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England's National Health Service is urging parents to get their children vaccinated for the flu ahead of the holiday season to protect grandparents and other vulnerable relatives:
Flu vaccines administered through a nasal spray rather than an injection have been rolled out this autumn for two and three-year-olds, and children in reception class and years one to four in primary school. Children are super-spreaders because of the greater likelihood of them contracting flu at nursery or school, where germs are passed on at a rapid rate. But only 18% of school-age children have had the nasal spray immunisation, according to the latest figures.
Prof Keith Willett, NHS England's medical director for acute care, said: "Flu can be spread more easily by children, especially to vulnerable relatives such as older grandparents, those with heart or lung conditions and pregnant family members. Last year, millions of people missed out on their free vaccination and yet it's one simple, common sense step to help us all stay healthy this winter."
With less than a month until Christmas, the NHS is urging parents to book their children in for the free vaccination to help curb infection over the festive season, when family get-togethers can spread the infection.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror (a tabloid) claims that Russian agents are spreading anti-vaccination propaganda in the UK in an effort to destabilize the country:
Russian cyber units are spreading false information about flu and measles jabs in the UK, experts warn. [Ed's Note: The current flu immunisation is applied via a nasal spray - there are no 'jabs' involved.] Vladimir Putin is believed to want to erode trust in US and European governments. The state-sponsored units are spreading the lies on social media to destabilise Britain, it is claimed. The Kremlin has previously been accused of attempting to influence Brexit and Scottish independence. Now, it is feared it is trying to create distrust over flu jabs and the MMR measles vaccine.
[...] Security services are so concerned over the threat to public health and security that Government departments have been ordered to monitor social media and flag up risky articles. Health chiefs have had emergency meetings over the spread "fake news" over vaccination campaigns. [...] We can reveal public health officials are investigating whether an outbreak of measles last week in Liverpool and Leeds was fuelled by parents not vaccinating children due to "false information read on the internet".
Also at BBC. BBC's collection of newspaper covers.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday November 28 2017, @03:59AM (9 children)
What exactly do you mean by "discipline"? Based on your post, it sounds like what you mean is spanking and other forms of corporal punishment.
My experience, as someone who has worked with all kinds of kids professionally, is that such actions are pretty much always unnecessary and do more harm than good. Even with kids who are seriously screwed up due to past abuse and mental illness and such.
Most misbehaviors fall into one of these categories:
1. The kid knows it's against the rules and is doing it to test whether you'll do anything about it. You respond to this one by making it abundantly clear that you noticed, and doling out a punishment as needed.
2. The kid has no clue what they're doing is wrong, or why it's wrong. You respond to this by teaching them both the rule and the reason for it, and then work with them to figure out some kind of appropriate punishment. Yes, this actually works - kids who made a mistake often come up with ways to punish themselves that are appropriate and proportionate to what they did wrong.
3. The kid knows intellectually that the rule exists, but because kids have emotions they overrode the brain telling them not to do something. This one's really annoying, but you basically have to get the kid to calm down enough to get them to realize what they've done, and then you work on the punishment angle.
The other thing is you want to use punishments that build rather than erode trust between the kid and the adult. The best possible punishment is one where you do absolutely nothing and the kid learns why your rule exists - e.g. "Don't touch the hot stove!" doesn't need a punishment associated with breaking the rule because the kid will burn themselves the first time they try it. The next-best thing is where the punishment involves undoing the damage they caused - e.g. you made a mess, you clean it up. The next-best option there is to pick a punishment related to the crime in some way - e.g. a kid who broke a dish on purpose but has no money to buy another one (because they're a kid) has to wash all the dishes for a while to "earn" back the money they cost you.
Corporal punishment is basically authoritarian - do what I say or I will hurt you. And the problem with that is that it only works when the authority figure is around to enforce the rules. The goal of discipline is to have the little brats doing what you want 'em to do without you having to tell them or force them, and you don't get that if you have to smack them around whenever they're disobedient. Kids who have been raised in this kind of environment usually end up going overboard the moment they are out of their parents' clutches. It basically is a lack of creativity on the part of the adults leading to discipline that doesn't actually work very well in instilling values in the kids that leads to them actually wanting to do what you want them to do.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @04:46AM (8 children)
My first paragraph features you. As I said, "Discipline is unpleasant. People get uncomfortable seeing it and dishing it out. Some parents are blessed with kids that need relatively little, then assume that all other kids have similar personality."
That supposed "lack of creativity on the part of the adults" reminds me of our constitutional ban on unusual punishment. Are you going to come up with something new each time?
Corporal punishment is quickly over and done with. It avoids the manipulative psychological abuse so often seen in families that avoid it. It also works on kids who can't have a reasonable discussion.
OK, since you think you know everything, help me out. I've got all the minor things handled perfectly well, mostly with spankings from infancy. My kids are way better behaved than most. The big troubles are homework and internet use. Now, before you come up with a totally impractical solution, note that I have 11 kids. Even with a full-time stay-at-home mother, there is no hope for solutions that involve isolation and huge amounts of parental time. Also, we aren't going to play cruel and abusive psychological games, and we aren't going to tolerate reward inflation. There may be ADHD or Asperger's in the family; we won't be drugging everybody.
We homeschool. Each week, the older 5 have a chapter of AP Physics BC Mechanics to do. We read it, and then there are about 50 problems for the week. There is also a section of a calculus book, targeting AP Calculus BC probably. This is usually 1 or 2 days per section, with perhaps 7 to 10 multi-part problems. The work doesn't get done. They chat, read books, find "useful" tasks like baby care, pace around, doodle, nap, and snack. (no TV or video games here) Remember that I work and the wife is busy with 6 smaller kids. If even one kid fails to complete the work, we have a huge problem. Continuing on means that they become unable to do future chapters. Providing extra time only rewards the failure; they are then able to halt the education that they find so distasteful. A complaint from them has been that getting work done seems to be "rewarded" with more work, which is kind of true when they are successfully slowing things down.
For all but the oldest one, computer use is banned. This is a sad state of affairs. It'd be great if they could learn to program or could read/watch something educational. The reality is that they would burn through their time -- hours upon hours each day -- playing games and watching the most pointless videos. It's a Linux household. I tried blacklisting for a while, but there are too many alternatives on the internet, plus video sites mix the educational with the idiotic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @05:13AM
Maybe they find the school work distasteful because you are making them to do it, and they associate your orders with spanking (and probably yelling). It's not like AP calculus and physics exercises are fun, even for people who are good at it. That's some pretty dry bread to chew.
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Tuesday November 28 2017, @06:22AM (1 child)
Maybe they need some instruction on time management. If there are 50 problems for a week, set a target for finishing 10 per day and after they do that then they can goof off.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @06:57PM
Uh, well, I'm not so great at this myself.
What if they fall behind? One day they do 5 problems. The next day, is it 15 problems they must do? If only 10, should they skip the 5 from the previous day or should they start from there?
It really is a disaster if they fall behind. Test days can not be moved. The other kids have to move on; if they don't move as a group then teaching becomes inefficient. If somebody gets away with being lazy, then the others expect to be lazy for fairness.
Suppose they sit down to work, and nothing happens. What then? (for me as parent, and/or for them hopefully being self-motivated) How does one make the studying happen?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by t-3 on Tuesday November 28 2017, @12:39PM (1 child)
Fear only motivates a coward. My dad would apply "discipline" when I didn't do well in school, it just made me hate him. The efficacy of punishment is nullified when there is no emotional attachment, and creating an environment based around physical dominance quickly erodes any emotional attachment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @06:50PM
I guess I just give up then. The kids get no education. When they turn 18, I'll just drop them off at homeless shelters.
FAIL
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday November 29 2017, @12:15AM (2 children)
I'm not actually a parent: I've worked with kids professionally, which means interacting regularly with probably a couple hundred kids who've all been raised by somebody else up until that point. I've interacted with and been responsible for keeping in line a wide range of kids, from the spoiled brats to those with ADHD to those with autism to those who've suffered sexual abuse to those who are well-adjusted and well-behaved. And even a 9-year-old who can't talk due to severe cerebral palsy.
As for your specific problem (and whoa, that's a *lot* of kids, I'm guessing you're Catholic):
1. I think you and the stay-at-home mother need to do an assessment and plan a bit. You need to know about each of your kids is what activities they crave and what activities they avoid. You also need to know what privileges you are comfortable doling out. They don't have to be big, just stuff they want to do. In general, it sounds like you need the carrot more than the stick, and that means figuring out what actually is a good lure.
2. I'd take a hard look at how you're trying to teach physics and calculus: Do they get any practical experience using their knowledge of math and physics to solve real-world problems? Is there a time at work where you encounter problems along these lines that they could help you solve? If your teaching methods are limited to what's in the book, I'm not surprised they find it boring - textbooks and the questions in them are often frightfully dull even when they're covering fascinating subjects. For example, the best possible way to teach about pulleys is to use pulleys to do something.
3. Look at how the kids can be contributors to solving your household challenges rather than burdens. For instance, if the older kids are dodging your textbook work by wanting to take care of their younger siblings, then why not use baby care as a reward, and when they're doing that your wife gets a bit of a break?
4. As for the computer, it can be a great teaching tool if you can limit it properly. For example, the Kerbal Space Program [kerbalspaceprogram.com] might give your kids more of an understanding of physics and mechanics than your textbook will. As for preventing them from doing things they shouldn't on the computer (e.g. pr0n), the way you solve that one is to ensure that the computer is always in a place where the rest of the family can see it.
5. What books are they reading on their own? How can they be used to help teach? Are there other books you could add in that might do a better job of teaching?
It sounds to me like your kids are bored, miserable, and putting most of their effort into avoiding punishment. At a very young age, you taught them to be afraid of you and your wrath by spanking them. And it sounds like you still maintain your authority basically by hitting them if they don't do as you ask. You also seem to be denying them most forms of entertainment, which is leaving them bored and desperately looking for something they can do. It doesn't sound like they leave the house all that often, or socialize with anyone other than their immediate family, which isn't healthy.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:14AM (1 child)
My wife is Catholic. I was raised that way, but I can't make myself believe.
Carrot instead of stick sounds nice, but kids will do the bare minimum and then inflation takes hold. They lose the motivation and demand better carrots. Money and time are limited.
Currently, we're limited to the book. We did AP Chemistry with some amazing labs, but half way through the year I had to drop the labs. Lab reports weren't getting done and the labs were taking time that was needed for working through the problems. We then did AP Biology without labs, and 4 kids passed the test. Physics labs seem to usually need lab-specific costly oddball equipment like air tracks and mercury lamps and spark gaps; chemistry labs at least tended to reuse the same equipment over and over again.
I'm not going to get bothered by kids seeing naked people. The trouble with the computer is stuff like the Annoying Orange videos, political news, and games with tank battles. It's not that I mind the stuff, but that it is an unproductive time sink. Uh, there was the 9-year-old girl who secretly signed up for OkCupid and chatted up guys in their 20s, but that was not the norm. The norm is just time wasted on nonsense. There is a bit of potential for computer damage too if they fight over the computer; there is no way I can have enough computers for everybody.
The 12-year-old twin girls read fiction like Warriors (weird books about cats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warriors_%28novel_series%29 [wikipedia.org] here), a bunch of disturbing Manga translated from Japanese, and stuff that looks to be romance novels. The 18-year-old boy prefers books about politics, war, getting women, and interacting with people. It's both fiction and non-fiction. He read some Tom Clancy stuff. He really liked 1984 and The Prince. The 14-year old boy reads whatever his sisters and older brother have; he isn't too fussy. The 16-year-old dislikes reading.
I suppose I should make it clear that spanking tapers off with age. I wouldn't put a hard limit on it, but the oldest 7 kids (age 7 and up) almost don't get spanked. There comes a time, gradually, when punishment is really not an easy thing. Years go by with nothing viable, and then on their 18th birthday I get the harsh option of telling them that they don't live with us anymore.
They may be bored. Of course they don't get entertainment: they haven't done their work! They seem to convince themselves, wrongly, that there is no possible way to complete the work and get to fun activities. The obvious defective conclusion is that there is no reason to try.
They do get out a bit. I've been limiting some of it due to the homework issue, but not totally. The boys do scouting, and the girls are in American Heritage Girls. The oldest is finishing up paperwork to be an eagle scout. The oldest has a job, 6 or 7 hours on one day per week. Several are alter servers. They all attend kid activities at the church. They all can unicycle for miles; some go 20 MPH. The twin girls play instruments in a summer band and sometimes at church. They get half a day per week with a homeschooling group, studying history and English with kids of similar age.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday November 29 2017, @10:13PM
The thing about your concerns with "reward inflation": The goal is that by the time they're leaving the nest, they can manage themselves without your guidance or assistance most of the time. So the kinds of rewards you dole out should basically amount to steady increases in both freedom and responsibility, until they basically can do whatever they like, because "whatever they like" falls squarely in the categories of things you'd like them to do.
For instance, the 18-year-old ought to, provided he has a drivers' license, be able to drive a family car when you or your wife don't need it, on the condition that he contributes to gas, insurance, and maintenance, out of the money he earns from his job. He loses that privilege the moment he gets a ticket (that's the responsibility part). And yes, that means he should be able to drive around town, meet up with that cute girl he's had eyes for, etc.
The same sort of balance applies to computer time, to academics, to everything: Show that you've learned something, now you earn the freedom to use that knowledge to do something fun, with the responsibility of not misusing it. For a simple example, I taught many many kids how to safely use a pocket-knife, and they were allowed to use them once they'd passed a test demonstrating that knowledge, but if they broke the rules we taught them they would lose that privilege again and have to wait a few days and retake the test in order to get their knife back.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.