PR Mum – Growing pains
Posted on 26. Mar, 2009 by PR Mum in Health, News, People
26 March 2009
After the bliss of half term without the rotters, we’re back in the swing of the spring school term. I feel smug in the knowledge that the PE kit has been taken to school on the correct day each week and we’re ahead of the game on the dinner money front. All is going well. That was until the little rotter decided to potty train herself, but forgot about the potty, used the carpet instead and then rode her scooter over the top for good measure! No wonder more women are suffering from stress problems. New figures out this week show that the burden of keeping a job, raising children and looking after elderly parents are driving more women than ever before to the edge of a nervous breakdown. The number of women referred to NHS specialist psychiatric services is rising faster than among men.
And there was more worrying news for parents following the release of figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats, which showed that teenage girls are three times more likely to be admitted to hospital with alcohol poisoning. With two small girls growing up fast, this is not something to look forward to. By the time our girls reach the drinking stage, perhaps the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, will have succeeded in ending pocket money priced alcohol.
For now, the rotters are more interested in sweets than alcopops. A US study has found that kids eat more sweets during growth spurts. Susan Coldwell from the University of Washington, who led the study commented, ‘Kids love sweets; they’ll put sugar on frosted flakes. But that love seems to decline with age. We wanted to see what was going on as that shift happens – at around the age of 16.’ Mmm, perhaps that‘s when the alcohol kicks in…
Neil Crump
28. Mar, 2009
I think that Team Aurora must be constantly experiencing a growth spurt as we sure do love our sweets. I need to have the jelly babies jar locked away in the board room cupboard to halt my growth spurt around the waist!
Garry Warburton
02. Oct, 2009
Re: teenage girls and alcohol
Dear PR Mum
having raised three girls (actually women now, at 22, 22, and 20) abroad, I do wonder what the fascination is with alcohol in the UK, in particular among younger people who now have so many entertainment alternatives to drinking and vomiting. My daughters scarcely drink at all, and this is not due to any influence on my part – they regularly criticise my beer consumption. As for pocket money, they extort sufficient out of me on the pretext of “going to university” that they could enjoy vintage champagne whenever they want, but they don’t.
Maybe instead of spending money on campaigns to stop our youth from drinking, we should focus more on providing alternative activities (within the pocket money range, of course). Then you might not have to worry about your little darlings.