i dont write politics…

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I don’t write politics.

I write parenting.

I write because I enjoy it, I write because I like being read, I write to leave something for my children one day to read.

I write stories of my day, memories to preserve and I try and entertain the reader with stories of my parenting skills gone astray.

Today I don’t know what to write. The society I am in today is not one I want my children to know about.

I just watched the news, it told a story of a Somalia woman who gave birth to twins last week. One died on the roadside where she gave birth, the other stands a strong chance of dying from malnutrition or lack of clean water by the time she’s five. This story was juxtaposed with an video of an man injured by rioters in London, who was then robbed as he lay bleeding on the floor.

One countries youth is dying for lack of fresh water; and some of ours are setting fire to the streets and burning down their communities for consumer goods.

I don’t write about politics.

I write about parenting.

So what do I tell my children…

34 thoughts on “i dont write politics…”

  2. You tell them about the brilliant people who came out in their masses to stand up to these people. You tell them that the UK is great and These people are a disgusting minority. we have to focus on the positive for our children. We can teach them how to help in these situations.
    It’s hard, I’m thankful I don’t have to explain this to Sam yet. X

  3. Politics affects parenting and this post is very relevant. If my kids had been in school I would probably have written a short book on the blog today as there is so much stuff swirling round my head about the riots and I don’t think they’re going to end today sadly either.

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  5. I am glad I don’t have to explain it to mine. I dread the day when they find out how awful the world we live in really is, I want them to stay in their little bubble of happiness for a little while longer.

    Great post Jane. xxx

  6. We’re obviously quite out of it and don’t really know what’s going on. German radio today gave warnings re travelling to London.

    I will watch the news this evening.

    My children are older and it is important to talk about things with them. To try to give them reasons (good and bad) and to encourage them to talk about how they feel about the situation.
    When it’s a more complicated situation, I quite often try to give them the views of the ‘bad guy’. That way they think for themselves what the wrong decisions were and I hope that they will then think through their own good decisions later.
    We discuss it out until they have a good grasp on the situation.

    One of the things that makes me most sad is knowing I can’t protect my children from everything. xx

  7. What we can only tell them I think is that bad people let bad things happen and that we have to be good people and work to make good things happen. Admittedly mine are very small but I think its an ok message

  8. OK Jane, I’ve just been watching it on the news. Disgusting behaviour and I must say having 3 children between 11 and 16 I know exactly where my children are (in bed where they should be).

    You’re a great mum and you’ll bring your children up in a responsible and caring manner.

    I’m really shocked, all those children!!

  9. thanks for the mention – your post really moved me, I have watched TV hour news coverage of this *crap* everything else has fallen off my agenda – I am obsessed with the grimness of the place I live, where my child is growing up. It’s important to remember in other places in the globe there are things that put all this into a great perspective, but equally makes what’s happening here all the more piteful.

  10. I’ve got a clear memory of watching the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 2001,on TV when my little girl was 6 months old. I felt sick that we’d brought her into the kind of world that could cause so much suffering. There’ve been many more occasions since then when I’ve thought the same. People are capable of horrific things. But there’s a great force for good too and hopefully love outweighs the hate.

  12. Very well put. It’s a sad and shocking state of affairs that makes me very angry. Just can’t get my head around all that’s going on, it’s incomprehensible.

  13. Beautifully summed up my dear. I’m glad I don’t need to explain everything that’s happening to DD as I’d need someone else to explain it to me first. It’s chaos, but unfortunately very organised chaos I think…

    • Twin boy and girl watch the news, they have understanding. Although we try and shelter them part of us wants them to comprehend what is happening in their world so they can share our desire to make it a better place. Here’s hoping

  14. I have older children and it has been hard to know what to say. My daughter is the same age or older than some of her peers wreaking havoc for their friends and neighbours. I’ve heard the gang culture support theory, the disadvantaged theory, the “hang ’em up by their buster browns” theory and every other theory known to man. We have talked about it, trying to be fair and see it from all sides. I ended up so confused and overwhelmed with the Twittering and Facebooking that my daughter and I decided to try to see the comedy in it. For some it’s too soon for all that, but everyone has their way of dealing with things, I suppose. A few comedy moments to lighten the atmosphere can’t be any worse than the damage being done out there.

    • I agree,

      it is very british to apply sarcasm to these types of situation and to be frank if you didn’t laugh you would cry.

      I have london and croydon based friends who saw some of the horrors of the rioters up close who still managed to send a I’m alright text accompanied by a joke mocking the situation.

      Laugh in the face of asversity!

      J x

  15. This is the reason why I’m finding it hard to blog at the moment.I blog mainly homour – but at the moment I feel so angry and hugely disappointed. I guess I have been taking more time on my novel and using my frustrations that way.. I hate to see society dissolving and slowly self-destructing – it’s so sad and so, so senseless.

    Evey@ Polythenepram

  16. Hmm well I have thought about it and been out to see what’s going on this evening for myself and though I haven’t really told the children it was difficult to explain why there were 10 policeman in stab vests on the corner of our road tonight! Have decided i will blog about it too! ours was probably the smallest riot of all so hope others are OKx

    • I thought of you when it all started.

      I am ex croydon. Now reside in reading, less riots one finds!

      As someone else commented we have to look to the good which is challenging but is still there.

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