitor/social worker wanted to make an annual appointment to check progress of my children. Although the schools usually keep a closer eye on changes of a child's behaviour these days, I think young children of pre-school age should not be neglected from regular health visitor visits, they are after all there to help and advise parents.

Answer 8

Behave yourself, why should the good parents suffer for the bad, most people are capable of bringing up their own children without abuse and you know something if ever I felt out of control I'd be more than willing to seek outside help for myself.

That to me is like saying, shall I put points on your driving licence just in case you comit a driving offence or you should pass your driving test again annually just in case, bet you wouldn't like it and you know what gets me, your not even a parent !!!!

Answer 9

we as parents tend to rear our young in the similar manner as our parents.nothing wrong with good old fashioned parenting.i am one of nine children and we were taught how to respect our elders,peers and our social well being.were taught how not to be greedy.if you want something bad you saved up for it.today you get into debt for it.

Answer 10

No not unless you want to live in a Big Brother state

Answer 11

my husbands ex wife used to drop her kids off in the school yard 1/2 before any staff were there, she repeatedly left a 10, 8 , and four year old alone telling the oldest to get the neighbours if they needed help. Her boyfriend pushed the 10 yr old down the stairs (at14) as a punishment. The 10 year old was caught trying to change the plug fuse from the toaster to the microwave as the only thing he could find to feed them in the house were two frozen sausage rolls.  The 4 year old regularly went to other houses nearby and asked for food.

Despite us and several other families going to social services. The kids were well dressed, and not in trouble at school, (when young) they relied on her statements and did nothing further. Both elder boys are now school dropouts and the youngest one is showing signs for concern...the older two 20 and 18 both now live with us, but we have spent 20k on custody of the now 14 yr old since he was 11, she had alledged us kidnapping him and everything despite the older boys testimony the jusdge still favours the mother.

She has two further boys by another man, and they are abusive and very badly behaved.

I HAVE NO FAITH in this system, especially one where you try to protect children and do everything you can and you are turned away at every opportunity.

Oh and on the cream issue, at leat this mother is doing cream either for dry skin sun burn whatever, i've lost count of the times i've had to cover my stepsons in aftersun as they were burnt to a crisp...

Answer 12

here in NI (the UK) we get health visitor who comes for the first 6 weeks, then we get a check up after a few months, then a health & safety type visitor at 6 months and the HV comes back at 15 months.  They also ask us to complete questionnaires about our state of mind and discuss the father, mother, jobs, money, stresses as well as how to care for the little one.  Then include immunisation at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 1 year so the doctor asks if anything's up - and most parents will have their baby to the doctor within the first year at least once or twice.  Also we have Sure Start grants of up to £500 once the baby is born and the Sure Start people check in several times within the first 6 months too and ask the same things as well as sending literature to you about charities, help, mum's clubs, baby activities etc.  If they miss signs during all that, it's because they want to and something is seriously wrong.  I find it hard to believe that no one knows when a child is being mistreated - including neighbours.  Exzcept for sexual abuse which is shady/sneaky and very well hidden - but physical abuse, domestic problems - someone somewhere knew/knows everytime.

Answer 13

Children are under the supervision of a health visitor until the age of five. Though this is provrn to be extremely uneffective in my mind. I have three boys and my health vivitor has seen my youngest once since he was born (now 3.5yrs). There is a child I have come across recently who has extreme learning difficulties and was removed from the family home fro a short while because of abuse allegations. She is now back with her family but has not had any interaction with other children at all!!! She is due to start mainstream primary school in September. I mean whats going on, how has this child been left to the awful care she has recieved from her stupid family who have no clue whatsoever about the needs of the child. So i think that the 0-5 thing is a very poorly managed check indeed.

Answer 14

sounds good therory, but social services are busy enough dealing with real cases of child abuse. It would take alot of time and paperwork to check on every parent, So much in fact that, alot of these abused children would then be ignored

Answer 15

Hi not at all as for one reason who is to say one parent is not treating there child properly everyone has there own way, I agree if the parent is neglecting there child or abusing them in some way, but for every parent to be checked is just wrong especailly if they are good parents, Social services take the mick on what being a good parent is and what isnt so if you can have these people off you back then you are better off. I wouldnt like someone coming to my house every year telling me how to look after my kids, as they probably dont even know themselves.

Answer 16

I think the abusers would just become better at covering it up.  I think too many people 'mind their own business' when they suspect abuse because the thought that it could be happening is horrible.  I say better to report it and be cleared, than be right about it going on but avoid thinking about it then have something tragic happen.

Answer 17

How can rubbing cream into your sons skin be 'funny'?  My son has very dry skin and i have to help him rub cream in because he wount do it properly.  Also, i like to make sure my kids are protected from the sun so i rub that in for them too.

Obviously, my 9 year creams his own bottom and whatnot, but i do his arms, back, legs, face and chest.

Harry - As i said, he doesn't do it completely, there is nothing 'wrong' with my son, he is a kid who doesn;t want to stand there creaming himself for ages with me moaning that he has missed bit.  I would rather help him then him risking sunburn or sore skin for dry patches.  As the lady before me said, its a sad states of affairs if rubbing suncream into your child is considered perverted.  If this is the case, then they should ban all childrens sun cream adverts because the adults on those are creaming their children that are the same size as my son.

I can see it would be a good idea to check parents every now and again but like another person answered, thats just more invasion of out privacy.

Also, who do you suppose would end up paying for this service?

Answer 18

Cream on a 12 year olds body??     it all depends what part of the body!

Suncream on his back, arms, neck is normal surely or are we raising a generation of kids who see any form of contact as perverted?

Sad ole world if we cant care and love our kids without double checking we arent being 'weird'.

And as for your question, yes, in an ideal world regular checks that continue past babyhood would be good and not only for child abuse but diet and general upbringing.

Answer 19

So you think that every body should be made to feel like a criminal? I am all for child protection, but that is a ridiculous idea. Besides, how much more is that going to cost the tax payer, I would rather my money went to hospitals, fire stations etc.