Did you know you can prevent learning disabilities just by reading to your child? Study after study shows that children who are raised in a nurturing environment and read to consistently do much better in school than children who watch Honey Boo Boo's Hillbilly Playhouse and are ignored between whippings.
We can extrapolate this data to imply that every parent who has a child who is behind the state standard is a poor parent indeed. This expensive trend of children coming to school with so-called "disabilities" is costing the state plenty.
Turn off the TV, people! Pick up a book and just read it already.
Bleh, whatever. Sometimes when I read scientific offal like the above, I find it incredibly discouraging. I like to think I'm living in the 21st century and eugenics is a thing of the past. But it really isn't. People generally speaking have just shifted the focus a bit from genetics to environment.
If it were just the people you see around town in your neighbourhood spouting off their stupid opinions, it would be bad enough. Discouraging enough. Angering and disappointing enough. But now the medical profession is in on this crap.
Now, instead of just dealing with broken bones or the flu, doctors are making sure you are reading to your child. Wait times are super-short to see a physician, so they have time for all this nannying, I guess.
But how insulting. The doctor is now going to check on your parenting during your child's exam.
This is one of those things that has pissed me off for a long time. Asking me whether I strap my child into a car seat has nothing whatsoever to do with whether my child has a fever of 103. Really. It doesn't. I haven't even been to medical school and I can tell you this as a scientific fact.
I "get" that there are some horrid parents out there and that people feel the need to be concern trolls. But I don't see why it has to be part of everyone's job description to nose into the family lives of the paying customers. At least I do not have to answer, "Do you feel safe at home?" and "Do you read to your children or feed them ever?" questions from the local Wal-Mart cashier before checking out.
Yet.
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Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
I am so glad that we only have one well-child visit left to go to around the time my girl turns 17, and gets ready to head to college. I am kinda tired of the mental health surveys and immunization conversations. I am not against immunization or anything, but I don't think she needs a shot for everything under the sun... and neither does she. I'd better make sure she is able to communicate whether she wants the HPV vaccine... AGAIN!
ReplyDelete... and you just watch the physician respond to the concern that you probably don't have and never raised... watch him tell you that having the shot won't make your daughter a slut.
DeleteI've about had it with physicians who respond to my "concern" about autism and vaccines with their scientific data. Hello, JUST because my children are autistic and I HAPPEN to refuse a given vaccine does NOT mean that that is why. Doofus. Maybe try asking, and then maybe try LISTENING to the response instead of bulldozing over me for my "consent."
behh. Raw nerve there. :)
HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus is not something that is ONLY sexually transmitted. It is one of those things like the cold sore virus that lives in all of us. (We all have the Herpes (cold sore) virus but don't all get cold sores). If your virus is active, then of course it can be transmitted. HPV has the potential to develop, then mutate into Cervical Cancer over several stages. This was the reason for my hysterectomy. Pre-cancerous lesions cause by HPV. The vaccine is given to try and prevent these changes and the possibility of transmission. My surgeon told me there have been documented cases of virgins and Nuns in convents developing symptoms of cervical changes. I think this particular vaccine is a good idea, my grand daughter was vaccinated in high school with her parents permission.
DeleteYou missed my point... it was precisely that doctors are ignoring the reason behind parental concerns and answering a "question" that wasn't asked. Of course getting the HPV vaccine has nothing to do with encouraging sexual activity. Parents who have concerns about the vaccine usually have it for several other reasons. I've seen several news stories about potential problems with this vaccine and it's one of those things that I'm not sure what I'll decide until my daughter is older. :)
DeleteInitially, I didn't want the shot for my daughter because she was very young, and even thinking about being sexually active, and there were still too many unknowns. Now my daughter does not want the shot because she isn't even thinking about being sexually active, and there are too many unknowns... plus, she hates needles. It's her right.
DeleteHer well meaning female doctor however, turns to me and says, she can't be with your every meaning of the day, how do you know she's not going to have sex. Good thing my daughter did not hear her say it. When I tried to relay this information to my kid, plus also tried to relay to her that some guys has skills that will get a girl into bed, my daughter turned to me and said, "look me in my eyes and tell me that I'm a big enough idiot to have sex with some skeezy dude.". End of conversation.
I don't know about the cases River mentioned, but our doctor stressed having the shot before ever having sex. My daughter's answer is, well, then, I;ll get back to you on that.
typing too fast... 2nd paragraph, meant to write, she can't be with you every minute of the day.
DeleteI don't think I'm a troll so I felt free to comment!! Your post spotlights a sign of the times I think. Big Gov't doctors! anyhoose I was thrilled to see your comment at my humble, lonesome blog!!! It made my year!
ReplyDeleteAwww!!! I think your blog is sweet! I really should comment on every post, I know I enjoy them so. And your family is really the best! So fun seeing all your good times together! :)
DeleteWhat a load of horse hooey!
ReplyDeleteMy older sister was read to and read to and read to, yet it still took her three tries to get through grade one. When she finally reached school leaving age (14 back then), she had just passed Grade 5. The upside of all that reading to her, is that by listening and watching the pages, I learned to read at age three.
Because YOU were ready at three and she just wasn't. Wonder how your mum would have felt if people kept telling her her daughter was failing b/c of poor parenting/lack of reading?
DeleteGets me so mad that people have no clue sometimes.
PS I remember kids leaving at 16 when I went to school in Aus. Around the end of grade 10, several would go.
I remember enjoying the last two years of high school much more than the first two. Most of the kids who did not want to be in the classroom had left by then, and we were able to get to work without distractions.
Delete