Squiffy Teddy Does… The Good Childhood Inquiry

 

 

Squiffy Teddy was interested to hear about a new study by the Children’s Society – The Good Childhood Inquiry. This is the UK’s first independent national inquiry into childhood.

 

Its aims were to renew society’s understanding of modern childhood in a bid to inform and improve all our relationships with children.

 

Evidence was contributed by more than 30,000 people, of which more than 20,000 of them were children.

 

Professor Judy Dunn, chairing a panel of leading experts met throughout 2007/2008 to discuss the evidence and findings leading to the publication of –  A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age out on 5 February 2009 and authored by Richard Layard and Judy Dunn.

 

The report looked at seven aspects of childhood: family, friends, lifestyle, values, schooling, mental health and inequalities.

 

What Squiffy Teddy found interesting in the report is that parents are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Quite frankly, whatever you decide to do will always have an adverse affect on your child.

 

Increasing numbers of mums are working, more so than previous generations. In Britain, 70 per cent of mothers with a baby aged 9 – 12 months now do some amount of paid work. Just 25 years ago, it was only 25 per cent of mothers.

 

Women’s financial independence from men is one of the cited factors responsible for family break ups. Women don’t need to cling to men for financial assistance, so when the relationship goes pear shaped they can now get out of it.

 

So, mothers are met with a dilemma. Do you stay at home, not work and become vilified by the Daily Mail readers? Or do you go out, do some paid work to get you through the recession, and become vilified by the Daily Mail readers for abandoning your child in childcare where they will no doubt turn in to wretched ASBO winning thugs?

 

But fear not, because if you are a mother that works and is in a relationship with the original father then you are doing less damage to your children then the single parent.

 

Concentrate because here comes the guilty bit!

Children with parents committing the heinous crime of single or step parenting are producing children 50 per cent more likely to suffer with lower academic achievement, poor self-esteem, unpopularity with other children behavioural difficulties and the jackpot – depression.

Brace yourself for the Jeremy Kyle moment!

 

The report goes on to show that a child’s performance at secondary school, self-esteem and general well being as an adult is linked to the father’s input and that one third of sixteen year olds now live apart from their biological father.

 

Children whose parents separate are 50 per cent more likely to fail at school as well as suffer from anxiety, depression and display behavioural difficulties.

Around 28 per cent of children whose parents have separated have no contact with their fathers after three years of separation. Most of these children would not talk to anyone about their concerns.

 

Finally, around 15 per cent of mums giving birth are already living on their own.

 

Chopsy Baby editor Jen Smith says: “My son was born into one of the 15 per cent of mums already living on their own. After splitting with the child’s biological father at week eight of pregnancy we have been on our own since.

 

“Although a father figure is always important, especially with boys, I feel my child has not been disadvantaged more so then other children whose parents are in a relationship.

 

“Now aged two he has turned into a happy radiant little boy full of excitement and mischief.

 

“This doesn’t happen by chance for any family, it takes time invested into developing their skills and trying to communicate with a sometimes frustrated toddler. Even parents who work will have time to do this.

 

“Children at this age will not have any major disadvantage by having one parent absent, but it is the future that will hold difficult times and questions. Handled with sensitivity and love and absolutely no slagging off of the missing miscreant, you can only do your best and hope your child doesn’t take their absence personally.

 

“If your child is lucky enough to be surrounded by family members who love them then that is the most important thing. Try and provide strong positive role models in place of the missing mum or dad.

 

http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/all_about_us/how_we_do_it/the_good_childhood_inquiry/report_summaries/13959.html