Should cafés be able to ban kids?

Posted to Body+Soul at (30/9/2011) on 1/10/2011 at 10:27 PM
Commenting on “Should cafés be able to ban kids?”
http://blogs.bodyandsoul.com.au/what-body-soul-thinks/article/should-cafes-be-able-to-ban-kids/

Some kids’ behaviour is no difference from any drunkards who scream and mess up the place for relaxation and enjoyment. In accordance to EPA, even a siren or burglar alarm cannot be continuously sounded for more than 7 minutes. So, why should kids be tolerated and allowed to scream on top of their voice for over 7 minutes?

Food premises are governed by Food Acts, and mess made by some kids is unacceptable and unsightly. The owner has the obligation and responsibility to keep the premises clean and hygienic in according to the Acts.

The owners can be fined for lacking a duty of care. If owners do not stop kids running around and jumping on furniture, they are in breached of OHS laws. Any incident resulting in injury can be fined substantially or may even end up with big compensation. So cafe owners, laws are on your side to ban screaming, misbehaving kids who may cost your cancellation of licence and insurance pay out.

Cafes / restaurants are neither child care centres nor kindergartens. It is not unreasonable to ban the kids from the premises for peace of mind on owners’ part and their clients’. If the parents insist, ban them, too. For goodness sake cafe / restaurant owners, don’t be bullied by irresponsible and uncivilised humans if they tell you that you are discriminating them.

When should kids make decisions?

Posted to Herald Sun (16/5/2011) on 16/5/2011 at 1: 18 PM
Commenting on “When should kids make decisions?”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/when-should-kids-make-decisions/story-fn7x8me2-1226057191998

No wonder problem gambling is such a prevalent problem - read Dean of Melbourne's comment you will understand why.

Every child is different, and any published expert opinion should be taken with caution. There are so many other influencing and determining factors. In the first place who is the judge or arbiter about the decisions by a child? A closer look at the society today, one wonders whether many are fit to be parents or decent human being, let alone allowed them to bring up children. The latest case in America about a mother applying Botox to her child at the age 8 proves the point that some parents can make wrong decisions.

Decision is a process and requires knowledge, information and a dose of intuition. The modern way of teaching and bringing up children is debatable in the sense that the children are over congested with care-free and ill-founded believes. Too much emphasis has been placed on bringing up street-smart kids instead of preparing them with basic literacy and numeracy skills – the foundation to acquire further knowledge upon which analytical skill can be developed.

The age for a child to make decisions is arbitrary and after all it is dependent what the decision is.

Ban junk food ads in kids' TV time

Posted to Adelaide Now (8/5/2011) on 9/5/2011 at 2:59 AM
Commenting on "Ban junk food ads in kids' TV time"
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ban-junk-food-ads-in-kids-tv-time/story-e6frea6u-1226052124376

I'm a taxpayer who is getting sick of fixing problems of people who keep blaming the society, the mass media, everyone except themselves about making their children taking drugs, speeding on the roads and killing innocent people, making them fat, etc.

In most cases, parents do have more contact hours with their children than outsiders. Why can't they look after the well-being of their children better? Don't they know how to use the switch on the power point? Its a matter of turning off the TV if the parents of the fat children don't want the children to know about the Golden Arch, or the old man trying to entice the kids to eat the chook?

Probably there are a lot of readers or audience out there, just like me, would like to spend their money on themselves rather than fixing problems of irresponsible people who keep blaming others for their misbehaviour and arrogance. If they do not fix their own problems, don't expect others to fix the problems for them - well, definitely from not me!