MJ's little flock

[BDutch]

No, no help, Australia is woefully inadequate when it comes to looking after mental health.

We have an inadequate mental health service here too. In many ways.

I don’t really know people who have problems with wanting babies and cant care for them, but have seen a documentary on TV about a mother who had her children taken away from her care into fostering. But she kept having new babies. And these couldn’t stay with the mother either bc of neglect. So weird.

 

[MaryJanet]

We have an inadequate mental health service here too. In many ways.

I don’t really know people who have problems with wanting babies and cant care for them, but have seen a documentary on TV about a mother who had her children taken away from her care into fostering. But she kept having new babies. And these couldn’t stay with the mother either bc of neglect. So weird.

Where I live if a parent harms two of their kids, all the kids will go into care, including new borns, until the parent has demonstrated capability to provide care. Not sure if that rule is the same all over Australia. No doubt it saves lives, but still kids die from idiocy or neglect.

I had a session with some young folks a couple of weeks ago and two of them hadn't been given breakfast that day. No wonder they couldn't concentrate. In future, we're going to start the day by feeding them.

 

[LozzyR]

Where I live if a parent harms two of their kids, all the kids will go into care, including new borns, until the parent has demonstrated capability to provide care. Not sure if that rule is the same all over Australia. No doubt it saves lives, but still kids die from idiocy or neglect.

I had a session with some young folks a couple of weeks ago and two of them hadn't been given breakfast that day. No wonder they couldn't concentrate. In future, we're going to start the day by feeding them.

How empathic of you.

I used to have a friend who fathered two children to a woman who was so mentally unfit to be a mother, DOCS/FACS were waiting next to the delivery room to take the baby into care. He did it behind his wife’s back, and the woman had five children to four different fathers.

 

[BDutch]

Great initiative MJ

In the Netherlands teachers noticed this problem too with children from poor families. Since about two years schools in less wealthy suburbs are funded now to realise breakfast at schools.
I think the headmaster has to apply for funding.

 

[MaryJanet]

How empathic of you.

I used to have a friend who fathered two children to a woman who was so mentally unfit to be a mother, DOCS/FACS were waiting next to the delivery room to take the baby into care. He did it behind his wife’s back, and the woman had five children to four different fathers.

I hope the baby was adopted into a family who provided adequate love and care.

 

[MaryJanet]

Great initiative MJ

In the Netherlands teachers noticed this problem too with children from poor families. Since about two years schools in less wealthy suburbs are funded now to realise breakfast at schools.
I think the headmaster has to apply for funding.

The research tying breakfast to learning is quite strong. Sometimes at uni we assume youngsters are given breakfast at home before setting out for the day, but two of those kids were so scatter brained I asked what they had for brekky that morning (thinking it was cocopops) and they said they didn't have any breakfast. Then I asked what time they got up, 6 or 7? And they were dumbfounded that anyone would get up so early, so I said it's the nicest time of day, so quiet and nothing to worry about and time for a cuppa and some toast.

I have another anecdote, this one second-hand, about a father who won't let his talented son go to uni because of the HECS debt (which the son could pay off in 3-4 years with an IT degree and I didn't even notice my HECS debt being paid off, suddenly it was all gone). When the kid was told the debt doesn't really matter because he'll be earning so much within his first five years after graduating, he said that's going to be a very difficult conversation with his Dad because Dad earns half of that.

Here's me assuming a Dad would be proud of a son who out-earns him. Just goes to show many parents are still children themselves even though they are old in years.

 

[LozzyR]

I hope the baby was adopted into a family who provided adequate love and care.

Nope. Whilst I won’t air any more dirty laundry here, I will say he ended up with them, but also has mental health issues of his own. So the poor kids have issues from both sides and my impression is that they are viewed as trophies, rather than actual people who will need twice the support, thanks to his selfish actions. I used to think of him as one of my best friends.

 

[LozzyR]

The research tying breakfast to learning is quite strong. Sometimes at uni we assume youngsters are given breakfast at home before setting out for the day, but two of those kids were so scatter brained I asked what they had for brekky that morning (thinking it was cocopops) and they said they didn't have any breakfast. Then I asked what time they got up, 6 or 7? And they were dumbfounded that anyone would get up so early, so I said it's the nicest time of day, so quiet and nothing to worry about and time for a cuppa and some toast.

I have another anecdote, this one second-hand, about a father who won't let his talented son go to uni because of the HECS debt (which the son could pay off in 3-4 years with an IT degree and I didn't even notice my HECS debt being paid off, suddenly it was all gone). When the kid was told the debt doesn't really matter because he'll be earning so much within his first five years after graduating, he said that's going to be a very difficult conversation with his Dad because Dad earns half of that.

Here's me assuming a Dad would be proud of a son who out-earns him. Just goes to show many parents are still children themselves even though they are old in years.

My son doesn’t have breakfast during school holidays and I don’t push it, but he will before school. He knows he needs to eat before he needs to concentrate.

That’s sad about the young man and his dad. It’s a shame he can’t afford to move out and go to uni anyway. Maybe he will in the future. You can go to uni at any age.

 

[MaryJanet]

Katie's appointment went well. She's gained almost a kilo since her last appointment! And she was very happy to see the vet (and eat the vet's sunflower seeds).

The vet recommended bringing Mary in for a checkup just in case. So she has an appointment on Saturday morning.

 

[MaryJanet]

Poor Peggy.

She was being a terror on the roost so I took extreme measures and picked her up for a cuddle.

She was mortified.

That'll teach her.