Family murders

I'm not talking about my family, though there are a fair number of skeletons in the cupboard when you start looking for them. I'm talking about the latest case of an apparently estranged father killing his wife/partner and child. While I'm reluctant to generalise it does seem to be a mainly male crime. No one knows exactly what happened or what the family circumstances were but my first thought was - there's got to be a better way of sorting out family problems than this.

People are quick to blame women for using their children as pawns but is this really the whole cause of the problem? I'd be the first to say that women can be nasty, vindictive and deceitful - but so can men. It would be fairer to say 'People can be evil - whatever their sex'. Many blame the family courts for always awarding custody to the mother - is this really true? If the positions were reversed would we see a spate of women killing their partners and children?

If you look at the situation prior to the era of easy divorce when the mother was unlikely to get custody because she was not in a position to support herself and the children financially - were there many cases of mothers killing their children and partners? If there had been then I'm sure someone would have made use of the statistics by now

Childlessness

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/4679546/Why-Im-happy-to-be-child-free.html

I could not have put it better myself!

In recent years I haven't had any negative comments about my childlessness but I used to get a lot when I was in my twenties. Most of them were along the lines of telling me I was selfish for not wanting children.

I have not regretted my decision which was made when I was a child. I did have a very idealised picture of myself at one time having twins and holding down a really high powered job. Somehow that never got close to being on the drawing board and I'm not at all sure where it came from!

I've never been interested in children and what maternal instincts I have are more than satisfied by looking after an ill partner and a delinquent cat, not to speak of being agony aunt at work.

Sore throat a bit better today but I've started sneezing. Don't feel too bad though - maybe it won't develop into anything much.

Follow up to yesterday

I have just read that Alfie who apparently fathered a child at the age of 12 may open the DNA test results on live television - possibly Channel 4. I'm sorry but this is disgusting and sickening not to speak of ridiculous. How is this going to improve the state of the nation's morals?

I really hope public opinion puts a stop to this before it takes place otherwise there's going to be all sorts of children seeking to emulate him. I'm all for not being prudish about sex but this is taking things too far. I'm rapidly falling out with the 'no blame culture'. In this case someone is to blame and probably the parents who allowed this sordid state of affairs to happen in the first place.

It's no good saying children will do what they want and you can't stop them. Parents are responsible for children and whilst I don't agree with parents being tyrants, children need to be at least worried about displeasing them in order to keep them on the straight and narrow. Bring back old fashioned parenting and discipline which works.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4680496/Schoolboy-father-Alfie-Patten-may-open-DNA-test-results-on-live-television.html