Child Care

Doggerel Dave


Notice of absence from Doggerel Dave
I do return sometimes... occasionally...

It’s the cost of a roof over their head

Sends both partners scurrying out of bed

To work; the products of this nightmare

Provided for, wait for it, by Child Care.

 

Often profit making enterprises

With cheapest input owner devises;

Poorly trained assistants, zero background checks -

Neglect and cruelty that can only perplex.

 

No time to share child supervision -

Offspring’s welfare a labour division;

All hands must be turned to hard toil rewarded

To maintain a sound roof and a warm bed.

  • Author: Doggerel Dave (Pseudonym) (Offline Offline)
  • Published: May 14th, 2025 20:28
  • Comment from author about the poem: This is quite possibly everywhere. Itโ€™s a hot mess where I live.
  • Category: Unclassified
  • Views: 8
  • Users favorite of this poem: Poetic Licence, Tristan Robert Lange
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Comments +

Comments4

  • arqios

    We had been stung by this and on the second day had our child pulled out. That was almost 16 years ago now. Never looked back. After that the offending childcare place had changed hands more fingers than you would care shake your hands at. ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป

    • Doggerel Dave

      ...And it continues through different changes of government - now will the bright light of publicity change any thing?
      Thanks for the response, mate.

      • arqios

        No worries, mate.๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ

      • Goldfinch60

        True words Dave, living is so expensive nowadays that children are suffering.

        Andy

        • Doggerel Dave

          Something must be done to clean up the sector.
          Child care a profit making enterprise?
          Thanks Andy.

        • sorenbarrett

          Indeed Dave worked in a day care once and of all the jobs I have ever had it was the most demanding. Would rather work in a mine, construction, or a prison than a day care. As a parent and grand parent keeping an eye on three or four is more than can be expected of any normal person but keeping an eye on ten to twenty is a job that even the gods have given up on. A most pertinent read Dave and a definite issue with most families having two working parents or worse yet single parent families.

          • Doggerel Dave

            Thanks for the response, Soren. As above. But it is also symptomatic of the whole damn thing. Profit? Cheap labour? What has care and proper socialisation got to do with it?

            • sorenbarrett

              The write is a good one and needs to be heard. Society has changed from where grandparents used to be in the home to watch the children while mom and dad worked at home on the farm or at least mom at home while dad worked in a factory. In a family of eight the older took care of the younger now in families of one or two and no more extended family for hundreds of miles the only answer is finding enough tax dollars to care for the societies young. We have not found the public will to do it yet. My sister works in this type of situation and the political correct rules of today do not allow proper discipline to even ensure the safety of the child or others that the child may attack. It's a mad world we live in Dave

              • Doggerel Dave

                Couldnโ€™t agree more, Soren. I can absolutely believe your observations from the inside, both with respect to your experience and those of your sister.
                My problem is that you seem to accept those conditions and walk away with the mad world characterisation.
                At no point do you question the incompatibility of proper child care and profit., what needs to change and how.
                This, may I respectfully suggest derives from your background in psychology where the focus is adjusting the individual to their circumstances and no examination of the social circumstances which caused your clients malaise.
                I think you know my background, among many other environments/experiences is that of social work โ€“ so donโ€™t come back to me with yah boo sucks ๐Ÿ˜‚ Iโ€™d be the first to concede that S/Ws are not far removed in many ways from your position.
                However some old fogey once said, โ€˜Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.โ€™
                Substitute Psychologists and Social Workers for Philosophers and there is an absolute truth there.

                • sorenbarrett

                  Well said Dave I concede apathy and old age and too many years of individual focus are the villains but I do hold a second BA in sociology as well.

                  • Doggerel Dave

                    Great Soren - then we must be able to speak the same language, and on that basis I wouldn't mind a friendly debate on what you really mean by the term 'politically correct'. I feel we might both learn something from that engagement.
                    In the meantime, take care of yourself.๐Ÿ˜Š

                  • Tristan Robert Lange

                    Excellent write, my friend. It's been so long since my kids were in day care, but I remember not loving it. I am not sure about background checks, here in PA (not sure about other states) they're required, both Federal and State checks. All the same, a lot of the other issues you raise were still issues. Well done, Dave. An important piece and a fave. ๐ŸŒน๐Ÿ‘

                    • Doggerel Dave

                      Thanks Tristan. For me it is one more example of a social system which is rotten to the core. For profit can only inevitably end where this has.



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