Free Circuses

Mark Latham has a ‘free book’ plan to help kids improve. The fact that the problem is the parents and not the kids seems to slip through the net. The Herald Sun has the story

“Most would agree that kids spend too much time with computer games and TV,” he said. “If we can get them reading and doing more exercise it will give them a more balanced lifestyle.

When my kids were at school there was no TV during the week AT ALL. That didn’t happen because some loopy MP gave them free books, it happened because I said so and therein lies the rub. It’s the parents, stupid. If most would agree that kids spend too much time with computer games and TV then it’s the parents who need counselling, not free books for kids. No parental discipline and the free books will be lost uner the TV Times on the coffee table. Parents who don’t read to their kids don’t do so because they’re stupid and don’t understand education and its benefits. The same people think homework is an invasion of their leisure time and take-away is healthy and for these reasons they are most probably already voting for the ALP so what’s Mark Lathams point. Free books for kids? He hasn’t heard of school and public libraries chock-a-block full of free books? Mark’s point is this; Look at me, I read to my kids. Look at me, I plan to give free books to people so they can read to their kids. People who read to their kids are are responsible parents and people who give them books to help them be responsible are very responsible. Ergo, I am very responsible – vote for me. It’s not the wherewithal Mark, it’s the motivation. Work on the parents. Encourage them to go the local libraries where they can access free books for thier kids that won’t cost the country another 80 million dollars. Update: One of my progeny states I turned soft later and the younger kids could watch TV for an hour after school but not after dinner. Another tells me the rule only worked when I was home which explains the flurried activity as I drove into the driveway. At least I tried.