Other Peoples Kids

[Octavius]

Think-tank Civitas said the "escalation of child protection measures" had made everyone from sports coaches to Santas seem like "potential child abusers".

In its report, Licensed to Hug, Civitas said that child protection regulations had "succeeded in poisoning the relationship between the generations".

While in the past, adults would have helped children in distress or rebuked those misbehaving, there was now "a feeling that it is best not to become involved", it said.

As a man I tend to agree. I was at Tumbletots last week and I felt very hesitant about looking at or helping other peoples children over the apparatus, or helping them if they fell off. My wife thinks I was being irrational and said loads of dads take part. But I can't help having the worrying sense that everyone would be watching me with suspicious eyes as they don't really know me or trust me and might incorrectly assume - or even briefly consider -the worst.

I realise this might seem ridiculous, but any thoughts?

[Octavius]

China, it is not really about me believing the hype, but my wariness of thinking that other parents might.

There is talk here of hysteria amongst the masses - and no I don't read tabloids either - so my caution is not that I have something to hide or fear, but that if people are generally believing this hype and that every man until proven otherwise "could" be a paedophile it just makes you feel a little uncomfortable around 'new' kids.

I know Mrs O was right, and as I said I can see the ridiculousness of it, but it doesn't stop me being concerned about peoples potential perception of me around their kids, good or bad. And yes I do enjoy being around children (if that is acceptable to say these days!)

[ludwig]

Sad but true. Seems there's often some bogeyman under the bed that we're encouraged to be paranoid about. It used to be witches, then catholics, then jews, then communists. Nowadays it's paedophiles, muslims, and racists depending on which side of the political spectrum the crap is being spouted from.

[China Doll]

Of course it's ok, most kids talk more sense than some of the adults I know and they're much more up for hide and seek or soaking my mum with a water pistol.

I just don't think you can do anything about other peoples perception and that most rational people just don't think like that. They might be aware of who's around their kids and talking to them but that's only natural, I don't think they'd be wondering if you looked sinister or not. And if they are, well they're not all that bright anyway (what does a paedophile look like exactly?) so I still wouldn't give a monkeys arse about their perception.