Where do we go from here

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 29 June 2003 20:37:18

Wife says that she is more positive about things - thanks again for your prayers. A strange week-end, with, I suppose, a low point in Sainsbury's, where, after listening to son and daughter winding each other up incessantly for about 20 minutes, I lost patience and put daughter in the trolley seat, as she screamed "I don't fit", which, of course, she didn't, so was rather uncomfortable. I've been thinking about discipline ever since last week there was a report on the radio that somebody is planning to ban smacking, equating a parent who smacks his or her child with the couple who abused Victoria Climbie. It still seems to me that a smack is less unpleasant all round than the alternatives which people like the NSPCC suggest (I note that on their website they can't be bothered to explain what they mean, just use phrases like "withdraw privileges", or "time out" - quite how you're supposed to have time-out in a supermarket while trying to do the weekly shop, I don't know). Anyway, I didn't smack her, but I hurt her lifting her into the trolley, and my glasses must have sustained a knock, because they don't seem to go on straight any more.

At least I've made one decision - in future I'll ignore the people who think that they are so important that you should get out of their way, even though you, also, are trying to do your shopping, and keep track of a pair of pretty active children at the same time.

I had an interesting time this afternoon at wife's mother's house, trying to improvise a way to re-attach a cage behind the letter box to stop the mail from ending up on the floor. Somebody was having a barbecue on the beach, and it crossed my mind that they are probably Christians - maybe a church group, or the Christian Union entertaining some overseas students. Why would I think that?