ginger_ninjaA new report, commissioned by the Childrens Society, has just been published. Two years in the making this report makes it clear who is responsible for childhood obesity, increased violence and mental illness amongst children. We are (parents and grown ups).

Parents, paranoid about the dangers of playing outdoors, are responsible for imposing restrictions on their offspring. Children are allowed, even encouraged, to spend too much time in front of the goggle box where they are brain-washed into becoming consumers. And what do they want to consume? Fast, fatty, unhealthy foods, more TV and computer games.

Families break down, or never existed in the first place, as people become parents without any thought or consideration for the responsibilities involved. Single parents are forced to go out to work leaving children with nobody to look up to. Instead they turn to celebrities who generally don’t set the best examples.

The report has highlighted the importance of male role models, absent from the lives of many children today. It is noted that children who have good relationships with their fathers are far less likely to develop behavioural or emotional problems.

The report presents around 30 hard-hitting recommendations for parents, teachers, government and society as a whole. They include the recommendation that advertising to children under 12 should be banned and to do away with the publication of data that has lead to school league tables published in the media. It is recommended that teachers working in schools located in deprived areas are paid a generous premium in order to retain good staff and improve the quality of education from these schools.

My own recommendation is simple. Don’t have children. Too many people embark upon parenthood without any real idea of their responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to provide a solid, nurturing family environment. That means staying together and working out any problems that might arise for the good of the children. When you become a parent your life, from then on, should be all about your children, not you. So if you haven’t already sprogged (a slang term I’ve recently learned which apparently means ‘had a baby’) don’t! You know it makes sense.

If you already have children there is a lot you can do to improve their lives. If they are still young then encourage more energetic outdoor activity by playing with them more often yourself. It’s important that you, as a parent, set a good example. So it’s no good sitting in front of the TV, eating burgers, smoking cigarettes and sucking down beer. You need to get outside and join in a little.  I found that a little swing slide playset in the garden was all that was needed to get them out to play a little more. All I had to do was push them on the swings.

So, keep your children away from the television as much as possible and set some sensible boundaries that you can enforce. If you are a parent this is your responsibility and duty, not an option.

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