Monday, February 12, 2007

The parental Panopticon

Fresh from her excitement at becoming a bridesmaid, the blessed Spinsterella lays into the importance laid upon that most sacred manifestation of domesticity, parenthood. Coincidentally, my latest contribution to the potluck dinner that is CiF goes like this.

10 comments:

Spinsterella said...

Gosh Tim, you've actually managed to get the Scarey Ciffers on your side with this one.

I guess I'm a latch-key kid too.

It hasn't done me any harm. Apart, perhaps, from an ingrained habit of having an evening meal consisting entirely of toast the minute I get home from work.

Bob Swipe said...

Hi Tim,

Thanks for saying nice things about the Diva song - it was actually about something *completely* different, actually, but what the heck??

I hope I'm making you revise your views on the subtitle of your opus - when't it out by the way? I must get hold of a copy. I really could do with a good larf at the moment...;?

Oh, I've moved here....(for tax reasons, obviously...) - if you wish to update your bookmarks...

L.U.V. on ya,

Bob

Billy said...

Everyone loves you on CIF, Germaine seems to be popular too.

Rog said...

If your parents had stayed at home you might have been Dan Brown, Tim. Thank goodness then!

FirstNations said...

absolutely tickled shitless that i
1. know what a 'panopticon' is
2. know who jeremy bentham is
3. know that mr. bentham is one of a select few examples of human taxidermy and presently resides in a glass sided display case, ready to squick out the curious at a moments notice.
excellent article, per usual.

Tim F said...

Yes, it's a weird sensation posting something on CiF, and not being accused of stupidity, tedium, metrosexuality or, on one occasion, the double whammy of paedophilia and looking 'creepy'.

FN: As I'm sure you know, the head atop JB's preserved cadaver, in UCL, is a wax replica. But if you ask the porters nicely, you can sometimes get to see the real thing. Yuckers!

Bob: April 8. It's at the printers now. I think. I hope...

Valerie Polichar said...

Ooh, it's coming out a day before my birthday! Cool..

The article is interesting. My mother chose not to work while I was under 11 (my sibs are younger), but when we moved to California she got a job. She was generally home shortly after we were in the afternoons, but certainly I was babysitting at 12, and if you can babysit for someone else's kids, surely you're okay to take care of yourself most of the time. Nowadays, with the prevalence of cell phones, it seems even clearer.

But some folks want to rail about the 'nanny state' only when it suits their particular political needs, I've found...

Spinsterella said...

Human taxidermy - oh, I didn't know about that FN.

I wonder if you can still have it done...

Moominmama said...

I've been saying for years that children's lives these days are over-structured and micro-managed. I intend to be the best parent on the block and let them go crazy whilst I pay no attention whatsoever.

Joel said...

I go one step further. I don't live with or ever see my kids, and in fact I currently deny that they're mine. Just like my Dad did with me. Whoever he is.