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Hi!
Our child, 20 months, loves all kinds of food. The reason is we approched
it in an active and fun way, planning variety and allowing him to
share our meal times. Valery Jackson's article is great and I hope
it helps more mum's and dad's join at such fun! It is really worth
the effort!
Aitana
Dear
Editor
I would like to give my reaction to Keith White's column in Children
Webmag.
It
is difficult for us - as foreigners - to translate what we call in
our academic discipline opvoeding. That is the Dutch word
for what parents do who have children who are growing up. They don't
give care, but education in our sense, not in the English word of
education in school. In our dictionary we call it upbringing.
So you cannot not educate!! Or you cannot not provide upbringing!!
We also have a word for that - pedagogics, but I know that
is an old-fashioned word in English.
What
term do you use in English to describe what parents do who educate
(help?) their children to maturity? And is there in your country a
profession that on an academic level is interested in upbringing?
With greetings,
Peter
van den Bergh
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies
Leiden University
Netherlands
============
Letter
from Keith White in response to Peter van der Bergh’s
Dear
Editor,
I wonder whether you would be kind enough to thank Peter van den Bergh
of Leiden University for his helpful letter in reply to my article
in Children Webmag May 2005.
In many cases English is an effective and accurate language, but in
the cases of care, parenting and education, it is not.
We have an old phrase to bring up a child and the words upbringing
and rear that apply to parents and home, but the commonly
preferred word is care. We do not have the pedagogy
in common usage.
So you see what a problem we have with actual parenting, substitute
parenting, foster care and the like!
You also see why home and school are seen as such separate entities.
A lot hangs on language, and some of us are trying to move things
on.
I am delighted that the Dutch have a more sensible vocabulary and
tradition in this area.
Best wishes,
Keith J. White
=================
Dear
Editor (Re Barnardo's Vinyl article this month)
Hi,
as a long term vinyl junkie who trawls the charity shops at every
opportunityI'd like to say that the pricing policy in some shops is
getting slightly carried away. The staff have got hold of the record
collector's bible and price things as though they are in near mint
condition. It is very seldom that the condition merits a premium price.
Many
classic albums are being re-released on vinyl and it may be that people
will choose the new product if they feel they are being overcharged
in the charity shop.
I
found the beatle's 'revolver' for 10p and was so chuffed I paid £1.
There is a psychology to collecting and there is a chance the slicker
charity shops will start to loose custom unless they are in wales!
Cheers
Jeremy
Dear
Editor
I
heartily agree with the views of your Northern Outlook columnist (April
2005). It is typical of the powers-that-be to try and ban something
like an alcoholic drink in order to solve a problem that goes much
deeper than drinking strong booze. We need to look at the root cause
of problems like anti-social behaviour and deal with them appopriately
instead of having knee-jerk reactions.
C. Williams, Norfolk
Dear
Editor
Keith
White’s beautiful description of boys having a whale of a time
in the snow in Switzerland was really quite moving (In Residence,
April). It made me stop and really consider that good childhood experiences
– however simple they may seem – are so important to the
emotional growth of that child as it approaches adulthood. We should
all allow ourselves to take stock and look at the childhood we are
giving our children. Now and again we should forget the computer games,
the TV and all the material things and build some memories out of
the simpler things.
Mrs. K. Davies, Gwent
Dear
Editor
I think it is so true that children need space to play, and that we
don’t try and hot house them into little learning machines (Play
Really Matters, March). I work in a children’s home and often
the kids seem to be unable to know where to start when it comes to
play. Their lives are structured at school and again with homework,
but if you facilitate play for them – just by suggesting a few
ideas and leaving them to it – they end up having a whale of
a time.
We are too hung up with orderly play these days, once children know
they are allowed to play then they enjoy it.
Name and email address supplied
Dear
Editor
I’ve never heard of the game of Scooby Do (In Residence, March)
but it saddens me that schools persist in banning something most of
the children enjoy doing. A harmless craze should surely be allowed
to be just that – a passing fascination which has its time and
wanes naturally. I was a teacher during the craze for clackers in
the 1970s, and we had to restrict them because they were dangerous,
but this latest thing sounds like a harmless pleasure.
J. Burton, Greater Manchester
Dear
Editor
What
a fascinating interview with the Earl of Listowel (March). It is good
to know that there are young peers in the Lords who have an interest
in the care and welfare of all our children.
Mrs. C. Harvey, Southampton.
