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Remote making paranoid4/9/2023 ![]() ![]() But the superficial similarities betray some big differences, in the past, parental anxiety focused on the problems within the family. Many begged an answer to what the publication's agony aunt called 'a problem as old as parenthood itself - that of how to get to obey us'. A frequently revised topic was: 'Is my child's development normal? Child tantrums, shyness, aggression, jealousy, thumb-sucking, nail-biting, refusal to sleep, were regularly raised in letters from concerned parents. A brief inspection of the pages of The Nursery World from the 1920's and 1930's shows that our grandparents were haunted by many of the doubts, worries and preoccupations that torment fathers and mothers today. Of course, it is normal for parents to be concerned about the well-being of their children. ![]() Exasperated by 'problems - all in the minds of parents', Tony sought, and found, a career outside teaching. Would the cars be roadworthy? Who would accompany a child to the lavatory? Who would ensure correct fitting seat belts? Were these normally non-smoking cars, or would the children be made victims of passive smoking? The planned pirate's day on the beach ended up being confined to the school field - sea, sand and adventure confined to their imagination and many of its education aims undermined. He wearily recalls how a school trip to the seaside, planned for a class of 5-year-olds was cancelled because two parents were concerned that the trip would involve their children in a 45-minute journey in a private car. He sighs as he tells of the mother who insisted on driving behind her son's coach to France to ensure that he arrived safely. The most taxing moments of his working life were to be spent dealing with 'worried mums'. But he was not prepared for the task of coping with 'difficult' anxious parents. During his teacher training, Tony had anticipated that he might be stretched by the challenge of dealing with rowdy children. Although he would not use the words, it was 'parental paranoia' that drove him out of the West Sussex primary school where he had taught for three years. ![]()
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