Aged 12 And Looking After the Family

[panther]

seen this last night on channal 4, 12 year old Louise and 9 year old Jenny who between them look after their four young brothers day in, day out, because their parents are blind and disabled.
But the documentary took a darker turn when it came out that Jenny tried to commit suicide by putting a black plastic bag over her head when she was 8 because the strain had got too much for her.

I felt really sorry for them, a child should not take the responsibilty of what a adult should be doing, whether they are disabled or not!

what do you lot think?

[lancsdave]

I seem to recall a program on tv a couple of months ago looking at children who care for their parents, and from memory the number is about 2 million. They should be getting far more help from the state but of course the state would rather squander it's money looking after the druggies,criminals, and other dropouts.

[chav1]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

I seem to recall a program on tv a couple of months ago looking at children who care for their parents, and from memory the number is about 2 million. They should be getting far more help from the state but of course the state would rather squander it's money looking after the druggies,criminals, and other dropouts.

yep thats how tings work in the good old uk , look after the theiving loosers etc first and the addicts then maybe just maybe there may be a few pounds left to help children like this but only if they fill in the forms correctly

[katex]

Didn't see the programme Panther, but on the face of it, does seem outrageous that these children should be expected to give up their childhood for their indulgent parents. Were they disabled when they had them, or became that way after the births of the children ?

Not saying disabled people should not have children .. of course they should, lots of disabled parents manage in these circumstances .. but producing six ! when it is obvious would be difficult to look after them correctly, does not seem right to me.

Did they not get any help at all ?

Like I said .. don't know all the circumstances, so my comments may be a little unfair.

[accymel]

Wasn't one of the parents qoted to have said that having so many was so that the kids could look after them also spread the chores rather selfish attitude indeed, feel sorry for them kiddies

[panther]

Originally Posted by katex

Didn't see the programme Panther, but on the face of it, does seem outrageous that these children should be expected to give up their childhood for their indulgent parents. Were they disabled when they had them, or became that way after the births of the children ?

they have been blind since birth!, but they kept going on how they where gonna try for more!,
one kid was asleep under the pram!!
while another was crawling outside under a bin I think it was,
and they where dirty, I dont know how these parents get to keep these kids!
I found it a bit upsetting really,

[chav1]

Originally Posted by accymel

Wasn't one of the parents qoted to have said that having so many was so that the kids could look after them also spread the chores rather selfish attitude indeed, feel sorry for them kiddies

i can understand people who have had children then become disabled but anyone who cant even look after themselves should not have children

[panther]

Originally Posted by chav1

i can understand people who have had children then become disabled but anyone who cant even look after themselves should not have children

Totally agree chav1

[flashy]

Originally Posted by accymel

Wasn't one of the parents qoted to have said that having so many was so that the kids could look after them also spread the chores rather selfish attitude indeed, feel sorry for them kiddies

i heard that too mel, i thought it was outragous, i'm all for equal rights, yes let blind people become parents but not to 6 of them, when the programme was filmed there was no sign of the social services, yet right at the end of the programme the narrator said the ss had been involved and they now have a bigger house, this family will just keep on breeding and it isnt fair on the kids, the state of the house was horrid, the kids where dirty, eating off the floor and the smallest was bottle feeding whilst absolutely filthy, it just made me wanna jump in there and take the kids away and give them a big hug, love and a bath....it wasnt a pretty sight

[katex]

Originally Posted by panther

they have been blind since birth!, but they kept going on how they where gonna try for more!,
one kid was asleep under the pram!!
while another was crawling outside under a bin I think it was,
and they where dirty, I dont know how these parents get to keep these kids!
I found it a bit upsetting really,

Oh no! glad I didn't watch it Panther, would have been upset myself.

Just hope the programme will do some good for them, as sure lots of other people felt the same way as yourself.

Yes, Chav .. know what you mean .. will now be a discussion on sterilisation of very badly disabled people being sterilised .. wait for it. In the end, can't do this of course, Human Rights and all that, and I agree.

[flashy]

the father wasnt blind from birth, his father beat him up and he went blind

[chav1]

Originally Posted by katex

Yes, Chav .. know what you mean .. will now be a discussion on sterilisation of very badly disabled people being sterilised .. wait for it. In the end, can't do this of course, Human Rights and all that, and I agree.

for a second there i read it as sterilisation for baldy disabled people lol

was gonna say havnt they suffered enough

[flashy]

Originally Posted by chav1

for a second there i read it as sterilisation for baldy disabled people lol

was gonna say havnt they suffered enough

eejit

[katex]

Did they interview the Social Services ? What did they have to say ? Sure they must be involved somewhere along the line , and possibly the NSPCC ?

Sorry, Flashy just read your previous thread properly .... bigger house,eh ? Well, that must solve everything, more chance of the toddlers wandering off out of sight (sorry, didn't mean that to be literally)

[chav1]

social services dont take iinterviews they only take children

strange however that these people can keep their children in squalor yet only last year a couple who were slightly backward and had their child in good health etc had their child taken away