TV News telling people to fill in garden ponds!

[Jenny W]

I don't have children and do not believe that ponds should be filled in - as has been said parents should not let their children out of sight and common sense should prevail - however - there is the odd comment on this thread that I believe is a bit out of order.

[weirdwolf]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

In this "Brave New World" of ours there are not allowed to be dangers anymore,it comes down to the lowest common denominator of stupidity,ok there are tragic accidents but if you've got small kids you dont let them out of your sight near ponds,rivers,roads,fire,sharp knives,heights...........oh,you get the picture....amazing how early man survived when creatures like cave bears did'nt have safety warnings on them like "Don't poke this animal or it may eat you !",how did they manage?,......oh,wait,maybe they used common sense ?.

My daughter spends time with me in the kitchen and knows that all my knives are razor sharp and kept that way for a reason. It annoys the hell out of me when parents don't teach the kids how to use a knife correctly and that a knife should always be sharp or it will be more likely to slip and cut you.
Parents have got to let their children take risks, it's how they learn. It's how I developed a love of nature, the average child now travels less than a mile from their home when playing. Yes there are terrible people out there but I'm afraid that there are terrible people in their families and they are the ones that are more likely to abuse the children. We then wonder why we have anti-social overweight kids who don't want to do anything.
Of course my response to the governments call to talk to your kids about knife crime was to show her exactly how you use a knife if you wanted to do someone damage so I may not be the perfect parental paragon that the press,politicians and public wish to see.

[Ruth Daniel]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Im fuming..after years by the likes of myself as a naturalist, the wildlife trusts, rspb etc encouraging people to build garden ponds to restore much declining wetland habitat, now the tv news are telling people to fill them in because some idiotic parents with no common sense let their children drown in them?

I saw that article Dan!
We're in the process of digging another new pond....we'll have 3 when the work is completed......I have an 18 month old Grandson who isn't allowed into the garden without supervision.
Both my sons grew up with ponds in the garden and enjoyed feeding the fish and watching tadpoles,frogs etc.
So I for one certainly won't be filling in any of mine!!

[hobble]

Oh no we had better concrete the ocean and rivers and cover with rubber matting.

I worked as a gardener for many years and often came across parents who wanted to fill in their ponds. I found a way round this by suggesting grid wire as a temporary measure while their children were small.
I then pointed out the plus sides for children to be able to pond dip their own ponds, as well as the benefit for wildlife.

The news has some stupid subjects and seem to love putting people into a panic. Next week it will be everyone must have a pond.