An accident waiting to happen

You can agree or disagree with me, but I think that education starts at home. Right now, you very often hear or read it's the task of the school to educate. Wrong!

My hair goes on end every time I see how some parents treat their offspring. I'm not one for Victorian ways, but a child should be told what can and what isn't allowed.

I don't have anything against my Polish neighbors (they're friendly enough) but when they take care of their grandchildren I'm just waiting for one of the kids to fall down and break something (or worse). See, they allow them to play on a roof terrace and they are not around while the kids are playing. I've seen more than once that one kid tries to squeeze his head between the stiles, and another one climbs up. Also when the parents are around, nobody says anything. Those kids also kick the dog (an old one, ready to bite).

I know I can't say anything, but Jezus! When we were young, our mother (or father) told us exactly what we could do. We were allowed a lot of freedom but never took advantage. My two-year-old sister and I went to church with our mother and even the little one sat down on her knees for more than an hour without moving. That was how it should be, we were taught. When visiting friends, we were allowed to accept just the one cookie, and then politely refuse more. And we couldn't speak when the grown-ups were having a serious conversation, only when we were old enough to join in.

They can say a lot about the old ways, but I really think they were not that bad!