Future health issues

Whilst at the pool today I overheard a conversation between two women about the new HPV vaccine being offered to girls from 12 years old through schools. The women were discussing whether their daughters should have the vaccine because a friend had commented that 'it sends out the signal that they are promiscuous'. I got quite angry about it - though not angry enough to turn around and say anything - because in my mind it does no such thing.

My mother has a different view - she was disturbed when we lived in Scotland and my sister was called up for a Rubella vaccination, aged 10. The nurse explained that they had had a few instances of pregnancy at aged 10 or younger. She can see why some mothers would have reservations.

Maybe it's because I have a son not a daughter but I would like to think that I would ensure that my daughter had this injection because of the obvious benefits to her future health - just as I decided to go ahead with getting my son immunised when there was all that fuss about the MMR. Obviously I wouldn't be condoning teenage sex but I don't think that should be a stumbling block to protecting future health.

School dinners

(photo from http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page8237)

Well actually I had dinner at my son's nursery on Monday. I must admit I wasn't looking forward to it - the state of his clothes on the days that he stays for lunch speak to me of food fights.

The menu was Vegatable Lasange and Garlic bread followed by Peach Crumble.

I was a bit anxious about the lasagna - I'm not vegetarian, I do cook some vegetarian dishes but lasagna isn't one of them. I was pleasantly surprised - it was yummy (my son's phrase). He cleared his plate and ate 3 pieces of garlic bread, though none of the side accompaniment of broccoli (you'd have been proud of me as I forced 3 stalks down as a good example). My son likes his food but I've never seen him clear his plate like that.

When the crumble arrived it was a disappointment - the peaches had been strained of any juice there had been in the tin and the crumble was made without any hint of sugar (ditto the custard). I'd expected the type of pudding I got at school. My son, bless him, finished his and asked for more. I said that he could share mine and he promptly pushed his plate aside and grabbed mine leaving me holding my spoon mid-air.

What did impress me was the cook. My son's best friend ate hardly anything and his mother was bemoaning the fact that he didn't eat at home either. 'In fact he won't eat his breakfast, he had half a packet of Quavers for his breakfast today ...' - If you don't know already Quavers are a cheesy crisp - despite the claims of reduced fat and salt content I'm sure they are not designed as breakfast food. Whilst the other mums and I recovered from our shock and tried not to scream out 'what possessed you to give him ...' the cook sat down and shared some constructive tips on helping getting children to eat proper meals. It was really practical advice and I was reassured that she knew her stuff.

We've already seen the menu at the school my son will be attending from January - on Tuesday it's venison burgers and Wednesday it's chocolate pudding with chocolate custard (minus the chocolate I expect).

Children's Story Competition

If you're interested in writing a children's story and winning the chance to see it being recorded into a podcast AND a day trip to Lapland I've posted the details of the competition here.

Heroes and Bullies

I've just been writing in the comments part of RB's blog - but ended up deleting it because I had too much to say.

The question was in light of this news (and others in a town near you I expect) - what would you have done? Would you have walked by and then rung the police or would you have got involved, even if that risked your own life?

I would help, without thinking. I don't think that it is a conscious decision - either you are that kind of person or not. My mother is - I've always been a bit in awe of her, throughout my childhood she would stop to help women on their own get buggies/prams down stairs, rescue lost and bewildered pensioners and be able to tell instantly in a chance encounter she had with a stranger that they needed to talk and she's always strongly believed in the power of a cup of tea - and my OH is. My BiL is a policeman (and before that did a bit of security) and my SiL works with young adults and, like my OH, they seem to be able to control situations without actually doing much.

We once ended up having no contact with a branch of the family because my OH stepped in when his drunken uncle made a charge for my FiL swearing he would kill him (it's a fun family with age old grudges!) - my OH had such presence that half the people there believed his uncle's 'morning after' claim that my OH had punched him, but all he had done was calmly stand in his way.

When we were in Sydney with my sister-in-law a fight broke out on the ferry from the city to where we were staying. My SiL stepped in, calmed the couple down and enlisted the help of others to separate the two groups who had formed, dragged the crew out of where they'd been hiding and called the police who were waiting when we docked. (My OH wasn't that good that time as he was outside on the deck taking photos and didn't know anything had happened until he saw the police).

I get weekly stories of his heroic efforts at work - shoplifters often arrive armed with syringes, claiming they are HIV, yet the staff have to keep things under control so that shoppers aren't affected during their 'shopping experience'.

Oh and, of course we had our New Year's Eve experience - unfortunately the people we sheltered that night were too scared to press charges and we hadn't seen enough to be witnesses.

Granted OH there or not I would probably be the one calling the police - and at New Year's I made tea and stayed with them whilst they talked to the police while my OH went out to find their son.

I will be very proud if my son inherits that 'presence' his father has - he already stands up for the ones being bullied at nursery - but we do tell him that it is wrong to hit people, even if they've hit you or your friend and I will talk to him about gangs and gang culture - I might get him to read this as it had a lasting impression on me. Though he is only 4 so I may change my mind completely when he's in secondary school.

Where do babies come from?*

I've just posted about the sorted books project on my other blog but couldn't resist putting one here too:

* in case you were wondering you can't get pregnant from kissing - but that is what my Sunday school teacher implied when I was young and impressionable ;-)