Trip to London and something to ponder

You were bored and needed something to ponder, right? Here you go.

We were in London UK end of Sept. Lots in the news pertaining to children.

How would you feel if everybody (not just professionals but friends and family . . . maybe not family, I don't remember and the only news article I found on line was in Scotland . . . ) How would you feel if every adult who cares for, carpools with, or otherwise interacts with your child
was required to have a government background check?

I'd be more worried about all the people those people come in contact with when the child is in their care than the friends I hand pick and trust.

When is it too much? It is but it isn't because we've lost a lot of the social controls that used to keep our kids safe and when, it would seem, kids had a whole lot more freedom. Those social controls weren't foolproof either but the lifestyle grew something different in kids and something relationally different. For better? For worse?

So at the same time we hear about this in the news (we have friends with 3 small children who live near London) they made the comment that it is financially viable to have one child with both parents working but once you have more it's not. It's better for one to be home. Wow! These are people who, when we knew them 15 years ago weren't sure they ever wanted a family. I found hearing both comments in the same conversation an interesting cultural/social contrast.

So what happens when the laws are in place but more and more moms (or dads) are staying home to raise and supervise their kids and spend time with their neighbors and need the regular trade offs and they know each other better than they know the professionals in their school? It's probably still not the same as families growing up together and living around each other for a couple of generations and sharing a similar value system. To think we never really know each other as well as what the government can find out about us is pretty scary. . . but I regress . . .

Even here in the states it's good to know what's happening legally. Home schoolers may have an edge on that - at least they tend to be very aware of laws that pertain to home and education. Support the things you care about but play the Devil's advocate so you don't get blind-sided meaning look at it from every angle before you support it. Think about the consequences - long term and short term.

I'm glad we made it to young adulthood at my house.