http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/children/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/facebooks-being-a-boob-over-breastfeeding-pics/ The Facebook ban on photographs of women breastfeeding their own children raises some important issues about freedom of choice and the role of social media in setting behavioural standards. There is no valid reason for any social media network to ban legitimate pictures posted by women of themselves breastfeeding their own children. Such pictures can help normalise breastfeeding and educate others about how breastfeeding is done in real life. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/facebooks-being-a-boob-over-breastfeeding-pics/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/facebooks-being-a-boob-over-breastfeeding-pics/#item7693 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-should-smacking-be-illegal/ Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-should-smacking-be-illegal/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-should-smacking-be-illegal/#item7679 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-year-six/ In Texas and in many other parts of the US, the government has hit upon a neat new approach to dealing with troublesome students in schools. Instead of old-fashioned methods like detention or sitting in the corner of the classroom, the State has employed a legion of armed police to patrol the state’s school corridors. That means hundreds of students are finding themselves charged in the school grounds with offences such as ‘disrupting class’ and are being forced to appear in court. For many, the charges lead to prison terms, in what has been described as a ‘schools-to-prison’ pipeline. These are not rare or extreme cases. This is not a nightmare vision conjured up in the pages of a George Orwell novel. In fact right now, hundreds of students are being charged daily with offences ranging from swearing in school, being late to school, playing up on the school bus, smoking cigarettes or wearing inappropriate clothing. In 2010 close to 300 000 tickets were issued to schoolchildren as young as six in schools - resulting in fines, community service and prison terms. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-year-six/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-year-six/#item7669 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/parents-who-wish-their-child-had-never-been-born/ How would you feel if you found out that your mere existence is such a burden on your parents they want $10 million compensation? It’s not clear whether 11-year-old Keeden, who has severe brain damage after a rare genetic condition caused a massive stroke, will ever understand what his parents are doing. Debbie and Lawrence Waller are suing their IVF specialist for “wrongful birth”, claiming he breached his duty of care by failing to take proper care that Lawrence’s genetic blood clotting condition would not be passed on. They say they love Keeden, but wouldn’t have gone ahead with the birth if they’d known because of his suffering. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/parents-who-wish-their-child-had-never-been-born/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/parents-who-wish-their-child-had-never-been-born/#item7654 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dog-ownership-laws-a-load-of-total-bullpit/ Max, a young and handsome American pit bull, sits on death row in Miami-Dade County’s Animal Services, a victim of possibly the world’s toughest breed-specific dog laws. The paperwork on his cage labels him “aggressive”, but it’s more out of caution. He’s never bitten anyone. Max has got 24 hours for a reprieve. His owner is a soldier on duty in Afghanistan who left the dog with his family. They became panicked that they would be fined for harbouring an outlawed breed and handed him to the Animal Services pound. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dog-ownership-laws-a-load-of-total-bullpit/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dog-ownership-laws-a-load-of-total-bullpit/#item7644 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/home-births-are-prone-to-many-complications/ Once upon a time, home births were the only option, and mothers and babies frequently died. Things have changed dramatically since then. Home births are much safer, and much, much rarer. The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics show in 2009 just 0.3 per cent of women had a planned home birth – a total of 863 births. Two babies died. But home births are still the source of simmering tension; the powerful Australian Medical Association is dead set against them, a very vocal lobby group is angry at recent changes that make them harder, and parents are left to choose between conflicting views and seemingly conflicting evidence. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/home-births-are-prone-to-many-complications/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/home-births-are-prone-to-many-complications/#item7642 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-worry-theyre-taking-good-care-of-your-children/ Imagine you are the harried working parent of a bustling four-year-old child - unless of course you’re actually in the zone right now, experiencing all those many wonders first hand. Next year’s the big one. School, and potentially a 13-year stretch of study, social integration, with hopefully some fun and a few of life’s lessons in the mix. As you’re dropping them off at the local pre-school before zooming off to work, it is time to wonder how much do they really need to learn right now. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-worry-theyre-taking-good-care-of-your-children/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-worry-theyre-taking-good-care-of-your-children/#item7567 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/women-and-children-first-or-every-man-for-himself/ When a boat goes down, should women and children be able to jump to the front of the lifeboat queue? The death toll from the Costa Concordia tragedy has reached five, and more stories are emerging about the chaos inside the luxury cruise liner as it started to go down. Melbourne mother Michelle Barraclough told the Herald Sun that she had to fight hysterical adults to hold on to her 12-year-old daughter, and that the men were the worst. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/women-and-children-first-or-every-man-for-himself/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/women-and-children-first-or-every-man-for-himself/#item7538 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Mummywars-how-mothers-are-our-own-worst-enemies/ I’ve lost count of the number of media reports involving new studies about motherhood and child rearing. What’s right. What’s wrong. Not to mention the endless proclamations from celebrities and high-profile know-it-alls passing judgement at the rest of the parenting world. But instead of helping the parenting public, all these conflicting reports simply contribute to the compounding guilt, increasingly felt by parents, boht new and old. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Mummywars-how-mothers-are-our-own-worst-enemies/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Mummywars-how-mothers-are-our-own-worst-enemies/#item7503 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-sugarcoat-it-if-your-child-is-obese-its-your-fault/ A storm of controversy has been brewing in the US. Actually, it’s probably more accurate to say the storm has been dipped in oil and deep fried.  Twice. At the centre of the controversy is a series of ads aimed at tackling the growing obesity crisis in American children. In one of the ads (above) a young girl stares forlornly into the camera and says: “I don’t like going to school because all the other kids pick on me. It hurts my feelings.” Another opens with the statistic that 75 per cent of parents of overweight children ignore the problem growing before their very eyes. It’s followed by a scene in which an obese boy sits facing his equally obese mother and asks, “Mum, why am I fat?”. The silence that follows his question is deafening. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-sugarcoat-it-if-your-child-is-obese-its-your-fault/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-sugarcoat-it-if-your-child-is-obese-its-your-fault/#item7492 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Anonymous says: Before I became a parent I thought this question was an absolute no brainer. A little smack here and there can’t hurt a child, I used to think. Especially if it’s going to help them learn to control certain behaviour and doing dangerous stuff, like crossing a road without looking. Things are different now. My daughter is 18 months old and I couldn’t smack her for the life of me. The idea fills me with horror. Friends say that will change as she gets older, but I’m not convinced. There are other ways to teach your kids a lesson. This article in today’s Daily Telegraph advocates making smacking your kids illegal. But what do you think?