Single hen

[Tiggy]

I'm turning into one of those grumpy old women you see on the TV, there are lots of capable sensible parents out there, there must be I dont remember being dragged off to see the GP every time I had a cold or bumped myself & had a bruise, my mum was very good at putting ice packs on minor injuries, mixing up jugs of hot honey & lemon & off we went to play again, we walked to school & did not sit in a great line of 4x4s blocking the road,

 

you must have realised by now that my journey to work was a pain this morning & I've had lots of folks in with little ones with nothing wrong with them, I know its normal for parents to worry but what happened to common sense

 

I've just read an update that is advising us not to prescribe paracetamol to littleones unless they are very hot (consistently 38.5C+ ) because it is linked with an increased risk of asthma, likewise antibiotics, so some folks are going to get very cross with their GP or nurse in the future

[jlo]

Can't help but agree with you. I know that you will probably have seen this before but it does make me smile .....

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE

 

1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !

 

 

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

 

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

 

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

 

 

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.��

 

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

 

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY,

no video/dvd films,

no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

 

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no

Lawsuits from these accidents.

 

Only girls had pierced ears!

 

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,

 

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

 

RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on

MERIT

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's�always ruled the playground at school.

 

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

 

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

 

 

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO

DEAL WITH IT ALL!

 

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

[HENthusiastic]

I like it.

[poachedegg]

Spot on Jlo!!

[Tiggy]

I'm priniting it off, if only I could put it up on the wall outside my consulting room

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I hadn't seen that before, Jlo. It's so true .

 

Tiggy, I can't remember ever been taken to the doctor by my mum (except for my ears, which were a bit infection prone!)

 

It must be so tempting to say to the over-anxious neurotic mums, for goodness sake they're kids, they get a bit ill/bruised/off colour occasionally . They'll get over it .

 

Having said that, this afternoon I'm going to the funeral of the 16 year old daughter of friends of ours who had headaches for a few days, saw an optician (no problems) and died a few days later in her sleep. They had a doctor's appointment booked for the next week. They still don't know why she died.

[Tiggy]

ANH that is terrible, it can happen occassionaly, we had a young person die around here recently , its almost like cot death syndrome when a young person just dies for no reason, its tragic. Thankfully it is not a common occurrance

[Tessa the Duchess]

So true Jlo, that was my childhood exactly! There were no MMR vaccinations in those days, in fact if one of my friends contracted Measles etc., I was taken round to play with them so I would get it too, get it over with at an early age was the perceived wisdom then I also remember that the Dr. made proper housecalls and stayed for a cup of tea

 

ANH, how awful, so young. I will be thinking of you this pm.

 

Tessa

[Egluntyne]

It has been posted before...by me! as a thread called **Running with Scissors**

[Mutrix Farmers]

I was emailed this a year or two ago so it's good to see it's still in circulation. Thanks jlo.

[Omletina Kyckling]

I missed this one the first time around so it's great to see it.

 

It is sooo true....I sometimes think one reason the superbugs are really taking hold is that everything is so sterilised today, people use all these sprays and are constantly cleaning and spraying (you might guess from this I'm not exactly houseproud! )

 

I think that as a result, a lot of children (and adults) don't build up any kind of resistant to everyday germs so when a nasty one comes along, they are in big trouble.

 

Come to my house, lots of muck and germs here!

[Tiggy]

I saw a little one with measles last week & one with rubella this week, people have forgotten just how serious these illnesses are, vaccination has to be the good side of progress, but the kids I see with grubby faces & snotty noses hardly ever get really poorly.

 

one for the teachers out there, is there any case for teaching kids about looking after minor illness cough cold sore throat, first aid etc, I'm sure we did something like that in my day (now I sound like my mother )

[chickencam]

Come to my house, lots of muck and germs here!

 

 

I quite agree, the only time my children have been to the doctors has been when they have been ill for days with no sign of improvement, ear/eye infections or their pre-school jabs. I suspect they have not been to the doctors more than 3 times each in their nearly 10,12, & 15 years respectively apart from jabs.

 

Having said that I have just picked up my YD from school after they called me because she is feverish and feels sick, she looks very pale and has been put to bed with a bowl, a hug and a dose of paracetamol. Winter season has started

[keyhole kate]

I missed this one the first time around so it's great to see it.

 

It is sooo true....I sometimes think one reason the superbugs are really taking hold is that everything is so sterilised today, people use all these sprays and are constantly cleaning and spraying (you might guess from this I'm not exactly houseproud! )

 

I think that as a result, a lot of children (and adults) don't build up any kind of resistant to everyday germs so when a nasty one comes along, they are in big trouble.

 

Come to my house, lots of muck and germs here!

 

 

Great minds think alike Omletina Kyckling

 

How weird I had this very conversation with my YD only last night when she asked me why she has never had any of the childhood illnesses or allergies that all her schoolmates seem to suffer with I put forward the exact same theory as you

 

Not a fan of housework either clean but untidy

[alih]

I'm with chickencam and could never be a doctor as I would be incredibly rude to most of the ridiculous parents turning up (in their 4x4) with their snuffling children. My 4 have probably been to the doctors a total of 10 times between them in the 14 years since the oldest arrived and most of those were for jabs.

 

However my oldest 2 were born in France and boy do they like their drugs there! It's such a medicalised society that people go away upset from their GP if they don't have a prescription.

 

It revealed itself mostly when I was pregnant/ giving birth as most of the maternity hospitals just expect you to tip up, have your epidural and shut up. I changed hopsital from a state-of-the-art place to what the French called the "hippy hospital" for that very reason. It was wonderful - antenatal yoga, doctors who had worked all over the world so weren't trapped in some highly medicalised convenience-orientated state of mind and no drugs unless you absolutely wanted them. When my second daughter was born, the trainee midwife burst into tears of emotion as she had never seen a natural, drug-free childbirth before.

 

All that to say, Tiggy, I feel for you and marvel at your patience with your patients!

[Seagazer]

I don't take my kids to the doctors very often (in fact I think ES has only been 3 times in about 5 years) but when I do go I sit there worrying that the doctor is going to think I'm being neurotic.

 

Once I left taking my son when he was about 5 for a few days to see if he would perk up. He was tired all the time. It was when he said that his heart was beating funny that we got to the doctors. I had to see the practice nurse. She wanted him seen by the doctor and then the doctor said "I don't want you to panic but I want you to take him to the hospital straight away " I panicked!! After ecg's, xrays etc it turned out that he had had an infection that affected the muscles of his heart - I beat myself up about not taking him earlier even now. It could have had such a bad outcome. Luckily he had medicine and plenty of rest and all was well in the end.

 

But I would never bother taking them for coughs and colds or tummy upsets. Rest, fluids etc are great healers.

[alih]

My goodness, Seagazer, how awful - I think we wll know our kids well enough to know the difference between snuffles and something more serious. I remember well when my daughter was 3 being awake all night waiting for a doctor because I thought she had meningitis. I am the least worriesome parent in the world but that was a scary moment - she had to be admitted but was fine. Glad all was well with your son...and doctors can tell between neurotic parents and sensible ones, hey Tiggy???!!!

[Looney]

Sounds like you've had a lovely (not) day Tiggy!

 

I won't even start about children that aren't vaccinated ......i could rant on for a long time on that one!

[Guest]

All day every day I get kids saying "Miss can I go to medical?" they have a cold, cough, slight headache, bit of period pain or sometimes they say they "need a plaster" Honestly - a year 11 boy got a paper cut last week and wanted to go to medical for a plaster!!! I told him to suck his finger for a minute and he thought that idea was DISGUSTING! He was such a big girl that I just let him go and to my astonishment they actually gave him a plaster for this terrible injury.

 

Today a year 11 girls said "can I go to medical to get some Calpol!" "WHAT??" said I, "Calpol is for little kids" - "Oh I can't take tablets Miss" she said.

 

I went to a school reunion Saturday night and whilst wandering around the old place we saw the medical room - we couldn't remember there being one of those when we were there and someone remembered there was a little room but you only got taken there if you were really ill, after having seen the school secretary. The one which is there now had signs up indicating there is someone there all the time now.

 

I guess we must have been a healthy lot!

[Seagazer]

I think we were bred tougher in those days. My mum sent me to primary school with appendicitis

 

Obviously she didn't know it was a serious tummy ache, but was a working mum, so in I went. I can still remember having to sit outside headmaster's office feeling ill. It was next to the hall where they served lunch - and that day it was spam fritters Even thinking about it now makes me want to

[jomaxsmith]

Sorr but if my boys are off colour I take them to the Doctor. Not for coughs, colds, sniffles etc but anything more and I take them to be checked out. Having spent Christmas and Boxing Day 2002 in hospital with 8 month old ds1 for a meningitis scare after him not being 'quite right' I would rather not risk it.

 

Apologies if you think I'm wrong to do so but to my mind that's what the GP (or practise nurse here, you have been have a leg about to drop off before the dragon ladies on reception will let you book to see a GP) is for. Myself and dp have paid into the NHS for a long time, pay for our prescriptions etc so have a right to use the service. If over protective mums are to be discouraged, what about the life long smokers or hugely obese?

 

As to the safety aspect - our parents lived in a much more naive world than we do today. I truly believe most of the things in that list were done because our parents didn't know better - would my mum have smoked when pregnant if she'd known the risks, probably not. I don't suppose stranger danger is any worse now than it's ever been but knowing about it, how can we ignore it?

 

Sorry to rant but I won't be made to feel like a bad mother for being over protective of my children. They are the most important things in the world to me and no risk (real or perceived) is worth taking.

 

Jo

[Egluntyne]

I think we were bred tougher in those days. My mum sent me to primary school with appendicitis

 

Same here.

 

I vomited all over the class teacher's shoes and was sent home.

 

I can remember it as if it was yesterday. It was Bonfire Night.

[Seagazer]

Yes its one of those things you don't forget isn't it

[Tiggy]

doctors can tell between neurotic parents and sensible ones, hey Tiggy???!!! [/quote

 

quite right ] I never turn a parent & child away, moms normally know when little ones are poorly or just a bit off the hooks, I worry when the same ones turn up day in day out for trivial things, one day their child may be seriously ill & our threashold for worry would be high because these kids are here all the time. I would hate to miss anything - now who's neurotic

[Tiggy]

Today a year 11 girls said "can I go to medical to get some Calpol!" "WHAT??" said I, "Calpol is for little kids" - "Oh I can't take tablets Miss" she said.

 

 

tell me about it!!!