NatashaD

According to the council, open next week....but the staff says they'll still be in the temporary site next week - and back to the original site the following week! Worth emailing this guy for a definitive answer [email protected]

Fuschia, I checked for you, and you are RIGHT. The clubs are for under 8s during the holidays.

LOL lozzyloz. That's OK.

Maybe Louisa has been banned - liked poor Spangles was. The forum is a duller place without them...in my opinion....

Thank you Sean and Moo for answering 'Lozzyloz's point in a balanced way. As a relatively 'new' poster, I am a bit affronted that 'Lozzyloz' has jumped down my throat, so to speak, on a couple of occasions. I have no idea why.

Who are the 'baddies' Keef? I can't believe you went 'ape' at Spangles and ???, Sean. Surely not....?

Perhaps we could recommend that "Welsh- inebriated-prolific-breeder" Mike et al come on a jolly down to ED (courtesy of the social, naturally) with the intention of imbibing Strongbow at the CPT. I, and my sharp pair of scissors, would happily meet him. He might return to Wales with a slightly higher voice after our encounter though....:-S

If I am being honest, I would say I like my own children, but am not really fussed about other people's. I find it irritating being in environments with little children. In short, it isn't 'me'. Moos you are quite right when you say "but there is a general kid-ness which could be defined as brutal frankness, energy, a tendency to see the world in a very egocentric way, and a general lack of behavioural filters. Which one might find charming. Or not." I find all that you list deeply annoying, but part and parcel of having kids. I am not quite sure why I had children. I certainly didn't have an 'overwhelming urge', but nor did I leave it 'til mid/late 30s as I didn't want to be a much 'older' mother. Parenting is knackering at any age, but MUST be even more knackering for older parents. So why did I have children? I think the answer is that I didn't want to go through life 'childless', and I kept being 'reminded' by all and sundry that they (kids) 'enhance' your life; make you a 'less selfish person' etc. I wish people had been as honest as I am about the downsides of parenting.

Thanks for the Idiocracy link Sean.

Yes Ant. 'Mike' had the gall to express his disdain that the women were puffing away in front of the babies, loftily asserting that he at least waited until they were a bit older. (LOL, if it wasn't so tragic.) The family dog had a lucky escape being dumped on the road and conveniently 'forgotten' about. Mike needs to be castrated. I would do it gladly. Pass me a pair of scissors.

clive3300, you are quite right in saying "The apparently well-meaning welfare state has distorted society to the point where this sort of rolling disaster is actually a viable economic unit." This abysmal father said it wasn't worth him working unless he cleared ?500+ a week, which is what he currently receives in social security benefits. It is a big fault in the system that allows people like this to carry on breeding, and using tax payers' money to finance their addictions. This particular father also breezily stated that he wouldn't mind having another child, as it would mean he could add another tattoo to his repulsive body. MadWorld and Keef I am not surprised you share my sense of horror. The kids should go into care. At least, in a care home, they wouldn't be sitting on the lap of an inebriated buffoon as he sings to the tune of Barry Mannilow's "Mandy" .."Oh Strongbow....etc"....I mean..........

What do you mean 'as well'?

Sean, don't be worried that you will 'upset me'. I think you are being very polite in your posts, and I am not at all upset. I am on my best behaviour at the moment, and am sure you have noticed that.

Like me Sean? IN what way?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00cl893

No thanks shoshntosh, I don't agree with breast implants. Anyway, I am not too dissatsfied with my physique as I always did loads of exercise so am not in as bad shape as I could be. Frightening thought about the radiation from the PC, but yeh, see what you mean.....hmmm.....It's easy to feel 'guilty', but I try not to. I am doing the best I can, and although I may lose my rag with my children, from time to time (OK pretty much daily), they know they are loved and cared for. I know I can get the 'me' stuff back in due course, but I am not sure I will ever be able to return full time to my profession as, to do it properly, it is all consuming. In short, one must be 'married to it', which I was - for many years. Found it impossible to do my job full time and bring up young children. I tried. But then felt guilty about children being in full time childcare. PLus it was so damned expensive. I have managed to get my head around being a 'mum' now, but it took time. Psychologically, I felt it was something of a 'come down' after years pursuing a relatively dazzling profession which I LOVED. (I am on maternity leave currently). Very well put Sean.

I don't usually watch this type of programme ,but I couldn't switch off. It's why I am so knackered this morning. That poor toddler crawling over the dinner table in just a nappy and picking food off the others' plates. The nine year old girl who was accused of stealing and said "yeh - but only from shops, not from family" - as if that justified it. The two "friends" who were supposed to keep an eye on the family whilst dad was in prison were next to useless. In fact they were worse than useless as all they did was sit around drinking and smoking. I know this kind of thing is heavily edited but the BBC's remit is to avoid stereotyping and represent as fairly as is possible. I did find it quite ironic that the boys had been out stealing copper pipes and boilers and that the reason the family had no water was that their water pipes had been stolen! The mother was portrayed in such a bad light - sitting and smoking as her world fell apart and the kids turned feral. Although to be fair she was probably suffering from severe depression. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a real family, and an example of the white underclass which is now welfare dependent. I was outraged that the family clear almost ?30,000 PA tax free, yet the kids were sleeping 4 to a filthy mattress, while the father wheeled crates of Strongbow cider back to his revolting hovel. This maybe a contraversial comment but I believe families like this should have their benefits stopped if they have more than, say 2 kids. WHy should the STate finance these feckless types? If you didn't see this programme go watch it on the BBC website. It is compellingly gripping, and horrifying to boot.

Glad I raised a laugh Sean, but it is no laughing matter that kids can potentially wreck one's physique! :'( As I have already said, kids make you broke they are expensive you have to act responsibly crying, screaming and general noise mess cooking cleaning for them everyday pooey nappies, vomit, wee they embarass you they stress you out you constantly worry about them etcetera etcetera One positive, is that you become ambidextrous when you are breastfeeding. And breastfeeding is also a good excuse to sit and chill in front of the computer playing Scrabulous, and wittering inanely on forums such as this.

I don't think having kids is the 'best thing ever'. My close friends don't have, or want children, and have a super and fulfilling life. I, on the other hand, am always shattered, have turned into a harridan who guzzles wine like nobody's business. I have little money - compared to when I was working full time -; I haven't been travelling to far flung exotic climes since the first kid came along - and my boobs resemble two fried eggs, thanks to breastfeeding. I used to go to the cinema, theatre and eat out weekly, now I'm lucky if it's every few months. I love my kids, but am not sure my life is 'better' as a result of having them.

I am surprised that Louisa and Spangles haven't been mentioned.

KalamityKel, I have had a few last night and am feeling tha rather ill effects of it this morning!:-S But appreciate the sentiment - even though it is rather early in the day for me.

Yes administrator. 'Get over it' was a rather blunt thing to say. I apologise.

Ms B, I have not said the comment WASN'T racist. I apologise for saying 'muffintop' has a 'massive chip', as I can see how the comment has been misconstrued. It was in reference to to some of the rather aggressive responses (my opinion) I have recived from this poster on other threads. Of course this comment about 'pretty for a black girl' was sexist and racist, and therefore inappropriate.

Saccharine sweet aint my middle name TillieTrotter, but thanks anyway.

I am not looking for a rise. It is an opinion based on your comment, if anything giving rise to further discussion. It is your opinion that the comment from those blokes was 'racist' and 'derogatory'. You accused me of speaking 'unsubstantiated twaddle' on another thread, when I had checked my facts. You hadn't. You made comments about how paedophiles tend to be white (totoally irrelevant to the thread, incidentally), but could not accept that in this country there are overwhelmingly higher numbers of single parent black families FOR WHATEVER REASON. Many single parents are doing grand jobs of bringing up their children, but the statistics prove that delinquents tend to come from single parent families.