Friday, February 02, 2007

The Nanny State Takes Over for Parents

There are several stories this week about government interfering with parenting issues (via ifeminists.net):

The jail-for-spanking plan has been put on hold.

"This home-invasion bill has been stopped cold by parents and grandparents who know that to love children is to discipline them and show them the way to live," said Randy Thomasson, president of the Campaign for Children and Families, a non-profit, non-partisan pro-family group in California.

"Because so many people have spoken out, the Democrats in Sacramento realize that their liberal agenda is offending a whole lot of people."


Don't miss those parent-teacher conferences if you live in Texas.

A Republican state lawmaker from Baytown has filed a bill that would charge parents of public school students with a Class C misdemeanor and fine them for playing hooky from a scheduled parent-teacher conference.

Excuses are allowed, but be prepared to have a good one...

Rep. Wayne Smith said Wednesday he wants to get parents involved in their child's education.

"I think it helps the kids for the parents and teachers to communicate. That's all the intent was," Smith said, adding he talked to teachers, including his daughter, who teaches in junior high, before filing the bill.

I'm all for parents being involved but fining 'em for missing a parent-teacher conference (which are frequently scheduled at bad times and/or run wayyyy late) isn't the way to foster that involvement.

In the U.K., social workers are putting fat kids on the same child protection register as children suffering from sexual or physical abuse.

The intervention of social services in what was previously regarded as a private matter is likely to raise concerns about the emergence of the “fat police”.

Some doctors even advocate taking legal action against parents for illtreating their children by feeding them so much that they develop health problems.

Don't feed 'em too much but make sure they get their contraception early.

Cross-posted at Common Sense Political Thought.