NEWS JUNKIE

I have always been a news junkie, you really don't want to be with Mick and I when we discuss issues of news etc, we argue - a lot.

Recently I have been able to watch continuous news, and I have things to say on most things.

The ah factor, did you see those lovely baby (real) Panda's on Sunday and today in the Mail, I just love them. What a pity the chinese do not take such good care of human children, especially girls babies.


I again state there really has to balance in childrens lives - when it comes to food. No to '00' models who are quite ridiculous and encourage children to be far too thin IT IS NOT HEALTHY.

Just what are celebrity parents thinking of dressing their children up as mini mee's? I dread to think how many paedohiles will use the kind of photos recently seen to justify their often used excuse that 'children are sexual beings'. It will open the door to abuse. Actually many of these children are already lost because their parents are lost in the land of celebrity which is 'make believe'. These kids are just playing dressing up games (notice it's nearly always just the girls) Many of their parents are not rounded people many are still playing dressing up themselves. Many of the kids will end up like their parents either burnt out at an early age or still going into their pension years ever addicted to celebrity. Many will end up being extensions of their parents lives, who are not considered celebrity any more, as beens. For many it is the only way they can hold their parents attention. We are even now into third generation 'celebrity offspring' with kids trying to ape, grandparent and parent celebrities.


Equally some parents seem to think that excess junk food is Fine. It is fine as a treat, not every day. Obesity kills and the worse is yet to come, we don not yet know the full effects of childhood obesity in this generation of kids. Excercise and good food make for an active mind. Develops discipline and good foundations for adult hood. We don't know the effect because the children of previous generations did not have access to computer games and fast food. Those children had different issues. I like the Italian idea of SLOW FOOD as an antidote to the FAST FOOD CULTURE. the other thing I know about continental meals is that they are family meals, eaten over longer period. Not gulped down - nor washed down with sodas. I am with Jamie Oliver in this. He did a great programme about Italian food recently and eye opener. I grew up eating lots of Italian food because my Pa worked for an Italian company, there was always fruit. I was always welcomed to eat with the adults and enjoyed long meals with such people from whom I learnt such a lot. It is not only schools who teach - I learnt language, manners, history, geography, science (I spent a lot of time in ships enginerooms) I learnt how to mix with a wide variety of people, I learnt to hold my own. Perhaps that is why I have never been out of work.


I am definately against the silly mothers who are undermining the school head/policy on school meals by selling precooked, preordered food through the fence. Just who are the other parents going to sue when the kids go down with ecoli, salmonella or other food based infection. If these mothers are in a position to do this, they are in a position to take their children home for meals, or could it be that the walk might hurt the kids, or are the mums to lazy to actually cook themselves. I feel the same about these mothers as I do those who insist on driving their kids to school (often just round the corner) they are incompetent parents. We are in danger of breeding children with no legs. Yes I drive, but I learnt to walk developing leg muscle and did walk to school, I learnt road sense and I learnt about dangers at an early age. If Mum can't do it them Dad can - if not then stay at school, have a proper dinner, do some study.

As an Historian I am aware that this situation is not new, there have always been issues like this about children and parenting since the Victorians developed the concept of childhood. I don't go down the route, of all mothers should be at home blah blah. Again it is balance and common sense that need to be applied.


The grumpy granny.