[Bantam]

I think the biggest problem which no-one's addressed is to do with sex and/or responsibility, and chatting to my folks I think I've identified what it is;

40 years ago, pregnancy outside of marriage was seen as a stigma. Even up until 20 years ago, people would get pregnant and then have an abortion. I know 3 35 year olds who had abortions when they were 18 and 19.

Nowadays there is a growing amount of people having kids by accident, and not wanting to take responsibility for them, versus people actually trying for kids on purpose and planning their future for them, which is what happened in the past.

The growth of latchkey kids means the parents don't actually care about them at all - council estates like rabbit warrens, having kids just to get the extra money from the government whilst neither of them work and just laze around - they're just living their life just as they did before the kids were born. They're a hindrance to them and just cause them grief, and only put up with them because of the income support and benefits they get. I really feel sorry for the kids because they'll be bright but have a crap start in life because of the parents who don't give a toss.

Let me explain where I'm coming from - Where I used to live in Foxwood (York) there was a little lad who was aged 8. His parents would give him a £5 in the morning and tell him to go to school. They used to spend the day down the pub and he'd be on his own all day and would let himself in the house in the evening, on his own, and used to use the microwave to cook his tea from the freezer and would be totally on his own until his folks came back from the pub about 8pm ish, totally shedded. Some weekends they'd kick him out the house during the day and he'd be wandering around the streets. Poor lad was just totally left on his own, but he didn't know any better.

Then you look at those of us who had to struggle to have our kids. It took us 4 years before our first one arrived, and a further three years for the second one. I love my kids to bits and my life's changed for them - I solely do a job I dislike doing because it pays well and I can send my daughter to a good school.

Mark.