So today I find out that shops can no longer sell prams unless they have a red brake, wrist strap and the new warnings. I find this so stupid. All these good prams are going to be wasted. What about all the little op shops and charity stores? Did they think of that? Now they can't sell their seconds prams either. Same with second hand baby stores. What if we as parents brought a pram and were looking to sell it on. No longer can we use ebay or whatever, has to be the paper or word of mouth. We are such a throw away nation!

They should have just brought out the wrist straps for seperate purchase. And just because a brake is red doesn't mean the idiots who don't use it are going to say "oh there's that brake I didn't know was there but can see now because it's red" ... I don't think the gov have thought this one out very well at all!

It's really bothering me all this news on children living in squalor and being abused. Like it's a new thing when it isn't. Countless children are living like this every day because DOCS don't investigate. Or when they do they tell the mother to clean it up when the best thing would be to take the children (as in the case I reported). They clean it up, DOCS come again to look and within 2 weeks it's back to the same disgusting state as before. The news portrays it like its NEW but it's not  and it really annoys me! They need a better system. There needs to be more support around for mothers over the age of 25. Where there is support it needs to be wider spread and new mothers need to be informed of it. A lot of the time it's that mothers get so overwhelmed and don't know where to turn and it just gets worse and worse. Where the abuse is severe they need to remove the children immediately instead of dancing in a circle. Then when the children are returned they need to put in better support.

There is a lady that I know, her children were removed from her for 22 months. She has 4. A 3 year old boy, 6 year old girl, 8 year old girl and 10 year old boy. The worst part is her visits during this period were only day visits. Then over the space of 2 months they increased them to every second weekend for one night, then 2 nights, then every weekend, then she suddenly got them back. At the time they were removed it was because she was on speed, wasn't looking after them and was living with an abusive partner who used to bash her infront of the children. When the children were returned she was going to church, off drugs, and single.

Because she got them back in one go she couldn't cope. She got back with the same man that was beating her and he did it again. The kids get abused verbally all the time even when I am over there. She yelled "F*** off _____ you sh*t" when I was there and he is just 3. Why? FOR NO REASON other than she was in a bad mood. So I left appauled. Do they get abused physically? I don't know but I am sure they do. I see her loosing it verbally all the time and I have seen her throwing things so I have no doubts that she looses it and hits them because her children are very violent. She smokes marijuana in the house! I walk in sometimes and the smell is overwhelming. No I don't class this lady as a friend but I am affraid that if I don't go over there reguarly to see how she is doing that I will see her on the news next for murder. Yes I have called DOCS. But once again nothing has been done. What do they expect when a mother who clearly wasn't coping before is suddenly thrown in the deep end after just getting herself back on track. So once again, today, I will call them and nag at them to get someone out there. What's going on in that house isn't right but I am doing all I can do and it wont be until she is the next mother on the news for a dead child and people are outraged that they will see where they went wrong. And THAT is wrong!

i went to town today and got a hair cut and colour. its been about 5 months since i have had it cut and i feel like a new lady.

Hi I am new. I only just signed up and I already have one friend! That was very fast. Hope to meet some more people soon. Thank you very much.