Tories

The Big Wan has enjoyed three safe and interesting days in the Great Wen, without (AFAIK) being cottaged, mugged, offered opium, gin or crack or otherwise debauched. He's seen a lot of Lubavitch on the other hand, and maybe learned a little about being a minority. But it's a miracle! He sounds fine on the phone, visited Stoke Newington and Camden Market for tourism, helped Auntie Neez with a poorly Babby Aaron and will back on the 15.30 tonight intact.

Big Wan's London visit is one thread of the possible reasons why their dad summoned a disciplinary parental meeting with me for today. These are called at his request at approximately 18 month intervals, usually deteriorating into defensive/critical and high-emotion arguments on parenting policy. Their Dad maybe should explain more clearly why he is uncomfortable with allowing gradual, incremental social experience for our kiddos, and why (since they're good kiddos) they should be more restricted.

This was the subject for a planned disciplinary face-to-face meeting tonight, but instead we had a civilised phone conversation, to be revisited later. I gather that he has forbidden our wee wan (10 yrs) to visit the local playground (2 blocks away) 'unsupervised' with her three classmates during daylight hours (as I permitted during half-term holiday) and is reticent and suspicious of Big Wan (14 yrs) attending nighttime parties with schoolchums at the weekend. After a year of such, BW's never come to harm so far. Since both kiddos seem disturbingly well adjusted and out of trouble, it's hard to see where the problem lies. But there's the rub.

The Tories requested access to the stair yesterday to deliver leaflets and I put the entryphone down on them. As a believer in free speech this may not have been right-acting, but they caught me at the wrong time (in the middle of a jobbie app) and in the wrong place (my home). Their leaflets are not required since roach for roll-ups is sufficiently supplied from take-away menus. David Cameron can tell it to the Marines.