Rebuilding parenting skills would help kids get a better start

Ram raids make grim reading and grim times for shopkeepers. If we agree “it takes a village” there are things we can all do. Maybe the first thing to understand is what’s driving it.

A Christmas Eve story in the Herald reported a police analysis of 63 young ram-raiders and found more than half had come to police attention through family violence callouts before they were 3 years old. More than half had been reported as a missing person - so they had chosen to leave their home - and more than half had been picked up as an unaccompanied minor in a risky situation. These kids must think they have no future and maybe no one who cares about them?

if you’ve witnessed all this horror before you even start school what does it do to your brain, nervous system and neuro pathways? Have these children in the data ever had anyone read to them a bedtime story regularly to help their literacy? Has anyone counted the pegs with them as the washing was hung out, counted the cracks in the pavement as they’ve gone for walks?

Below is an oped that NZ Herald printed in January. (note it is behind a pay wall)

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/victoria-carter-rebuilding-parenting-skills-would-help-kids-get-a-better-start/JUKDKRKYIZGLRO5JT33VO5R3ZQ/