Stop Nuisance Calls

I am absolutely sick to the back teeth of stopping working to answer the phone to a call centres. I'm more sick of hearing my next door neighbour's phone ringing throughout the day. Why does that bother me? Because they have dementia and I know they are call centre calls.

Most are recorded messages that clog up the answerphone. The rest are hard to understand foreign call centres. All calls are hard to understand when you have dementia.

The number of calls have increased over the year. I would say the phone rings at least hourly. The number is registered with TPS (the telephone preference service) and when I have taken the caller to task about this, I am informed that companies do not have to use TPS. So I politely (it pains me) request the number is not called again and they either hang up or agree. More often that not though, they call back.

So I've done a bit of research on the Alzheimer's Society Website and come across this product. The device plugs in between the phone socket and the actual phone. It can be set up to block up to 1200 numbers and can be used remotely, which means I can take the cordless phone next door for a week and just press #2 to block the calls and immediately reduce the distress of my Mother in Law.

Secretly, I am loving this because of the satisfaction I will get from hitting that big red button!!

I can see me buying one of these for our phone and even as christmas gifts as who wouldn't want to send the call centres a big fat unobtainable code?!

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Free School Breakfast - No Thanks

My middle child's school provides a free breakfast for all pupils.  This is as a result of children going to school hungry.

Why are they going to school hungry?

Is it not a parents responsibility to feed and look after their children? I would go hungry myself before letting my sons go hungry.

Each day, at morning break they receive a bread product, a piece of fruit (which they have provided for at least the last 8 years anyway) and a bottle of water.

So why do I have a problem with this?

I feed my boys when they get up.  Always have, always will.  Then they take a packed lunch to school.  When they eat an extra bread roll or pancake they are not hungry enough at their lunch slot and they are not eating all their lunches.

This extra meal provided by school is interferring with a meal routine I have spent years developing.

I understand some kids don't get a meal but is providing this meal solving the problem?  I believe children should be looked after at home.  If school continue to pick up what is missed at home, the problem of it being missed will never be addressed. 

Please let me know your thoughts

NHS Cuts or Complacency

Last month, my GP felt my sons condition was so urgent that we go straight to the medical assessment unit.  The doctor there thought his pain was so insignificant that he could go home despite two GPs diagnosing him with Shingles.  Less than 24 hours later, we were back with 2 consultants talking lumbar punctures for brain infection.  He was treated for Shingles and is still recovering.

My mother is fit to work apparently despite her pain receptor score being 9 times higher than it should be.  Three weeks of pain later, she has been referred to rhumetology for the treatment she needs.

I had to fight to have my childs tonsils out.  He didn't sleep through until he had them out and I didn't sleep as I used to listen for him breathing all night.  He used to stop and cough and I'd be up like a dart.  It was like dozing next to a life support machine and the sleep deprivation left me depressed and unable to recall much of his early years.

There's a couple of other incidents where mis diagnosis and discharge without solving the original issue have occurred and I wonder, is it complacency or are they trying to cut costs?

I'm no fan of the NHS particularly and I would much prefer to opt out completely and have a system like the USA  but unfortunately the first link in the chain is a GP so NHS interface is inevitable.

At the moment I'm worn down by people not doing their job.  

I know people who work in the NHS and they do work hard.  But ultimately they are taken advantage of because  they work hard.

It doesn't help that I live in a town with one of the hospitals that has been highlighted for high death rates, but instead of turning this around, they build a massive entrance hall and provide the same shabby service they always have done.

Am I out of line with this rant?  Am I generalising on my own experiences?  What do you think?

Is it financial cuts that are leading to us being turned away and fobbed off or are they just complacent and don't really care?

I'd be really interested to know.

Please, Not Another Food Diary - or leave my kid alone!

Schools are Obsessed with food diaries and it is driving me insane.

Unfortunately, they are also obsessed with providing my child with breakfast, which, call me traditional but I like to feed my kids when they wake up, not starve them until 10.30 break.  

The healthy eating message is rammed down their throats (not literally) and I know it has led one of my boys to lose weight year on year.  He chooses vegetables and fruit instead of chocolate and crisps.  Most people would be glad but add to that the message of portion control the fact that anyone of a healthy size is bordering on obesity and heart disease leads to the wrong message getting through and has left him with a potential eating disorder.

I know some kids don't get breakfast and I know food poverty is at an all time high in this country, but seriously, how many food diaries can be disguised as a project?!  If you want to know, ask. Don't disguise it as a science project.  

To have a 6 year old read the back of a crisp packet and comment on the amount of sugar in it is wrong.  They should enjoy food for what it is.  It's the parents job to moderate it.

What do you think about the forthcoming free school meals for key stage 1?

From experience, school dinners don't fill my boys but I do agree that the cost was too much.

My eldest is in high school and costs an arm and a leg on snacks, but I can't grumble as at least he's eating now he's left the healthy eating dictatorship of primary school.

What are your views on this, I'd love to hear if anyone else is in the same situation

My ranting Face