Bad parenting to blame for provocatively dressed children
Today Bristol hosts the annual conference for the Girl’s Schools Association (GSA), where discussions are set to take place concerning the standards of modern parenting.
Dr Helen Wright, president of the GSA, said there must be something ‘intensely wrong’ with society if parents are letting their young children wear provocative clothing such as bikinis, mini skirts, high-heels and T-shirts sporting slogans such as ‘Future WAG’.
Dr Wright believes that many of today’s young parents were failed by the education system themselves, and bought up with a distinct lack of respect for their elders and little understanding of how to raise a child.
This, along with commercial pressure from TV, celebrities and advertising, has led to a generation of over-indulged children.
Dr Wright’s comments come just weeks after the incoming head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw, warned that a lack of decent parenting skills has forced schools to act as ‘surrogate families’ to some struggling children.
“There are all these images in magazines and TV [and] if you’re bombarded with that, you’re going to think its normal, and actually it’s not. It’s becoming twisted,” said Dr Wright.
The key to improvement lies not in parenting classes, but in the education system. Schools are now under increasing pressure to provide help, guidance and support to those children who need it.
With the governments recent plans to offer free parenting classes across the country, and criticism coming at all angles in light of the recent riots and looting, the pressure to be a ‘good parent’ is higher than ever.
Dr Wright assures us that good parenting is not necessarily instinctive, though it can be learned and achieved with practise and perseverance. You can love your child and still feel unsure about how to dress them, feed them and care for them. The advice is always available if parents wish to take it.
Counsellors can help with parenting issues and help parents decide how best to handle any issues they might have with caring for their children. Please visit our page on Child Related Issues to find out more about how counselling could help you.
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