Letters | 21 June 2008

A child’s purpose

Sir: Rachel Johnson (‘When did you last see your children?’, 14 June) paints a thoroughly depressing picture of modern parenting. I urge anyone contemplating breeding to bear in mind these few simple truths. First, having a child is the biggest responsibility you ever undertake and should be the most rewarding one. Second, the most precious thing you can give your child is time: time doing simple things like baking, gardening, walking in the park, playing cards, doing jigsaws, where conversation flows naturally, provided, of course, you have turned off all the intrusive gadgets reminding you of the other pressures in your life. Third, parents have a huge task to educate their children with a set of moral and cultural values. Babies are inoculated against all sorts of diseases but also need to be inoculated against prejudice and meanness of spirit. Your children should influence you in every political, environmental and social decision.