Choice v Compulsory.. BFing & FFing, Education + Nappies.. ?

[NibbleCurlynBub]

So the thread about choice in regards to vaxing has come up.

and honestly I am a bit appalled at the amount of people who think it would be a good idea to rob parents of the choice and force it to be done.

So what about some other very 'big' issues. (Ok so schooling isn't a debated one, but its certainly close to my heart)

Should parents be FORCED to BF their child (EBM if not able)?

Should parents be FORCED to send their children to government schooling (ruling out HSing completely)?

Should parents be FORCED to cloth nappy their children?

How far should the dictatorship travel in your eyes?
Or should we all just send our kids off to gov't camps at birth to be raised 'right'. :detective:



(Just in case you missed it, my point is that taking choices away from parents regarding their children's care is wrong. I'm not REALLY looking for this vs. that arguments. ;))

[tales]

:yes: Last I checked, this was a free society, where the only limitations we have on our choices (legislated regulation aside) are the ones we place on ourselves.

Whether we personally agree with it or not, people have the right to choose - and we expect them to accept the consequences of those choices.

[rainbow road]

I'm of the opinion that if you take away one choice you're paving the way for all choices to be stripped back.

We have worked hard as a country for our basic rights and these additional rights to parent a child and I am perplexed so many people think it's acceptable to make these day-to-day parenting decisions compulsory. :no::rolleyes:

Government camps are good, cut out the middle man. ;)

[SorenLorensen]

it is wrong to rob any parent of choice.
no one has the right to dictate to another about the rights and wrongs and sure as heck should not force someone into something they dont want to.



oh but i love the idea of forcing cloth on babies...oh how i would be in a dream land or gorgeous fluffy butts :cloud9::p:laughing:

[LuvMy4Babes]

So what about some other very 'big' issues. (Ok so schooling isn't a debated one, but its certainly close to my heart)

Should parents be FORCED to BF their child (EBM if not able)?

Should parents be FORCED to send their children to government schooling (ruling out HSing completely)?

Should parents be FORCED to cloth nappy their children?

I think what is best for the child/ren is what should take precedence over everything else.

I have never looked into homeschooling, but I do have concerns that children who are homeschooled are not learning the social schools that are learnt while going to a schooling establishment. As far as how good their education is, I have no idea.

While I don't believe anyone should be FORCED to breastfeed their child, I feel very strongly that it is what is best for the child and I personally breastfed my babies for 7 months, 12 months, 11 months and 14 months respectively. I do admit I get my back up when mums don't breastfeed because "they don't want to" or it cramps their style, takes too much time, interferes with their social life, may make their breasts saggy. That to me is selfish. I am in no way talking about a mother who has tried and cannot feed due to non-supply issues or cracked/bleeding nipples, etc.

Cloth or disposables don't bother me in the least.

I recently started a thread on elective c-sections because that irks me too. Having a c-sections for NO medical reason is appalling to me.

This is sure to be another heated debate..... but you did ask :)

[bronny-jane]

cloth nappies.... what about all the factory workers who make disposables .. times are tough, we have to support their jobs:thumbsup:

look honestly i dont care what people do with their kids.. so long as it isnt going to effect my children in a negative way...

i have made, and make many choices which others wouldnt for their kids... but im not about to throw all my rights out the window to conform... or please others..

if you want to judge and examine someone's form of parenting and choices... take a good hard look in your own backyard before you look into others;)

while you may feel your concerns are valid, to others you may just be an ill informed or god forbid a sheep just following what ever your told...

honestly i dont follow any rules or guidelines with my parenting or choices, i do what feels right for my family:yes:

[TripleTime]

Im with Tales, last time i checked this was a free country & we have a god given right to make our own choices.

And dont evan get me started on breast feeding.

[SPC]

I believe that in order to protect children there should be some limits to parental choice. Some parents would make choices for their children that would cause emotional or physical harm to their child. Some choices cost society in terms of child hospital admissions and long term complications, such as formula feeding, [it's estimated that a 10% increase in breastfeeding rates in the UK would save the health service a million pounds a year in reduced ear infections, gastro and asthma]. But as it is difficult to force parents to vaccinate, it is also difficult to legislate some infant care practices. Facilitation, education and economic support are, I think, more reasonable solutions. If formula feeding costs the country money in terms of health care, then women should be economically supported to breastfeed.

The difficulty comes when a parental decision impacts on not only their child but other children, for example with vaccination, but also choices that impact of the culture of childhood. I resent that my child will be brought up surrounded by children who are permitted to eat junk food, because it inevitably means that my child will be interested in it too. Ban Maccas! Ban Maccas! Ban Maccas!;)

[JasmineLouise]

No way should any of that be compulsory, and hopefully it never will be :no: (and if it is, im immigrating somewhere else)

It's a scary thought, seems like only one step away from mandatory micro chipping of all Australian citizens. :dizzy:

[bada]

send our kids off to gov't camps at birth to be raised 'right'.


:iagree::iagree::iagree::yes::yes::yes:

[sandy cheeks]

I do think it comes down to choice in regards to FF v BF, C v VB, what school your child attends and I wont lie I would like everyone(able to) to vax but it is a choice and I respect that.
As far as school I think kids should b forced to go to school until 18 or tafe, apprentiship, last resort job there r too many young kids doing nothing we have a fantastic education system compared to a lot of places and for some reason some kids seem to want to do nothing and have a good time they forget u need a education to get anywhere and have a good time later on.

[reAllytee]

Its a slippery slope if we take away the options ...

Waaaaay to slippery !

[mum2bubba]

Parents shouldn't be forced to do anything they don't want and only what they're comfortable with and what works for them and their children.

I hate being told what to do.

[3 Little Pigs]

I have to agree with everyone else, nothing should be compulsory. We are not all the same we don't all fit into the same mould

I just wanted to comment on some pp

LuvMY4Babes
'I have never looked into homeschooling, but I do have concerns that children who are home schooled are not learning the social schools that are learnt while going to a schooling establishment. As far as how good their education is, I have no idea.'

My brother and sister were home schooled and are both extremely outgoing and smart.
Mum made sure they had outings with other kids and also had adult company so they are very well rounded young adults now.

Also

As far as school I think kids should b forced to go to school until 18 or tafe, apprenticeship, last resort job there r too many young kids doing nothing we have a fantastic education system compared to a lot of places and for some reason some kids seem to want to do nothing and have a good time they forget u need a education to get anywhere and have a good time later on.

I left school in year 9, as soon as i was old enough. I was very badly bullied for the whole of my school life.I have never done NOTHING and wasn't having fun I had worked up until i got pregnant with my son i am now a SAHM
but am looking to study while at home. That's whats so fantastic about education system, we have choices.

OK sorry about the:ecomcity: just want to say my bit

[Blueberry Crumble]

There is a bit of a difference between preventing deadly contagious diseases to what choice nappies etc we use. I don think vaxing should be compulsory, but I also dont think those things in OP can compare to vaxing IMO

[poppie]

I think choice is good.

Breastfeeding is something that is best for bubs and best for mum, Australia has a great encouragement rate but almost no support rate. We should look at Norway where 100% of newborns are given breastmilk from birth thanks to a fantastic milk bank program that runs in all hospitals and all midwives are on the same page. We need more ongoing support.

Homeschooling I can't comment on as I have not looked into it.

Cloth nappies, no way!!! My DD1 started in cloth nappies and got horrendous rashes that would bleed no matter how often they were changed. In the end I thought I am harming the environment more buy washing 2-3 times a day and we went to disposables and she never had a problem after that.

I don't think any of these examples are close to the vaxing debate because they don't reallt effect anyone else.

[Yemaya]

Non of it should be compulsory.

I homebirth because I feel hospital to be unsafe for me and my babes.

I don't vaccinate because I feel that the risks outweigh the benefits in our situation. And I would rather not put unneccesary cr*p into my child's body until I feel that he is at a high risk of catching one of these illness'.

I breastfeed because to me formula is just not a good enough alternative. So as hard as it is I fight to keep going.

I plan to home school because I feel that is the best thing for my children.

I don't CC because I feel it to be abuse and fear for the psychological effects it will cause.

All of these things are MY choices. Take them away from me and you will have one bloody furious womyn on your hands.

[guerin]

It should all be compulsory unless it is something that I don't agree with.

[guerin]

The only concern I have with home schooling is that the person schooling the children would not know enough of the subject matter to properly educate them.

[Lillynix]

I'll make it short and sweet...

Take away a persons right to choose and we start living in a dictatorship. Sadly, it's already happening with a womans right to homebirth with a registered midwife being taken away, if it starts with that, i'd hate to think what's next.

[Yemaya]

The only concern I have with home schooling is that the person schooling the children would not know enough of the subject matter to properly educate them.

I agree which is why I think the parent should study before homeschooling their kids.

[SimplyMum]

look honestly i dont care what people do with their kids.. so long as it isnt going to effect my children in a negative way...


:iagree:

C'est la vi baby!

I'll use the resources to provide the best possible care for my child/ren if and when they become available.

Frankly I don't give a rats bottom whether you breastfeed, use cloth nappies, teach your kids their ABC's at home or pay millions of dollars for someone else to teach them.