News in review

It's the start of another week and that means it's time for another News in review.

The first story I have for you today is a really sad one. 

An off-duty police officer and his wife in Burton-upon-Trent, here in the UK, got a bit of a shock when he saw a two-year-old girl walking alone one morning. 

Pulling over their car the officer and his wife, approached the young girl and on talking with her discovered that she was attempting to take herself to nursery because she could not wake her mummy. 

The girl then led the couple to her home where her mother was found dead. 

This story really got to me, you have to wonder at just what was going through this poor girls mind. She surely understood something wasn't right with her mum, but at just 2 years old it's hard to be sure what exactly she would have been thinking. 

What I am certain about, is that this would be a parents worst nightmare. Passing away when you have a young child and no one else at home to care for them, is an incredibly scary prospect. 

For that child to then wander out onto the street alone, in an attempt to get to nursery, with all the dangers that are out there in today's modern world. Just unthinkable.

All I can think is thank God that police officer and his wife found her and not someone who might have taken advantage of her. 

But this story really makes you think, especially I am sure if you are a single parent. 

Now, because of my back and the risk that I could someday go down and not get back up, I taught my son, when he was 7, how to use Siri on my phone, to contact my husband, just encase when I go down, I hit my head and am unconscious or something. 

But before that, I always assumed he was too young. 

We see stories fairly regularly of children much younger than that, calling emergency services when a parent has an accident or take suddenly ill. 

Kids obviously process more than we often realise and I think most people accept that fact. 

There is a chance also that this little girls attempt to get to nursery, was also an attempt to get to adults she knew because she was scared at not being able to wake her mum. 

And it just got me thinking, why don't we have something set up, that would allow even a young child to in someway form an adult should something like this happen?

A button perhaps that when pushed automatically calls a loved one of your choosing. 

Something we could teach young kids to push and talk into if something goes wrong. 

Now, of course there's a chance that if you had this in your home where a child could reach it that they might, while young use it, just because, but I'm sure the loved one you select to receive the call isn't gonna mind that too much, in the scheme of things, knowing that one day, God forbid something did happen, that the child would be able to contact them easily in their time of need. 

Surely something like this could save lives and also protect our kids from situations like this girl experienced. 

Thankfully this little girl is now safe and sound with family, but what do you think? Is there more we could be doing to ensure that situations like this don't happen? Have you taught your kids what to do in a situation like this? If so, how and at what age? I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings, so be sure to leave a message in the comments. 

The next story that caught my attention was one that regarded a petition that calls for a ban on the piercing of babies ears. 

Now, for the most part, I agree with this petition, piercings are a body modification that should be the choice of the child, when older and not a parent. 

The only reason I can see for doing this to a child is as a fashion statement on the part of the parent. 

I know in South America that children's ears are pierced when they are small for cultural reasons, but here in the UK, for the most part, it is a preference on the part of the parent and in no way beneficial for the child. 

In my personal opinion children should not be subjected to the pain of such a procedure, especially babies, when it is completely unnecessary and serves no purpose other than, I assume, trying to beautify the baby, which in and of itself is just a ridiculous reason. 

It feels to me like this is vanity gone too far, do what you want to yourself, but don't inflict pain on your child just because you think it will look cool, cute or whatever.

A baby, after all, is not a fashion statement, your responsibility as a parent is to protect your child from pain and suffering, not inflict it for the sake of fashion. 

What do you think? Is this vanity gone mad and that the piecing of babies does indeed need to be banned? Or do you feel babies piecing is fine and want to share your views? Either way, leave a comment and let me know. 

Another horrifying story for you next and one that makes me really mad. 

A mother discovered that her partner was biting their young child in an attempt, he claimed, to toughen the child up and stop it from becoming gay in the future. 

Now it doesn't say in the report how old this child is, but from the picture, this looks like a baby. 

So if it wasn't already obvious that this guy is clearly insane, the fact that he is doing this to a child who is too young to even know what a sexual preference is, let alone have one should make the state of this guys mental faculties abundantly clear. 

Now obviously what this guy is doing is atrocious there is no doubt there, but what is even worse about this story is that when the mother found out the police did no charge the man, but instead acted as if they were going to do nothing before only to go and contact social services, who are now threatening to take the child away, from the mother, who, upon finding out what her partner had done, had headed straight for the police station. 

Surely, there are enough  parents out there not stepping up and reporting partners who abuse children as it is, without parents who would report such an incident being made afraid to do so in the future because of incidents like this. 

Now, the child has not yet been taken from the mother and so there is a chance that it will not happen, but still the fact that this is even being considered an option is ridiculous.

Surely, this woman's actions should be being praised and set as an example of what you should do if you discover a partner is hurting your child. 

You have to wonder sometimes what the hell is going through the minds of some of those in authority. Charge this man, make sure he cannot go near this child and help this mother to protect her child as she is trying to do, instead of putting her through all this worry and fear. 

I hope that social services have only said that the child may be taken because they are trying to ensure that it was indeed the partner who hurt the child and not just a sick ploy on the mother's part to get the father out of the picture. 

Either way, I think these things need to be made clear so that other parents who may find themselves in a similar situation in the future will not be afraid to report it. 

My final story is a happy one, about time I know.

Ray Smith, a 38-year-old guy from Grimsby UK took 148 selfies featuring his pregnant girlfriends, family and friends. What special about these selfies is that each one contained a secret marriage proposal. 

Claire Bramley, despite featuring in most of the Selfies, as Ray claimed they were to document her pregnancy, never noticed a thing. 

"Claire said, "I had no clue, I was totally oblivious to it all." 

The selfie marathon ended on Christmas Day when Ray officially proposed. Awww, and they say romance is dead, check out the awesome proposal below. 

Well, that's it from me, for this week's news in review. Here's wishing you all a great week. 

Love and hugs 

Joss xx