Archbishop urges parents re-think





Attitudes towards parenting need a radical re-think, the Archbishop of Wales has said.

In a speech to the Church in Wales' governing body in Llandudno, Dr Barry Morgan said parents must work hard to spend quality time with their children.

He said: "In our busyness and self-absorption we have simply lost sight of the big picture."

Dr Morgan said children were facing "huge social problems" and growing up in a society which fostered "greed".

Parents should be given help and advice to support them through difficult times, Dr Morgan added.

"Comfortable Britain"

Dr Morgan said: "The recession is not something we can lay at the door of 'them' - the drunken youngsters, unmarried mothers, knife-carrying youths, anti-social gangs..."

"Its causes well and truly belong to 'us' - comfortable Britain."

Parents may know the "real needs" of children, said Dr Morgan, but "frequently refuse to recognise that these often come at a personal cost to our own needs and desires - be they compromises in our earning capacity or career development, or commitment to work at a relationship.

Children are the "responsibility of both parents", who should work hard to prevent family break-ups, he said.

Dr Morgan, 62, who is married with two children, stressed: "I am not saying that a woman's place is in the home. Fathers are no less important than mothers in a child's life.

"Nor am I saying that parents must stay together at all costs.

"Where there is a high level of conflict that cannot be resolved, or an abusive relationship, the child would obviously be better served if the parents separate."

"Parent-craft"

He said children and young people are facing "huge social problems", exacerbated by the credit crunch, because they are growing up in a society that fosters "greed and individualism".

Turning to sex education, Dr Morgan said: "We have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe."

He said that schoolchildren should be taught about the commitment and responsibility involved in parenting, alongside education about sex and contraception.

Dr Morgan said: "We need to be teaching these basic concepts, as well as parent-craft, from an early age.

"Particularly to those who have not experienced it first hand, and not simply informing them about the mechanics of a sexual relationship and contraception divorced from the basic concepts of love, responsibility and self-respect."

THE BBC

brilliant someone with their head screwed on.

Well he is bound to be an authority on family relationships and children isn't he - how many wives and kids has he got?

Dr Morgan, 62, who is married with two children

Well that's me sorted ..... taxi!

Are you one of these people who never reads instruction manuals?

Yes, I'm a fella - but I did do a tangent first and asked google if archbishops can marry - the man from google- he say NO!

So true, some people need a kick up the bum where kids are involved

That's probably the Catholic kind DD. I think this guy's an Anglican.

I think the problem also lies with the fact that it is assumed as a right to have children. It's not - it's an honour and as such, it comes with great responsibility. You see them every week on Jeremy Kyle and his ilk - they have lots of children because they "like having kids, like being pregnant, want a football team" etc etc. That's no reason to have a child IMO.

What happened to having a child because you want to bring up a valuable member of society who is fully equipped to contribute to more than the dole queue or crime figures and prison stats??

There is NO reason in this day and age for so called "unwanted" pregnancies. Long gone are the days of getting "geronimo" out of the box (those of a certain age will know what I mean) or being embarrassed going into the chemist for condoms - you don't even have to pay for them anymore!! If we can give our teens the "cervical cancer" injection, then why can't we put them all on the pill or give them implants too??

IMO, having children should be like getting a dog from the RSPCA - you should be assessed for your suitability. The kind of home you can offer (and I don't mean the type of house), your knowledge of what having a child entails, what they need to keep them physically, emotionally and psychologically safe and healthy! If you don't tick all the boxes, then you stay on the implant until you jolly well do!!!

Sorry, I'll step off my soapbox now.

Exactly - I don't see being a parent as owning these children. Yes we brought them into the world, but at the end of the day they are not a possession. I am their guardian until they are of an age where they can take responsibility for their own lives (I just hope that doesn't mean they are still at home when they are 30 ).
When we were considering having our first child it was an immense thing - it scared the hell out of us!! Were we going to be able to give it the best we could (not just financially)?
I find it amazing, no excruciating, that people just dive in, as you say, because they like think babies are cute etc.
All children - male and female should receive instruction at school about relationships - not just how to put a condom on - about emotions/feelings and practicalities. They should also take it in turns to take home one of those 'sim babies' for a week. I know they are expensive but think how much would be saved in the long-run.

I think it needs to become a less attractive prospect to young people and it needs to stop becoming the norm. I'm not suggesting we go back to the social stigmas of the past but if it's not so easy to get all the benefits from having baby after baby and more focus is put on the massive responsibility of parenthood maybe attitudes would change?

But then I've always been a naive optimist...

Im guessing people with a lesser quality of life..who dont have as much freedom, finance or even a job etc.. they try to take what theyve got, and make the best of it. In their eyes, that means making a family with their partner, but unfortunately as we know, its not the perfect setting to bring a child up in.

Question is, are you going to be the one to tell a young couple not to have kids, because theyre too poor/uneducated ??

Yes I would

Yes. They do in China.
The kids are feral where I live. They do what they like and the people who feed them (parents) seem only arsed if they don't come in after 11pm. I couldn't care less about other people's kids, they can have as many as they want as long as they don't affect my life by doing chavvy things like throwing rocks at the house.

Thats something that annoys me, people that say "aww babies are so cute i want one" forgetting that the cute little baby will get up every couple of hours, night and day for food, will need changing, clothing, bathing and lots of love and attention, and "cute little baby" turns into "horrid toddler" then "evil teen that hates you for no good reason" - I'm kinda bored of people having kids as a fashion accessory tbh or the best one "i'll get a house and claim dole" then sit on their arses for years claiming. Dont get me wrong, i'm claiming at the moment, but once i finish college i'll be going back to work

Lets not forget there are innocents involved here, who's only crime is being born into a world that has no shame, in a world where shame has been reversed to having a medal pinned to a chest. Where once a teenage pregnancy was frowned upon it is now looked upon as a meal or housing ticket. Perhaps the authorities at the end of the ninetieth century had the right idea where mothers with illegitimate children where put in a home for a year or two with their child to learn a trade. The child was put into the care of foster parents and the mother worked and supported her child in care. There where no benefits then. At least the innocent baby was well looked after and the mother had to face up to responsibilities.

I'm bored of kids not getting the blame.
The really feral ones are malicious little things, they know full well what they're doing.