No, I didn't 'draw the short straw'. They're my children. I like them a lot
No, it's not 'mum's day off'. It's the exact opposite, she's in work. Women can have official jobs these days. It's a thing.
While I'm on about unhelpful sexist tropes, the whole 'man flu' thing can do one as well
Men believing they can't show any vulnerability ever causes major problems in our society. The immediate mocking of them when they confess to any illness at all just strongly reinforces it
This tweet blew up somewhat. Clearly it's still a big and an annoying everyday occurrence.
However, in case anyone thinks I'm some sort of uber-parent, here's one incident that shows how *adept* I am at being a hands-on Dad
When my son (our first) was only a few months old, we'd take him out to cafes and stuff, and if he needed changing we'd take it in turns. Standard.
One particular time a nearby cafe, his nappy was full, so off I went to change him. So far, so normal.
/2
We were in a small cafe that we knew had baby changing facilities. They were somewhat cramped, because it was a small place. But they were there, and that was the main thing. Meant I was pressed right up against the changing table though
/3
So, removed the grim used nappy, disposed of it, cleaned him up, then got the new one out of the bag
I know now I should have got the new one out ahead of time, as my approach meant there was a window where my baby son was 'al fresco'. And this was a mistake
/4
The brief moment his nethers were exposed to the world was when my baby son opted to empty his surprisingly still full (and surprisingly voluminous) bladder
And him being male meant it was 'projected' somewhat.
/5
In short, as I was changing his nappy, my baby son pissed on me
While we were out in public
That'd be bad enough, but for added hilarity, he got me right on the front of my trousers. So I ended up with a huge wet patch on my groinal area
/6
It looked... not great
Hence I got him nappied and dressed, washed my hands, and hurried to give him back to mum while I got something to dry myself with, to avoid embarrassment.
This backfired immensely, due to the following conversation with a member of staff behind the counter
/7
Me: "Excuse me, do you have any paper towels?"
Staff: "Yes, I'll just..." [Sees big wet patch on front of my trousers]
Me: "Ah, yes. I know. But it's not what it looks like"
"..."
"I mean, it *is* piss. But don't worry, it's not mine"
"..."
"It's a child's!"
"...!!"
/8
Yeah, didn't go back to that cafe for a while.
/end
Told my son about this earlier, given how he's 8 now, not 2 months old. He was pissing himself, ironically (and, thankfully, metaphorically)
This popped up in my feed. I've not encountered it before. So, here's my professional analysis
WHAT IN THE NAME OF GIDDY FU*K IS THIS BULLSH*T??
Apparently parents of autistic kids are being targeted by such things, so here's everything wrong with it I can find
#Autism #ND
/1
The line "Considering stem cell therapy for #autism ?"
I've no idea whether or not anyone is considering that, as I've never heard of the concept before. But nobody *should* be considering that. Because it's not a thing. For so many reasons.
/2
Then there's... this
Basically, this is word salad. Throw enough credible or science-y sounding words together, and it adds up to complex gibberish. What's a 'global family'? Why not throw a 'quantum' or 'neuro' in there too. They might as well at this point.
"If you're under 25 your brain isn't fully developed, so you can't be trusted to make informed decisions"
I'm seeing this a LOT lately, especially today. And it's utter guff, based on hearsay, misunderstandings of neuroscience, or wilful ignorance.
Why? I'll tell you why
/1
Firstly, the whole 'your brain stops developing at age 25' thing is spurious anyway. The original studies that came up with this figure, they just didn't include any subjects over 25. So that's when the data... stopped.
But that doesn't really mean anything.
/2
Saying 'the brain stops developing at age 25' because you didn't study anyone older is like saying "Olympic sprinters are only capable of running for 100m".
I mean, they *clearly* can go for longer. That's just when the race ends. It's not the same thing.
/3
TW, obviously, as this is a very dark subject in many ways
Also, I am in no way maligning or undermining the valid concerns of a grieving, angry mother.
But there's a strong risk of doing more harm than good here
/2
@LBC First, there's this
Maybe 15 years ago, this would have been feasible. But now? You'd be depriving millions of young people of a huge chunk of their social lives and autonomy. And insisting 'It's for your own good' will likely breed even more resentment
@Rethink_ It's a drum I've banged often, but it's still pertinent
Mental health 'awareness' is an important first step, but it's not an end point. And for too many, being aware of/acknowledging mental health issues is taken to mean the problem's dealt with
Being part of an online community where everyone is open and honest about their #MentalHealth is great. Often essential. But that doesn't mean everyone enjoys a similar situation. Indeed, the majority seemingly don't.
/3
For the record, I don't (as far as I or anyone else knows) have ADHD
But I have many individuals, who I value greatly and/or who are very close to me, who have recently been diagnosed ADHD, and you'd better believe I'll go to the bat for them in any context
/2
Some may jump on this as a way to discredit me, to dismiss my critique of the #Panorama#ADHD investigation. Because I should, after all, be totally impartial, not influenced by defending people I care about?
How did you get access to a 'Leading NHS consultant', mate? The vast majority of people dealing with (potential ADHD) have to wait years for such a thing. Surely you didn't just jump the queue by flashing your BBC credentials?
/1
Also, minor point perhaps, but if the OPENING PARAGRAPH of your prominent piece for the highly respected national broadcaster is already promoting, by accident or design, an 'Online mental health assessments aren't valid' view, that's potentially MASSIVELY damaging