Parents 'abdicating responsibility for their children' - Telegraph

I read this yesterday, and as I know many of us who are parents probably at one time or another have to work and thereby leave our children at Breakfast clubs and after school clubs in order to work.. I know with my children it was all i could do to drop them off get to work on time and then dash out at the end of the day to get there before 6 pm and the possiblity of Social services being informed...or being fined extra money for lateness...

On one occassion my wife and I had a bit of a mix up whereby we each thought the other was picking the children up...and totally forgot them at school in Hackney.. I realised an hour later...rushed to the school no children, asked around nobody knew where the children were.. I tell had a cold sweat thinking how i'm gonna explain losing my own children.... Eventually I found them in an After school club an hour later and then having the shame of having to explain how i had misplaced them?

But seriously tho... if you don't work you get cuss for being wotless and a sponger.. if you work you get cuss for being a bad parent... As not many jobs pay good money working part time.. I thought this article was a bit harsh!!

do your children have a close relationship with their grandparents or other family members?
I know my niece spends more time with her grandparents and myself than her parents sometimes and she seems to be functioning.

I think the idea of two parents being THE most frequent presence in their child's life is simply a social construct. In other societies it's not uncommon for other family members, neighbors, friends etc. helping to "keep" the children.

I understand it's different though when you're talking about agencies like daycares, and after-school programs. The way I see it though is it's good socialization for the children. My niece is almost 3 and rarely sees children her own age or interacts with adults other than her family. You would think she's never seen short people the way her neck craaankks all the way around everytime a child walks by. I feel sad for her sometimes because she rarely if ever gets to play with other children and be out of the house w/out her family.

At the time my children had no relationship with their grand parents...My mother went back to JA..and my father wotless [unfortunately]... But i do agree with you that going to day care...is great for socialisation

Surely its all about cash. If you can afford to stay at home .. then one parent will/should.. which will invariably be the mother as to be frank its her job until the child is 5-7.

But its always going to be superior for a mother to be teaching and interacting with her child on a all day basis rather than a child minder looking after your child all day and you spending 3 hours max before they go bed. Open and shut case.