Giving 4yo's syringes?!

Mulberry said :

you people are way too shallow minded… I use to like this place… now I hope it gets shut down so you can all go and figure out what its like to live in the real world.

Mulberry said :

this is revolting – by absolutely no means was I NOT disgusted in what happened with the accident that “Mully” created… but THIS is revolting. You people awful!!

Mulberry said :

Seriousley… what is wrong with you captain RAAF? Do you think every person who rides a motorcycle is some sort of loser??
Throwing things at any vehicle driver is dangerous… but a motorcyclist is a whole lot worse. Its small minded people like yourself that dont have respect for the bikes on our roads and tend to assist in motorcyclist accidents…

it isnt ALWAYS the bikes fault.

Most motorcyclists are decent people who follow the road rules, and just like car drivers, there are some who screw it up for the rest!

Get off your high horse now, because he could very well be hit by a bottle or some other sort of debri!

Mulberry said :

No.. you really are a fuckwit!! Motorcycle riders are people with families, children, wives, friends, husbands, parents, etc… they are the same people as anyone else that shares our road.. who do you think you are?

Some people seem to use the RiotACT to vent at others – half a dozen posts on different threads all at once telling people that they are revolting or f$@ckwits, suggest that Mulberry is no different from the rest of us (other than not being able to recognise this herself)

Mulberry – if that’s how you feel, why would you comment on this post again?!

Anyone else find this hilarious? :p

I am sorry that you have been upset by all this – it is understandable as some peoples reactions have been well over the top – for what it’s worth, I thought the comments regarding your nail polish were immature and childish. In all honesty I thought you did deserved a bit of a serve but the personal attacks were uncalled for.

All that being said, let it go – reposting on this thread just brings it back into prominence.

So I re-read through all these 330 posts tonight that managed to win me some sort of scummy reward – and burst into tears….

My last meeting with the school principle a few weeks back explained many many thyings to me.

And yes, I do know that I over-reacted, but a parent in my place – until you have been there, may have done the same thing.

The explanations….

1. The Nurse – was a parent who volunteered to come in and talk to the children, about seeing dr’s. There was one week notice to this, which was put on the outside “community notice board” and had blown off (blu-tack was not strong enough)

2. The day that I had seen the “syringe” it was put into a “PACK” in the parent-pockets.. along with a hospital cap, and a pretend stethiscope… apparently my son and his friend “escaped” and opened their packs and put the loose items into their bags.

3. It was proven that the nurse handed out the wrong syringes that were supposed to be handed out to children in such educational instances.

4. I over-reacted when I saw this in my review mirror

and 5. I will NEVER come back here for support, advice or anything else of the kind.

6. I am well aware that I made an idiot out of myself, but alot of you bullied me, like children in school bully fat kids… pathetic.. really it is… I hope that makes you all sleep better by picking on my nail-polish and the like

I am sorry that you haven’t gotten the answers you wanted from this forum. That happens, unfortunately.

I would love a nurse to visit my child’s preschool and familiarise my child with the things that can happen to them in hospitals! It would certainly make any emergency trip to the hospital a little less scary.

I understand that there was a moment of panic when Mulberry didn’t know what her son was holding. I too would’ve yelled and quickly pulled over. It is a parent’s responsibility to make sure their children are safe. As for the harrassing of the pre-school, there are two choices if you are not happy: complain and accept the verdict or remove your child from that school.

I personally believe you have had a win. Your child has been educated about what can happen if he has to go to hospital AND, through your intervention, all the children have had some education about sharps.

WIN-WIN

OMG, she is such a bad driver!!!

First of all, she is watching her kids in her rear view mirror, instead of paying attention to the road in front. No wonder she almost hit a tree, but worse, she could have hit children, adults, daleks, you name it. It is unbelievable that people like her should be allowed to have a licence. So irresponsible. Her kids would be better off in a taxi.

Second of all, get a load of that nail polish. It is an utter disgrace that she should parade herself in public like that, especially near children and schools. I wonder what the other parents think, shame, shame, shame.

And finally, syringes are a necessity. Has this woman never administered medicine to a pet? Surely even someone with purple nail polish should know that to give a small animal, such as a joey, or guinea pig, essential medicine, you need to squirt it into their tiny mouths with a syringe. Why oh why would this woman behave like a crazed and hysterical animal when confronted with a piece of medical equipment.

Jim Jones said :

http://triblocal.com/Bolingbrook/detail/215405.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_from_week=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=stories&town_id

OMG

So was it a syringe LIKE HEROIN USERS use or a ‘medical plunger’ and more importantly was the pharmacist sufficiently well educated to tell the difference?

http://triblocal.com/Bolingbrook/detail/215405.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_from_week=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=stories&town_id

OMG

Mulberry said:

I screwed up by coming to this place for any form of community support.

No, no you did not. You asked what our views were and you have been told.

As for your comment about folks who ‘think it looks like a medicine plunger”. How can I put this delicately, you know what? I can’t. IT IS A MEDICAL PLUNGER. There is no question about it. It is what it is.

sleepyphoenix said :

spend less time complaining about a occupation that has enough stress without people like you getting envolved and more time educating your kids on the difference between safe and not safe and maybe we wouldn’t have this problem

I read that as; “you getting evolved and more time educating your kids”.

Which, somehow, struck me as more apt…

Mulberry said :

Pommy bastard said :

Ahem…. from an e-mail I recently recieved;

Macgregor Primary School have referred your enquiry to me in the media and communications unit in the Department of Education and Training.

I would like to clarify the factual situation for you. The item in question was not a syringe but an oral applicator for medicines. The presentation in question was one given by a registered nurse, with a Masters degree in advanced nursing, on familiarising preschoolers with hospitals, essentially that ‘hospitals aren’t scary places’.

The presentation had been notified to parents on the parents information board in the classroom, so that parents were advised in advance, had the opportunity to ask questions and potentially even excuse their child from the presentation. The applicator was one of a number of items placed in the daily parents’ packet in which information is given to parents including notices, newsletters and items that may be of assistance to parents. I stress that the parents’ packet is for parents and that parents may or may not choose to further disseminate any items it contains.

Emphasis mine.

Well Old Bastard, isnt that fantastic!!! You got 100% more information than i did! And I now have spoken to MANY of the other parents who were also very unaware and unhappy about this situation.. The school have obviouley done a bit of digging to get this info as apparently there were upto 20+ people who have officailly made complaints to date (I met with the principle on friday to his request) They have also made an official apology for the handing out of “inappropriate keepsakes”

You know what… all you people might think it looks like a medicine plunger.. I am more than happy to meet with anyone who would like to talk to me and tell me their views face to face and also compare my nurofen plunger to the “plunger” that was handed out.

I will stand my ground, I dont care if there are 50000 posts, I WILL stand my ground!!

I screwed up by coming to this place for any form of community support. I should have known better… even if there was intelligent criticism beside picking on my grammer, my “bogan nailpolish” or my youth, I would have been all for it. I think some of you have nothing better to do than to belittle, bully and pick on people, and as adults, thats pathetic. As i said in an earlier post… I bet that you wouldnt say these things to my face!! Its just way to easy to hide behind a computer!

Anyway, im not going to come back to this post as I choose to continue to live my life.

Thanks to some for the support, and to others – ive said my piece!

Take care!!

20+ people have made complaints because you have made your arguement sound worse then it really is broadcasted it and propaganda’d your cause.

If it was free will I would like to donate to your school, your teachers have to put up with a lot from the children but to have 21 people out of the school of who, have the same thought process.

And yes you should stand up for your principles..
But you must also be willing to admit your wrong.
21 people out of 1000’s of students let alone the other schools who probably got the presentation that day alone.

It sort of reminds me of family guy’s view on the FCC..

We received 20 calls last night about the david hyde peirce incident and you know what that means! 1 person equals a million people so 20 million people complained.

spend less time complaining about a occupation that has enough stress without people like you getting envolved and more time educating your kids on the difference between safe and not safe and maybe we wouldn’t have this problem

BimboGeek said :

sleepyphoenix said :

Schools should not hand out sugar or lollies, have you tried teaching or controlling kids full of candy? As for tattoos, my daughter has always gone up to biker and complimented them on their sick tatts and they always think it’s cute, none of them have yet eaten her or tried to turn her into a crack whore!

Sarcasm is a lost art in text

sleepyphoenix said :

Schools should not hand out sugar or lollies, have you tried teaching or controlling kids full of candy? As for tattoos, my daughter has always gone up to biker and complimented them on their sick tatts and they always think it’s cute, none of them have yet eaten her or tried to turn her into a crack whore!

but anyway – FINAL post!!

Gold.

Mulberry said :

Well Old Bastard, isnt that fantastic!!! You got 100% more information than i did!

Well Mulberry darling, having noted, nay been on the reviving end of, your full range of impetuous overwrought communicative skills, your fuminant self control, your verbal inarticulateness, your poignant mythologising, combined with your intensive loquacity, (not to mention viewing your depreciated sartorial inelegance,) I’m at no loss to understand why that may be so.

Chin chin old mare.

Jim Jones said :

jdmal said :

Jim Jones said :

jdmal said :

And i’m the one who said that Mulberry is a full time working mother of four, i’m sure she doesn’t have any excuses herself. I noticed this was a reality of the situation.

She’s not a working mother of four.

Seriously, you can’t even get the most basic of facts right. You have all the intellectual credibility of a piece of roadkill.

Mulberry said :

I am a 23yo Mother or 2 and step mother of two. I work full time, as does my husband.

Helen said :

Umm… was I the only one that read Skidbladnir’s comment?

Skidbladnir said :

Also, compare the most commonly available insulin-style syringe (with needle):
The 1ml BD Integra Insulin Syringe
to
the BD Oral syringe pictured, as produced by the same manufacturer.

Oral syringes have a bore so large that no needle can be attached (which is one reason that it gets marked for oral use only, the other is that its not internally sterile as a result of the open air hole).

(Posted 10:03, 07 Sep 10)

Helen, have a look at the photo at the top of the page. It is the same size and shape as an insulin needle (I suppose that’s why they were using them to demonstrate with) the size of the “bore” makes no difference to what is being discussed here.

Does anyone have anything besides insults and statistics?

Selective quoting:

Let’s have a look at what she actually wrote: “I am a mother of a 4yo and a 10 month old baby, and also have two step-daughters (8 and 11).”

That’s a BIG step away from being a “mother of four” and contains the unsupported assumption that she is the primary care-giver.

Regardless, you lost this one before you even began – you’ve demonstrated an utter lack of ability to respond to logical arguments, instead responding with the usual fearmongering.

At a dinner party on the weekend, every single parent in attendance stated that they’d given their children syringes as water toys when very young (well before the age of 4), and almost every parent I’ve asked since has confirmed.

Really, knock it off. This kind of panic and fear mongering isn’t wanted in Australian society.

Just because I am the “step-parent” how would you know that I am not the primary care-giver and how does that improve your argument??? to be honest, My husband and I have 75% care of my step-daughters,(their mother has them 4 whole weeks a year – usually one week of every holidays and every fourth weekend and a few general special occasions) therfore makeing myself and him the primary caregivers… and I have brought them up for 6 years! So dont make presumptions because it makes you look like a fool!!

Reply

Pommy bastard said :

Ahem…. from an e-mail I recently recieved;

Macgregor Primary School have referred your enquiry to me in the media and communications unit in the Department of Education and Training.

I would like to clarify the factual situation for you. The item in question was not a syringe but an oral applicator for medicines. The presentation in question was one given by a registered nurse, with a Masters degree in advanced nursing, on familiarising preschoolers with hospitals, essentially that ‘hospitals aren’t scary places’.

The presentation had been notified to parents on the parents information board in the classroom, so that parents were advised in advance, had the opportunity to ask questions and potentially even excuse their child from the presentation. The applicator was one of a number of items placed in the daily parents’ packet in which information is given to parents including notices, newsletters and items that may be of assistance to parents. I stress that the parents’ packet is for parents and that parents may or may not choose to further disseminate any items it contains.

Emphasis mine.

Well Old Bastard, isnt that fantastic!!! You got 100% more information than i did! And I now have spoken to MANY of the other parents who were also very unaware and unhappy about this situation.. The school have obviouley done a bit of digging to get this info as apparently there were upto 20+ people who have officailly made complaints to date (I met with the principle on friday to his request) They have also made an official apology for the handing out of “inappropriate keepsakes”

You know what… all you people might think it looks like a medicine plunger.. I am more than happy to meet with anyone who would like to talk to me and tell me their views face to face and also compare my nurofen plunger to the “plunger” that was handed out.

I will stand my ground, I dont care if there are 50000 posts, I WILL stand my ground!!

I screwed up by coming to this place for any form of community support. I should have known better… even if there was intelligent criticism beside picking on my grammer, my “bogan nailpolish” or my youth, I would have been all for it. I think some of you have nothing better to do than to belittle, bully and pick on people, and as adults, thats pathetic. As i said in an earlier post… I bet that you wouldnt say these things to my face!! Its just way to easy to hide behind a computer!

Anyway, im not going to come back to this post as I choose to continue to live my life.

Thanks to some for the support, and to others – ive said my piece!

Take care!!

OMG!!!! My kids were given pieces of PAPER and PENS at school – JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT TERRISTS USE!

sleepyphoenix said :

Jim Jones said :

PBO said :

Why not give your child a gram of heroin and let them make up their own minds instead of being an annoyingly overly protective mother? Hmmm?

Children should be kept away from spoons, the same spoons that JUNKIES cook their HEROIN in. Giving children spoons will lead them to pick up dirty HEROIN SPOONS that are littered all over the streets. Hell, if you give your child a spoon as a toy (or eating utensil), it’s as good as feeding them HEROIN yourself.

Lol You deserve a drink or medal

Drink please.

Jim Jones said :

PBO said :

Why not give your child a gram of heroin and let them make up their own minds instead of being an annoyingly overly protective mother? Hmmm?

Children should be kept away from spoons, the same spoons that JUNKIES cook their HEROIN in. Giving children spoons will lead them to pick up dirty HEROIN SPOONS that are littered all over the streets. Hell, if you give your child a spoon as a toy (or eating utensil), it’s as good as feeding them HEROIN yourself.

Lol You deserve a drink or medal

colourful sydney racing identity said :

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

300+ comments! It’s like somebody found a sandwich in one of the fat folds on Mully’s corpse.

that is gold my friend.

So I guess we should take the next logical step. I have noticed that a lot of lollies out there look like the PILLS that DRUG USERS use. Ban them, ban them, ban them!!!!

No by dumpedon and mulberrys logic the schools should ban giving lollies to kids that look like pills and syringes to kids that look like needle syringes and why stop there lets ban ghost customes because it looks like the kkk outfit and lets ban black makeup because kids can make it look racist and sugar because it looks like cocaine. Lets ban fake tattos because it will encourange them to go up to bikers..why dont we just ban everything that can be taken the wrong way instead of educating our kids about the difference between safe and not safe =)

motleychick said :

Mulberry said: “My occupation is one that is out there in the community helping people who have drug problems – maybe this was something to do with my “OTT” reaction.”

You’re work in the AOD field? Hahaha wow that’s a scary thought. I’d be interested to know how you deal with someone who injects drugs. How can you work in that field in be so uneducated about syringes/needles?!

Your Amazing. WIN

DumpedOn said :

sleepyphoenix – I tried to make sense of your four (almost consecutive) posts above, but I gave up trying to decipher all the spelling mistakes.

Calling someone a retard is really not very nice. Please grow up.

BTW, did you hear about the five year old that found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground. That was left there by a drug user, so my theory above stands.

I won’t call you a retard.

Does it hurt knowing even though you seem to think my spelling is horrible people still side with me about your intellegence?

fgzk said :

Hate you PBO quote]

It spun me out too. I thought everyone would have gone for it.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

It’s not about syringes, and it’s not about pills. Ladies and gentlemen, we all know the greatest threat facing out children today, and this chatter about substance use is simply a symptom of our unwillingess to even attempt to fathom its terrifying awfulness.

That’s right: I’m talking about razor blades mounted in waterslides with bubble gum.

oh yes. the greatest fear of my childhood. It seemd to happen to a cousin or a friend of everyone I knew…

It’s not about syringes, and it’s not about pills. Ladies and gentlemen, we all know the greatest threat facing out children today, and this chatter about substance use is simply a symptom of our unwillingess to even attempt to fathom its terrifying awfulness.

That’s right: I’m talking about razor blades mounted in waterslides with bubble gum.

Hate you PBO

So to continue the theme. The girls where not drug users, the pills where not “pills” and they where not left but purposely placed.

Logic left this thread along time ago.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

300+ comments! It’s like somebody found a sandwich in one of the fat folds on Mully’s corpse.

that is gold my friend.

So I guess we should take the next logical step. I have noticed that a lot of lollies out there look like the PILLS that DRUG USERS use. Ban them, ban them, ban them!!!!

You*

Whoops!!

Mulberry said: “My occupation is one that is out there in the community helping people who have drug problems – maybe this was something to do with my “OTT” reaction.”

You’re work in the AOD field? Hahaha wow that’s a scary thought. I’d be interested to know how you deal with someone who injects drugs. How can you work in that field in be so uneducated about syringes/needles?!

Pommy bastard said :

DumpedOn said :

BTW, did you hear about the five year old that found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground. That was left there by a drug user, so my theory above stands.

Drug users leaving pils around? As far as I am aware no “drug user” woud be so careless with a pill, (especially not a good one.)

Actually, there is some truth to this, as reported by this esteemed journal.

The Canberra Times reports that two 16 year old girls from Palmerston and Harrison have been charged with acts endangering health after allegedly leaving lollies in the kiddie pit at Gungahlin Maccas.

“Police allege that the two girls concealed over-the-counter, non-prescription tablets one a mild stimulant and the other a pain-killing medication inside soft lollies and deliberately left them in the children’s play area.”

300+ comments! It’s like somebody found a sandwich in one of the fat folds on Mully’s corpse.

DumpedOn said :

BTW, did you hear about the five year old that found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground. That was left there by a drug user, so my theory above stands.

Drug users leaving pils around? As far as I am aware no “drug user” woud be so careless with a pill, (especially not a good one.)

But hey, let’s use this one to start a hand wringing epidemic;

“I heard a five year old found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground, that was left there by a drug user!! I nearly crashed my bogan-mobile when I saw my kid with something vaguely pill shaped in the car!! All kids should not be exposed to any pills in any way!!! They may think pills are safe and go around picking them up off the playground and eating them!! Do not let nurses educate our kids that pills are good for you!!N urses are out to indoctrinate our kids into being drug using pill fiends!!!Ban all pills!! Ban lollys that are pill shaped too. And Hermesetas!!!

And water and rubber tubing as well. My god! These children will never be safe!

Did i get 300?

No ones brought up sewing.

Just wanted a go at 300

jdmal said :

Yeah but it’s exactly the same size and shape as as insulin needle, and this might encourage a 4yr old to pick up a used needle.

Four is a bit to young to be playing with a syringe that is exactly the same size and shape, exactly the same size and shape as an insulin syringe, for the reason that the child might pick up a used syringe.

It’s just that four’s a bit young that’s all. Maybe a bit older that’s another story.

How did this become about insulin needles? Putting aside the fact that diabetics are not known for their tendency to drop used syringes on the ground, what exactly are you worried about your child contracting from an insulin needle? Getting poked in the foot is no fun, but it may shock you to learn that diabetes is not actually contagious.

jdmal said :

Yeah that’s a nice trick Jim, you had that all set up and ready to go hey? But just because one group of people agreed that “they all” did something it doesn’t mean that another group would have done the same thing, that’s the selective reasoning you are talking about.

The fact that so many people here (and IRL) attest to playing with plastic syringes completely invalidates your *cough* ‘argument’. If you are to be believed, surely all these people playing with syringes would have copped a needle injury due to ‘insufficient fear of syringes’.

But no. Not one case.

And yet the fearmongering continues.

Give me a break.

Do you even *have* children?

I remember getting syringes from hospital to take home a lot as a kid, the big old fashioned ones. I was still petrified of needles until I was a teenager, screamed many a ward down having them.
But a little funny story I remember playing with my preschool friend who lived across the road (sadly she died at 19 from Leukemia (sp?)) and we were playing with my ‘needles’ I got from hospital and even though it was just a syringe with a wide hole we shoved sharp things in to try and get it to be a needle. I unfortunately got sent home after I stabbed her sister too hard with one and broke skin and she screamed. *looks sheepish* I was 4 what can I say.

My kids experience with needles: They took immunisations/blood tests/pre-op needles in their strides and associate syringes with medicine which I don’t tend to give them the syringe because they would lose it, simple as that. I wouldn’t mind if they got a play one although personally I would ‘prefer’ it just looked like a plaything, that’s all. Which they’ve had in doctor/nurses toy packs and I of course gave my kids the ‘playground safety’ message in regards to used needles etc.

Scream and stamp up and down about me being a lousy mum, I couldn’t give a flying f**k. If they gave my kids those syringes under the conditions they seem to come with, I wouldn’t mind a bit either, I would just think to myself gosh that reminds me of a needle not a syringe and wonder why really.

Jim Jones said :

PBO said :

Why not give your child a gram of heroin and let them make up their own minds instead of being an annoyingly overly protective mother? Hmmm?

Children should be kept away from spoons, the same spoons that JUNKIES cook their HEROIN in. Giving children spoons will lead them to pick up dirty HEROIN SPOONS that are littered all over the streets. Hell, if you give your child a spoon as a toy (or eating utensil), it’s as good as feeding them HEROIN yourself.

Dont forget Cotton wool buds, junkies use them too! Whatever will we wrap the children in?!?

Yeah that’s a nice trick Jim, you had that all set up and ready to go hey? But just because one group of people agreed that “they all” did something it doesn’t mean that another group would have done the same thing, that’s the selective reasoning you are talking about.

When I was growing up, when I was given a used syringe by the doctor after he used that to inject me (not sure what he gave me now I come to think of it, but that’s a different matter), I would play around with by filling it up with water and squirting it at other kids and I would also play doctor games.

I don’t think that anyone played drug dealer games or injection room games.

Maybe times have changed???

(I wouldn’t think so – kids are still kids)

jdmal said :

Jim Jones said :

jdmal said :

And i’m the one who said that Mulberry is a full time working mother of four, i’m sure she doesn’t have any excuses herself. I noticed this was a reality of the situation.

She’s not a working mother of four.

Seriously, you can’t even get the most basic of facts right. You have all the intellectual credibility of a piece of roadkill.

Mulberry said :

I am a 23yo Mother or 2 and step mother of two. I work full time, as does my husband.

Helen said :

Umm… was I the only one that read Skidbladnir’s comment?

Skidbladnir said :

Also, compare the most commonly available insulin-style syringe (with needle):
The 1ml BD Integra Insulin Syringe
to
the BD Oral syringe pictured, as produced by the same manufacturer.

Oral syringes have a bore so large that no needle can be attached (which is one reason that it gets marked for oral use only, the other is that its not internally sterile as a result of the open air hole).

(Posted 10:03, 07 Sep 10)

Helen, have a look at the photo at the top of the page. It is the same size and shape as an insulin needle (I suppose that’s why they were using them to demonstrate with) the size of the “bore” makes no difference to what is being discussed here.

Does anyone have anything besides insults and statistics?

Selective quoting:

Let’s have a look at what she actually wrote: “I am a mother of a 4yo and a 10 month old baby, and also have two step-daughters (8 and 11).”

That’s a BIG step away from being a “mother of four” and contains the unsupported assumption that she is the primary care-giver.

Regardless, you lost this one before you even began – you’ve demonstrated an utter lack of ability to respond to logical arguments, instead responding with the usual fearmongering.

At a dinner party on the weekend, every single parent in attendance stated that they’d given their children syringes as water toys when very young (well before the age of 4), and almost every parent I’ve asked since has confirmed.

Really, knock it off. This kind of panic and fear mongering isn’t wanted in Australian society.

Jim Jones said :

jdmal said :

And i’m the one who said that Mulberry is a full time working mother of four, i’m sure she doesn’t have any excuses herself. I noticed this was a reality of the situation.

She’s not a working mother of four.

Seriously, you can’t even get the most basic of facts right. You have all the intellectual credibility of a piece of roadkill.

Mulberry said :

I am a 23yo Mother or 2 and step mother of two. I work full time, as does my husband.

Helen said :

Umm… was I the only one that read Skidbladnir’s comment?

Skidbladnir said :

Also, compare the most commonly available insulin-style syringe (with needle):
The 1ml BD Integra Insulin Syringe
to
the BD Oral syringe pictured, as produced by the same manufacturer.

Oral syringes have a bore so large that no needle can be attached (which is one reason that it gets marked for oral use only, the other is that its not internally sterile as a result of the open air hole).

(Posted 10:03, 07 Sep 10)

Helen, have a look at the photo at the top of the page. It is the same size and shape as an insulin needle (I suppose that’s why they were using them to demonstrate with) the size of the “bore” makes no difference to what is being discussed here.

Does anyone have anything besides insults and statistics?

PBO said :

Why not give your child a gram of heroin and let them make up their own minds instead of being an annoyingly overly protective mother? Hmmm?

Children should be kept away from spoons, the same spoons that JUNKIES cook their HEROIN in. Giving children spoons will lead them to pick up dirty HEROIN SPOONS that are littered all over the streets. Hell, if you give your child a spoon as a toy (or eating utensil), it’s as good as feeding them HEROIN yourself.

Why not give your child a gram of heroin and let them make up their own minds instead of being an annoyingly overly protective mother? Hmmm?

jdmal said :

Yeah but it’s exactly the same size and shape as as insulin needle, and this might encourage a 4yr old to pick up a used needle.

Four is a bit to young to be playing with a syringe that is exactly the same size and shape, exactly the same size and shape as an insulin syringe, for the reason that the child might pick up a used syringe.

(Posted 22:20, 07 Sep 10)

Umm… was I the only one that read Skidbladnir’s comment?

Skidbladnir said :

Also, compare the most commonly available insulin-style syringe (with needle):
The 1ml BD Integra Insulin Syringe
to
the BD Oral syringe pictured, as produced by the same manufacturer.

Oral syringes have a bore so large that no needle can be attached (which is one reason that it gets marked for oral use only, the other is that its not internally sterile as a result of the open air hole).

(Posted 10:03, 07 Sep 10)

DumpedOn said :

BTW, did you hear about the five year old that found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground. That was left there by a drug user, so my theory above stands.

That story doesn’t support your story in the slightest. Do you have any evidence that the child ate the pill found in the playground because he/she had been shown pills at school or some such?

Somehow I doubt it.

DumpedOn said :

sleepyphoenix – I tried to make sense of your four (almost consecutive) posts above, but I gave up trying to decipher all the spelling mistakes.

Calling someone a retard is really not very nice. Please grow up.

BTW, did you hear about the five year old that found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground. That was left there by a drug user, so my theory above stands.

I won’t call you a retard.

So you’re not going to engage with the actual arguments that are presented here because someone ‘wasn’t nice’?

Instead, you’re going to stick with the already discredited notion that children are so stupid that they can’t tell the difference between something given to them by an adult (with instructions on potential danger) and rubbish at a park.

You *are* a retard.

jdmal said :

And i’m the one who said that Mulberry is a full time working mother of four, i’m sure she doesn’t have any excuses herself. I noticed this was a reality of the situation.

She’s not a working mother of four.

Seriously, you can’t even get the most basic of facts right. You have all the intellectual credibility of a piece of roadkill.

Impacted nurse
http://www.impactednurse.com/?p=334
Says
“In most cases the actual risk of transmission of a blood borne pathogen following a needle-stick is extremely low. The most commonly transmissible diseases of concern to nurses are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis B: Of these HBV is the most transmissible, with a risk of infection following exposure of around 6-30%. (Staff that have achieved immunity after being covered with the hepatitis B vaccine are practically immune.)
Hepatitis C: Infection from HCV following a needle-stick is around 1.8%.
HIV: Risk of becoming infected with HIV is a mere 0.3%.

Of course the chance of transmission occurring is dependent of several factors including:
The viral load of the source person at the time of transmission.
The volume of infected blood transferred.”
Love your work IN.

and just so you know

Qld Health
“Remember the risk of catching a serious infection as a result of an accidental needle stick injury is very low. This is because HIV, Hepatitis B and C viruses do not survive for long outside of the body. Most community needle stick injuries involve needles that have been discarded for some time.”

Dumpedon, what pill, what drug user, which McD.

sleepyphoenix – I tried to make sense of your four (almost consecutive) posts above, but I gave up trying to decipher all the spelling mistakes.

Calling someone a retard is really not very nice. Please grow up.

BTW, did you hear about the five year old that found a little pill in the McDonald’s playground. That was left there by a drug user, so my theory above stands.

I won’t call you a retard.

Didn’t you play with an oral use syringes ? Are you out picking them up? I think you think very little of a four year old. And I take pity on your kids because they will be so scared of life if you are that concerened about a harmless oral use syringe, I am sure my kid will be taking medicine through one of these at some point they wont be afraid of the SYRINGES not needles when they are taking medicine but I will be damn sure my kid will know not to pick up a needle syringe if you cannot teach the difference to your kids then they need to go to a special school even at four!

And i’m the one who said that Mulberry is a full time working mother of four, i’m sure she doesn’t have any excuses herself. I noticed this was a reality of the situation.

Yeah but it’s exactly the same size and shape as as insulin needle, and this might encourage a 4yr old to pick up a used needle.

Four is a bit to young to be playing with a syringe that is exactly the same size and shape, exactly the same size and shape as an insulin syringe, for the reason that the child might pick up a used syringe.

It’s just that four’s a bit young that’s all. Maybe a bit older that’s another story.

Yet again this comes back to disinterested parents expecting the comunity to raise their childen because they lack the skills to be the main role modle in their childrens lives. If you were fully involved in your childs upbringing such things wouldn’t be a consideration as you’d be a guiding force in his/her development. Studies have proven time and time again that the home is the main influence in atitudes, habits and chance of success in life, not an arbitrary expirence years before total recolection is possible.
In short GTF over it.

jdmal said :

Giving an syringe that is the same size as an insulin needle 2 a 4yr old 2 play with is not warning them about the dangers of such needles.

The school is at fault for not communicating sufficiently with the parent, saying- “there was a notice on the notice board” to a full time working mother of four, is ridiculous.

On one hand u r saying:

“the children were given appropriate sharps warnings and made aware to not touch them because they are bad (fulfilling the requirements of the second contact situation).”

but u r using this logic 2 defend giving a syringe 2 a 4yr old to play and be comfortable with.

As a friend to teacher I am certain parents where given fair warning and as a friend of many nurses and health care professionals and being in a health based occupation myself I am certain that they would of exhuasted the principals of ORAL USE syringes and NEEDLE syringes ITS ORAL USE its not a needle… Have you seen idiocracy? you people are why the world is going this way…

DumpedOn said :

‘sleepyphoenix’ – thanks for your input.

Four is too young.

Hell, why not just show the four year olds examples of condoms, grog bottles, cigarettes, and little round pills, so we can introduce them to the potential dangers of future years.

After all, according to the dimwits on this site, there is nothing wrong with starting them only a couple of years after they get out of nappies.

You are the most retarded mother I have ever met. drug dealers dont go up to a four year old and sell pills or condoms… but in fact they will find a needle on the ground and why not show them condoms what if they find one and play with it and that person has aids? pull your head out and do your kids a favour and be a mother not a retard for once in your life

Mulberry, I would not worry what some people say, some just need to grow up a bit, if they disagree they should say it more politely, there are a lot of &^#kers in this world, most do hide on the internet as mentioned above. As for the original topic I can see both pros/cons from each side, i couldn’t be bothered listing them :). Tho while driving it would make me jump too!!

– Eyl ><

Actually, on a more serious note: My type 1 diabetic ex-girlfriend always felt uncomfortable administering her insulin in public places because of the “druggie” stigma attached to needles. More than once she was on the receiving end of derogatory comments from those possessed of the same ignorant mindset as the OP. I’m sure she’s not alone in suffering this attitude, so a little education on the subject at a young age is a pretty good idea in my opinion.

Not to mention that children are far more likely to encounter needles in a medical context than in the sand at their local playground, despite what Today Tonight might tell you.

justin heywood said :

Damn straight. I also think they should bring back those fake lolly cigarettes.

I had those too, and I’ve never smoked a real ciggy in my life. QED.

Now if I could just do something about this sugar addiction…

justin heywood said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

It is ok for kids to play with syringes. How is it a problem?

Damn straight. I also think they should bring back those fake lolly cigarettes.

They still sell them. They used to be called Fags, and are now called Fads – can’t imagine why the changed the name. the packet has also changed and no longer shows kiddies smoking.

justin heywood said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

It is ok for kids to play with syringes. How is it a problem?

Damn straight. I also think they should bring back those fake lolly cigarettes.

I remember those; they were called ‘Fags’. Somehow, they didn’t turn me into a smoker…or anything else.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

It is ok for kids to play with syringes. How is it a problem?

Damn straight. I also think they should bring back those fake lolly cigarettes.

jdmal said :

Yeah, but it’s a different thing, it sort of shows that you haven’t been reading, because the issue isn’t an alarmist “LIKE HERION USERS USE” it’s that the kid might think it’s ok to play with syringes.

It is ok for kids to play with syringes. How is it a problem?

Skidbladnir said :

That is what you’re saying, jdmal.

No that is not what i am saying— I am saying – 4yr olds shouldn’t be given toy syringes to play with.

Skidbladnir said :

PS: There’s a link saying “Quote” next to each comment that surprisingly, quotes that comment.

Well thanks for the heads up.

jdmal said :

E
Well good for you, I suppose that means it’ll never happen to anyone else either

BWA HA AH AH HA AH AH HA HAHA HA HA

People are going to become drug addicts because they played with plastic syringes.

BWA HA AH AH HA AH AH HA HAHA HA HA SNORT HA HA HA HA HA HAHA

Pommy bastard said :

Jim Jones said :

jdmal said :

“Oh, please stop.

Your stupidity is so profound that it actually, physically hurts to read your posts.”

I have read a few of your posts there jim, and the feeling is mutual.

You can read?

I don’t believe it.

Jim, you’re beginning to sound like me mate. 😉

I think we’re both agreed that, when confronted with mind-numbing stupidity and willful ignorance of this order, astonished piss-taking is the only option.

Erg0 – “2. The very first sentence in my post is “I haven’t read all of the comments above.” So no, I haven’t been reading along.”

That why I said it really sounds like it, I was agreeing that it shows.

“”Anyway, I was given a syringe to play with when I was in primary school. I am not currently a drug user and have never juggled used needles for a laugh. QED.””

Well good for you, I suppose that means it’ll never happen to anyone else either- it must be your good faith that provides you with such a comfortable perspective.

I had a syringe as a bath toy more than twenty years ago. I was fine with it, and also comfrotable with nurses when they wielded needles.
I have never been, nor am I now, a heroin addict.
It is afterall, just a piece of plastic that acts as a pump.

Although I guess there is still time to become a heroin addict, and I can always blame the bath toy…
And because I saw a syringe at once at school, I am incapable of not picking up used needles…

That is what you’re saying, jdmal.
Evidence-based teaching methods around structured learning can’t be trusted, humans are in no way responsible for their own actions or the behaviour of their children, and its the only prior syringe experience that makes people addicts…

PS: There’s a link saying “Quote” next to each comment that surprisingly, quotes that comment.

Jim Jones said :

jdmal said :

“Oh, please stop.

Your stupidity is so profound that it actually, physically hurts to read your posts.”

I have read a few of your posts there jim, and the feeling is mutual.

You can read?

I don’t believe it.

Jim, you’re beginning to sound like me mate. 😉

That might 1. It is alarmist, and that’s an issue for me. I think that kind of sensationalist crap detracts from any reasonable arguments that may have accidentally crept into the OP, because it implies bad faith on the part of the poster.
2. The very first sentence in my post is “I haven’t read all of the comments above.” So no, I haven’t been reading along.

Anyway, I was given a syringe to play with when I was in primary school. I am not currently a drug user and have never juggled used needles for a laugh. QED.

Yeah, but it’s a different thing, it sort of shows that you haven’t been reading, because the issue isn’t an alarmist “LIKE HERION USERS USE” it’s that the kid might think it’s ok to play with syringes.

I haven’t read all of the comments above, but I just wanted to note that the histrionic “like the ones HEROIN users, use” in the OP made me laugh aloud. This reminds me of the mother at my friend’s day care who didn’t want the children being given temporary glitter tattoos because “tattoos are a gateway to drug use and promiscuity”. I swear I’m not making that up.

jdmal said :

“Oh, please stop.

Your stupidity is so profound that it actually, physically hurts to read your posts.”

I have read a few of your posts there jim, and the feeling is mutual.

You can read?

I don’t believe it.

“Oh, please stop.

Your stupidity is so profound that it actually, physically hurts to read your posts.”

I have read a few of your posts there jim, and the feeling is mutual.

Skidbladnir, you’ve really done your research that’s impressive. But i still don’t see a genuine convincing argument for giving a four year old a toy syringe. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.

“Congratulatiosn on not retaliating immediately” -I just didn’t want to talk to you, I have heard bad things.

” and use the ‘quote’ button to refute particular elements”

-I can’t find any quote button, and i don’t mind using the cut and paste.

” “PANIC! ITS IS A NEEDLE FULL OF AIDS” “

All the shouting and petty attempts at humiliation, don’t distract from the fact that your argument is unsound.

Wow! 255 posts about a storm in a tea cup. I have not read 95% of the comments here so I may come across as a little bluntand ill-informed:

Get over it! It was free! I doubt that there is a smack dealer within the playgroup so dont worry.

But the way that you have presented your initial arguement says to me that if someone gave your kid a bike you would kick up a stink saying that the gift that is a gateway present to becoming a bikie.

Chill Woman, Chill…..

FYI Warning this information is not pre-school, primary school, or high school students.
The above should notify a responsible adult.

If you see a needle in a public place you should dispose of it rather than venting your outrage.

For the record individual injecting syringes come sealed in a paper backed clear fronted wrapper. If the wrapper is not opened then it has not been used and is safe to handle. They are distributed with hard yellow plastic containers, with black lids, for safe disposal. Fit packs come in blue and green zip locked plastic bags. They are clearly labelled.

Syringes are clear with a bright orange cap over the pointy bit. If a syringe is capped then you can pick it up and place it in a container for disposal. If you have open, bleeding wounds on your hand then you should not come into contact with it. Use a bit of paper or plastic. If the needle is not capped then you should handle it carefully avoiding the pointy end. Find an empty clear plastic/glass bottle and place it carefully in and put the lid on firmly. The health centres have large sharps disposal bins or you could possibly place it in your bin. Do not put it in the recycling or a public bin as these are handled by workers. The best solution is to use a medical waste bin as it is “Medical waste”. Wash your hands.

You can also call Canberra connect if you are frightened and they will arrange for it to be disposed of. Walking past a needle and whining is not an option. They don’t bite and they wont chase you down the street trying to infect you.

jdmal said :

Giving an syringe that is the same size as an insulin needle 2 a 4yr old 2 play with is not warning them about the dangers of such needles.

The school is at fault for not communicating sufficiently with the parent, saying- “there was a notice on the notice board” to a full time working mother of four, is ridiculous.

On one hand u r saying:

“the children were given appropriate sharps warnings and made aware to not touch them because they are bad (fulfilling the requirements of the second contact situation).”

but u r using this logic 2 defend giving a syringe 2 a 4yr old to play and be comfortable with.

Oh, please stop.

Your stupidity is so profound that it actually, physically hurts to read your posts.

jdmal said :

Giving an syringe that is the same size as an insulin needle 2 a 4yr old 2 play with is not warning them about the dangers of such needles.

Be warned, facts ahead!
Congratulatiosn on not retaliating immediately. Read on for information, hopefully you will contruct an argument appropriately, and use the ‘quote’ button to refute particular elements.

1) Learning is a multi-stage process.
You can either teach children the “See children, the nurse isn’t scary, she has a needle but isn’t trying to hurt you.” (A) lesson first, or “PANIC! ITS IS A NEEDLE FULL OF AIDS” (B) lesson first.

Teaching the A lesson and giving it sufficient time for the parents to reinforce the message lets it sink in.
Then, they can learn about B, and know that it is not -always- okay.
This is how pedagogic strategies in education work. (also known informally as lies-to-children, seen here on Wikipedia.
Its a simple lie for the best possible reason, but justifiable in that it helped them come closer to understanding what you want them to know.

Prettymuch you first teach them a statement that is false, but which nevertheless leads the child’s mind towards a more accurate explanation, one that the child will only be able to appreciate if it has first been primed with the lie.
Consider them steps to climb on a ladder, because the child’s legs are too short to reach the top without help.

As mulberry indicated, it was two weeks between A and B.
The chances of a child coming in contact with discarded needles in their usual day-to-day is amazingly low, despite what watching only Today Tonight or reading only the Daily Telegraph may have informed you.

Teaching B and _letting that one sink in first_ would be a terrible thing to inflict on a four year old, and make life total hell for paediatric doctors and nurses.

2) You also fail the logic and observation test.

Also, compare the most commonly available insulin-style syringe (with needle):
The 1ml BD Integra Insulin Syringe
to
the BD Oral syringe pictured, as produced by the same manufacturer.

Oral syringes have a bore so large that no needle can be attached (which is one reason that it gets marked for oral use only, the other is that its not internally sterile as a result of the open air hole).

jdmal said :

The school is at fault for not communicating sufficiently with the parent…

Or, perhaps arent is at fault for not taking an active role in their pre-school child’s education, and when confronted by an unknown situation resulting from not paying attention to their learning experiences, almost SWERVING HER CAR INTO A TREE AND GOING CARNIVAL-FREAK RABID ON THE FOUR YEAR OLD UNTIL HE CRIED.

jdmal said :

but u r using this logic 2 defend giving a syringe 2 a 4yr old to play and be comfortable with.

I am fine with giving a child a syringe (not a needle tip) to play with, they make excellent bath toys for children.
They receive a freebie from a friendly nurse learn that helps make baths fun, and as a bonus they are familiar with how the syringe works, so future nurses doesn’t have a crying child on their hands when immunisations come up.

johnboy said :

Indeed, I was merely discouraging being inflamatory for the sake of it in future.

Cool. It’s just that I would hate to see such an amazing contender for these awards lose out on this due to a blunder or technicality. We’ve not seen this sort of rabid ferociousness of rioters or single-minded, stick-to-your-guns OP in ages!

Are we done yet. The pictured object looks more like an orange crayon then anything else. Same dimensions and colour.

If you live in the Griffith flats (or similar) then you will need to watch your children very closely and educate them not to pick up stuff from the ground. Its the only place I’ve seen needles in the open. Housing does not seem to think its a problem as they happily put young mothers into flats all the time. If you are a hard working middle class suburban family then you are unlikely to see a needle. But more likely to be outraged at seeing an object that resembles one.

JB – Re: earlier post about disqualification of Mully candidacy due to conscious intent to win:

Surely she’s still eligible if the post(s) that qualify her for the award(s) were made without clear knowledge of or intent to win Mully/FOTW?

Wow, the last time we had this many posts in so few days was about Impactednurse, wasn’t it?

Wait…

That was about a nurse and so is this one… Coincidence? I think not!

Spooky…

Giving an syringe that is the same size as an insulin needle 2 a 4yr old 2 play with is not warning them about the dangers of such needles.

The school is at fault for not communicating sufficiently with the parent, saying- “there was a notice on the notice board” to a full time working mother of four, is ridiculous.

On one hand u r saying:

“the children were given appropriate sharps warnings and made aware to not touch them because they are bad (fulfilling the requirements of the second contact situation).”

but u r using this logic 2 defend giving a syringe 2 a 4yr old to play and be comfortable with.

1- Syringes are not needles. Don’t even try comparing syringes and needles to cigarettes, condoms, etc.
Very few doctors will sell kids cigarettes, or try and use condoms for their intended purpose on children.
2- Children are certain to come in contact with them in hospitals and other medical contexts (“good syringes”), but far less likely to find a used needle (“bad ones”.
3- After familiarising the children with syringes, and making them comfortable with nurses and doctors tying to make them better (fulfilling the requirements of the most common contact situation), the children were given appropriate sharps warnings and made aware to not touch them because they are bad (fulfilling the requirements of the second contact situation).
4- Any form of appropriate parenting would reinforce this message.

Amia fingers over there missed 1, overlooked 2, didn’t understand 3, and denied she had any role to play in 4 by not paying the slightest attention to what was coming up in the school curriculum or how it would be taught.
Hence her PSYCHOTIC OUTRAGE and DISPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE providing the kind of flamebait Rioters love.

I suspect there will be some parents and a few teachers who will laugh at Mulberry behind her back, and it will be enjoyed all the more because she self-inflicted it (invited it, even).

‘sleepyphoenix’ – thanks for your input.

Four is too young.

Hell, why not just show the four year olds examples of condoms, grog bottles, cigarettes, and little round pills, so we can introduce them to the potential dangers of future years.

After all, according to the dimwits on this site, there is nothing wrong with starting them only a couple of years after they get out of nappies.

jdmal said :

Yes, but not at 4yrs old.

Why not start young? a 4 year old can find a syringe just as much as a 8 year old can.

Yes, but not at 4yrs old.

Mulberry said :

DumpedOn said :

+1 for Mulberry. I’m with you all the way. Don’t worry about this place. You have every reason to be upset about the syringe. As a mother of a young child, I’d go ballistic if they came home with one. How can it possibly be educational? For all those idiots saying “it’s a syringe”, not a needle. How can a four year old tell the difference?

Some people get off on hiding behind their computers. Ignore them and please don’t lose any sleep over it. They’ll go to bed alone w@nking themselves silly thinking about which website forum they managed to stir up today. Bit like a herd of rhinos. They try to ram their rather large horns into people who dare post something on this site. Only thing is, they manage to miss their target every time, mainly because they are so obviously weighed down with low self esteem.

hahaha “like”

and by Mulberry and yourselfs thoughts they will never know the difference… This world is only getting worse and by you not allowing your kids to learn about the proper purpose for a syringe or the difference between that syringe and a needle syringe you are only sending your kids in blind to the world when they go out on there own. Think about your childhood you weren’t hidden from so much and you have turned out fine, Abit high strung and idiotic but fine.

How does it seem appropriate? You need to belive it sounds appropriate, because it suits ur ABUSIVE tendencys towards a target u feel is safe 2 attack. U already lost this debate about 60 posts ago, so it’s time 2 call a spoon a spoon and go and feed on someone else, fool.

aha

Linky here. Seems appropriate after READING the OUTRAGEOUS nonsense in THE original POST from Mulberry.

And don’t get me STARTED on those DISGUSTING DIABETIC needle USERS!

jdmal, I think they meant the named ‘pockets’ that are used to store all work to go home, newsletters, permission slips, anything they are to take home generally.
I used to get my kids to sometimes empty them into their bag for me if there wasn’t much.

Thats some damn fine asking common sense questions and getting a reasonable response there, Mr Bastard.
If only Boganfingers Mrs Berry had thought to communicate with relevant staff (or find out what was coming up in the lesson plan) and clarify any misunderstandings first, instead of going off the rails with her I’M A MOTHER SO WILL TELL QUALIFIED NURSES HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS, AND NONE OF THOSE FANCY SCHOOLING FOLK KNOWS HOW TO LEARN UP MY SPROG PROPER, ONLY HEROIN ADDICTION WILL COME OF THIS JUST YOU WATCH rant…

And if it was in a “parent pack” how did the kid get it?

That’s rubbish- “”I would like to clarify the factual situation for you. The item in question was not a syringe but an oral applicator for medicines.”

There is no acknowledgement of the “oral applicator” being the same dimensions as an insulin syringe, the same that addicts use, and no matter how advanced the nurses qualifications make her look giving this to a 4-year old to play with and be comfortable with is obviously questionable- for the main reason that the child might pick up a used syringe and play with that.

And the “it’s the parents responsibility” ramble that she throws off with isn’t sufficient either, as is evident by how a young mother of four, who works full time, was not made aware of thier intentions- a letter, or an email direct to the parent would have been much more appropriate, allowing no doubt that the parents were aware of this situation.

PB – Good work, in those circumstances I, for one would be most happy with that as a parent.

Murphy’s Law struck this time for Mulberry.

Ahem…. from an e-mail I recently recieved;

Macgregor Primary School have referred your enquiry to me in the media and communications unit in the Department of Education and Training.

I would like to clarify the factual situation for you. The item in question was not a syringe but an oral applicator for medicines. The presentation in question was one given by a registered nurse, with a Masters degree in advanced nursing, on familiarising preschoolers with hospitals, essentially that ‘hospitals aren’t scary places’.

The presentation had been notified to parents on the parents information board in the classroom, so that parents were advised in advance, had the opportunity to ask questions and potentially even excuse their child from the presentation. The applicator was one of a number of items placed in the daily parents’ packet in which information is given to parents including notices, newsletters and items that may be of assistance to parents. I stress that the parents’ packet is for parents and that parents may or may not choose to further disseminate any items it contains.

Emphasis mine.

You’re all welcome to create a new account with a different name, although we’d prefer you didn’t.

I believe Mullyberry should not be allowed to become “Boganfingers” until she takes back all the horrible nasty things she said about me. They quite spoiled my weekend. I’m still sobbing. Honest. Is there a support group where I could get some counseling? Can I have a bit of public art named after me? You people just don’t know what suffering is.

I support Mulberry’s right to be wrong, and be a terrible parent if she wants to.
Its not going to stop me having an opinion on the extent of her wrongness, or her parenting.

However, I vote for letting Mulberry become Boganfingers if she wants to.

Mulberry,

While I am one of those who think that you over reacted by being on a “rampage” with the school involved, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your ability to stand up for what you believe in, against a tide of backlash and abuse. WELL DONE. As you said at #203 I’m sure you are a good person and a good mother. If I am right in thinking that you are a bit overprotective, that is a much better way to be than an uncaring parent who lets their kids run rampant from a young age.

I don’t know if this should win the Mully, I am deeply concerned that this post has been influenced by the parnormal. THink about it people Mully, Mulberry,. MULLY MULberrY…say it five times in front of a mirror and he will appear behind you.

mulberry

Had a good laugh what Dumped on said also, and totally agree LOl

Postalgeek said :

I-filed said :

Mulberry good on you for calming down and cheering up. And ignore Ernie @213 – everyone is welcome, as I understand, on this forum, and it is not OK to tell rioters to rack off to another forum.

+1 Stay put. And change your moniker to BoganFingers. Great name.

You guys are dingleberries. I love this site, check in everyday and have been known to respond to many posts. I’m glad Mulberry posted here because it has been great entertainment. I was merely suggesting that she look into posting her particular issues on a ‘parenting’ website. Nuff said.

So JB, can we have a new award for a rant that generates the most discussion of the month….the double mulberry*.

*To be eligible for the double mulberry your rant must be both genuine and contain typical flame type elements such as SHOUTING / poor grammar, as well as the subsequent comments from the riot act community outnumbering all other posts for the month.

Ur on something.

He probably saw u sniffing paint.

I-filed said :

Mulberry good on you for calming down and cheering up. And ignore Ernie @213 – everyone is welcome, as I understand, on this forum, and it is not OK to tell rioters to rack off to another forum.

+1 Stay put. And change your moniker to BoganFingers. Great name.

Sammy said :

Hey Mulberry, I heard that my little boys child-care centre is going to be using paint next week for finger painting. Did you know that some people sniff paint and get high? OH MY GOD!!!! UNCONTROLLABLE OUTRAGE!!!!!!

Quite the nong, aren’t you? Thanks for a valuable contribution to the discussion… Hope you feel mildly intellectual now that you’ve been able to quote popular culture in this forum – I bet you’ve had that gem locked away in your mind hoping for the opportunity to use it; for. just. ages!!!

Mulberry, if you really want to pursue this further, I would suggest a call/meeting with the nurse that delivered the event to work out just what was delivered and why – you might see a little more like the majority here after that. The next step would be phone/correspondence with DET and Minister Barr. Whilst I don’t share your concerns, believing that you need to surrender just a little responsibility to the school, I fall very short of descending into personal attacks against you for what is obviously a concern to you. There is no reason why people couldn’t have been a little more restrained and dignified in their responses toward you.

It’s obvious that you have concern for your children, and I see enough kids in my work that don’t have supporting or concerned parents that I’d rather see a parent over-react and ‘over-concerned’ than not at all.

Hey Mulberry, I heard that my little boys child-care centre is going to be using paint next week for finger painting. Did you know that some people sniff paint and get high? OH MY GOD!!!! UNCONTROLLABLE OUTRAGE!!!!!!

My four year old cannot read “for oral use”

No, but you should be able to.

However… I did reach out to a community.. should have known better I guess.

And I guess you didn’t receive the response you were looking for? Perhaps you should research your avenues of complaint first, to ensure you’re going to receive the answer you’re looking for before leaping in?

To paraphrase Jules from Pulp Fiction:

If our answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.

Mulberry good on you for calming down and cheering up. And ignore Ernie @213 – everyone is welcome, as I understand, on this forum, and it is not OK to tell rioters to rack off to another forum.

My God these people wouldn’t want to see my hands either. Gnarly, burnt, half nail-polish bogan eaten fingernails. It’s the least of my worries.

Bogan fingered ones unite!

And for the record, there is no way I would’ve been happy if any of my four kids had shown me this in the car without me knowing a single thing about it. But the last place I would’ve written my fears is the RiotACT. Not the place for it 🙂

Mulberry, I think you would be better off going to bubhub.com.au. From what I’ve seen there are lots of young mothers on this forum and lots from Canberra too. Maybe advice from this type of forum is what you are looking for instead of this one.

+1 Mulberry #203 (most of it) #204 & #205 top comments nicely done,

but #207 that rocks, you rule, I laughed out loud, really well done, I hope they do let you change names, keep up the good work.

(please note the above comments have no sarcasm attached they are sincere)

Herion is old school. Get with the times. Preschoolers are shooting up ice now days.

I think it is an utter tragedy that a parent would complain.. Your kids will grow up so sheltered that in a situation were they will find a proper syringe with needle in tact and will be unaware not to pick it up because you as a parent are over protective which is doing more damage then good. It’s an oral syringe often used for medicine not heroin… until the schools start showing kids how to shoot up heroin you need to let go of being such an over protective parent because you yourself are what is going to make this kid into a heroin addict

Would that now be the trifector, with a three post nutbag (+). Dose it get any better. Well done BF. Love it!!!

Mulberry said :

wow!!

Good night, and thank you for opening my eyes to what some wankers in our community are truly like when they can hide behind a computer *cough – pommy bastard – cough*

Good night and happy Fathers Day!

Wow. You talk about participants in this thread being harsh and you call Poimmy Bastard a wanker because he stood up for health care workers and pointed out that the program your children received the ‘needle’ from was just the sort of program that you were wanting to have implemented. A program to teach children about syringes and the dangers of needles.

Mulberry, calm down. You will blow a gasket and be of no use to your children if you can not accept that possibly you over-reacted.

ConanOfCooma said :

Your taste in nail polish is vile, and you have bogan fingers.

besides the nail polish… what the hell are “bogan fingers” hahahah
you are an idiot – seriousley!!

i never knew there were such thing as “bogan bodyparts” for all you know.. I could be italian or russian or chinese… although I am not… but seriousley now… what kind of intelligent post is that??!! Obviousley I have admitted time and time again that I, myself am aware of the “nailpolish” situation (sorry everyone about my chipped, ddgy nailpolish.. i guess that makes me an awful person.. anyway….)
So if you really want to have a stab, you could atleast try and ATTEMPT to say something that may qualify as a decent input into a colourful debate..

what a tool hahaha – bogan fingers…

ED.. can you let me change my handle??? I really want to drop Mulberry and change it to Bogan fingers!! Love it!!! hahaha

DumpedOn said :

+1 for Mulberry. I’m with you all the way. Don’t worry about this place. You have every reason to be upset about the syringe. As a mother of a young child, I’d go ballistic if they came home with one. How can it possibly be educational? For all those idiots saying “it’s a syringe”, not a needle. How can a four year old tell the difference?

Some people get off on hiding behind their computers. Ignore them and please don’t lose any sleep over it. They’ll go to bed alone w@nking themselves silly thinking about which website forum they managed to stir up today. Bit like a herd of rhinos. They try to ram their rather large horns into people who dare post something on this site. Only thing is, they manage to miss their target every time, mainly because they are so obviously weighed down with low self esteem.

hahaha “like”

Postalgeek said :

I think most people guessed that from the start. Riotact is very much the antithesis of ACA/Today Tonight. Try to generalise, exaggerate, sensationalise, or stage-manage people’s emotions/reactions in some other way, and it will bite you on the bum. A lot of people, myself included, have learnt the hard way, and now you have 🙂 Welcome to the club.

Thanks : ) I now have learnt too… and i feel that I have passed initiation hehehe
im not going to even bother trying to defend my original post or the criticism anymore… As i said last post – maybe it was OTT or depicted as OTT by the way I expressed it etc.. but my opinion has not changed.. I just CBF to continue with people who would instead of diplomatically expressing their opinion, pick on my lazy grammar or lack of time to update my nail polish or the car i drive… pretty pathetic…

All the same.. after my initial disgust, i dont mind a little contraversy from time to time!

PS. I’d rather be driving a Holden & if any of you would like to donate to a manicure I would be forever grateful!!! hahahahaha!! If only…..

wow!!
where do I begin… I’d like to thank the people who agree with me about the way some people on this forum belittle and carry on. I have very thick skin, and didnt loose a minute sleep over anything on here..
However… I did reach out to a community.. should have known better I guess..
Maybe I was “OTT” maybe I am “one of those mothers” maybe my nail polish is SHIT.
But guess what… I love my kids… I educate, feed and care for my four children, I live and breath for them, and they are not wrapped up in cotton wool by any means! I am very open and at times extremely un-pc and might not always do the right thing… I am a human… I am a 23yo Mother or 2 and step mother of two. I work full time, as does my husband. I have a fantastic family who help to care for my children whilst we work to pay our nearly $600 rent to put a roof over our childrens heads at night and to feed and clothe them. I am educated, intelligent and have never been fed off a silver spoon.. My occupation is one that is out there in the community helping people who have drug problems – maybe this was something to do with my “OTT” reaction. Im not trying to give you a sob story by any means – my life is great (and I am now well aware no matter what i say – there will be ramifications so pff.. I really dont care)

In saying this… I think alot of you are extremely shallow, gutless and immature!! But you have entertained me.

My initial reaction yesterday – i started to get a little upset and angered by some of the direct attacks on me… but I KNOW i am a good person, a good mother and that people such of yourselves have no impact on my life whatsoever…

I will continue to be a riot act participant…
I did not expect this from my first post but I will not be deterred by it. It doesnt phase me. Im sure I will hear from you all again sooner or later!

Good night, and thank you for opening my eyes to what some wankers in our community are truly like when they can hide behind a computer *cough – pommy bastard – cough*

Good night and happy Fathers Day!

Your post makes no sense, what do you think OTT means?

I used it to mean over the top, ie. in my opinion her reaction was a bit over the top or in my opinion your reaction to grammatical errors is a bit ott.

Maybe instead off searching posts for mistakes on a casual internet forum you should read the comments properly, start with your own that says we all have opinions but also attacks me for expressing mine.

Mulberry

There are alot of nasty pasties on this site, I know where you are coming from, if I looked in the revision mirror and saw what I THOUGHT was a syringe that a four year old was holding I would have gotten a huge shock also, as far as reacting about school, I would not go that far, it’s bad enough when I take my dog for a walk there are syringes near footpaths.

ranga (oops typo), if you’re saying that you expressed an “opinion”, “expressed your feelings” and “had a reaction” by using the term “OTT”, then I am seriously concerned about you …

🙂

Mathman said :

It’s called ‘freedom of speech’, a critical component of a well functioning democracy.

This country doesn’t have freedom of speech as a right.

jdmal said :

Would you feel safe saying the things u say in a physical pubic forum, for fear of reprisal be it verbal, physical or just a bad reputation, based on knowing who u actualy are. U r playing on the ‘personal intimidation’ thing but not acknowledging the real issue.

But isn’t that exactly the thing that stifles discussion in a free society? And what is verbal and physical reprisal if not personal intimidation?

Reputation is different. As I do not trade on my reputation for social commentary, my reputation for such is only valid within the forum in which my comments are made. As Skidbladnir found out recently with his privacy stunt, doing the wrong thing can certainly tarnish your reputation and credibility here.

jdmal said :

And if u r so interested in freedom of speech why don’t u tell everyone who u r, and where u live?

Would it really make a difference to how you read my comments whether I was to post them as Mathman or as Bruce Smith who lives at 7 Allan Place, Curtin? No it wouldn’t because, like most of the population of this city, we are unlikely to meet and you will never know me outside of this forum. The judgement that you make of me will be based on my comments irrespective of whether they are made under a name given to me by my parents or myself.

I’m of the opinion that unless you fear nothing, it is better to keep some things hidden. People are quick to judge; social prejudice and discrimination are not always open and obvious. Comments posted on the internet live a long time and are easily manipulated by unscrupulous people.

jdmal said :

Because i don’t think it ever meant nameless people taking cheap shots @ people and having a laugh because no-one knows who they are.

The irony is of course that the nameless people are taking cheap shots at other nameless people. Its not like they are damaging this persons reputation outside of here. In any case, things are generally forgotten by the time the next thread comes around.

The question should be asked whether or why it is appropriate for pre school to hand out needles/syringes. I’m not sure what kids

Whilst kids need to be taught about these types of things, it’s probably something that can be introduced at primary school.

Having said that, by the time they are taught this in primary school: 1. Parents should’ve already taught their kids about the dangers and 2. The parents should be expected to know when a presentation like this is happening. And I dare say a few of the other parents at that pre school would’ve know a presentation like this was happening.

I wonder if she took that photo with a phone while driving?

screaming banshee said :

Rangi said :

But mostly I am disgusted by the comments on the op’s nails, stick to the issue not unrelated personal attacks grow up you petty little children, if her nails are the best thing you can think of to comment on then STFU, not everyone is dressed up to the nines at all times like you vain, shallow ar$eholes must be.

How inconsiderate of us to focus on the nails, should we be picking on stupid ford drivers also.

That is so funny, I typed “Next someone will be picking on her because she drives a Ford”, then i changed my mind and took it out

DumpedOn said :

Rangi said :

That said the op’s reaction after the fact was a bit OTT and we don’t really know the way it was presented, I am sure there would of been talk about what it was used for (oral meds).

It’s “would have”, not “would of”.

You said the op’s reaction was a bit “OTT”. What gives you or anyone else on this site the right to say that? We all have opinions, and feelings, and reasons for reacting the way we do. Give it a rest.

Sorry, I didn’t know I was being graded on grammar but I am sooooo glad I could provide you a thrill, most likely you’re highlight of the week. I put in special mistake in that last sentence for you, it’s a good one, it should keep you going for months.

Ummm, what gives me the right is that it is MY opinion, you know “We all have opinions, and feelings, and reasons for reacting the way we do”…….idiot.

“But why would I feel safe because no-one knows who I am if it didn’t involve personal intimidation?

It’s called ‘freedom of speech’”

Sorry mathman, i wasn’t ignoring u, i had 2 go 2 lunch. I think u know exactly what is being said and r just playing games. Would you feel safe saying the things u say in a physical pubic forum, for fear of reprisal be it verbal, physical (for examble if u said something rude 2 a woman and her boyfriend slapped u) or just a bad reputation, based on knowing who u actualy are. U r playing on the ‘personal intimidation’ thing but not acknowledging the real issue.

And if u r so interested in freedom of speech why don’t u tell everyone who u r, and where u live? Because i don’t think it ever meant nameless people taking cheap shots @ people and having a laugh because no-one knows who they are.

Storm + Teacup = This

Rangi said :

That said the op’s reaction after the fact was a bit OTT and we don’t really know the way it was presented, I am sure there would of been talk about what it was used for (oral meds).

It’s “would have”, not “would of”.

You said the op’s reaction was a bit “OTT”. What gives you or anyone else on this site the right to say that? We all have opinions, and feelings, and reasons for reacting the way we do. Give it a rest.

Rangi said :

But mostly I am disgusted by the comments on the op’s nails, stick to the issue not unrelated personal attacks grow up you petty little children, if her nails are the best thing you can think of to comment on then STFU, not everyone is dressed up to the nines at all times like you vain, shallow ar$eholes must be.

How inconsiderate of us to focus on the nails, should we be picking on stupid ford drivers also.

I think it was lax of the school not to advise the parents what had been given to the kids, and I probably would of been concerned if it suddenly appeared in my kids hands, God knows that druggos don’t have any respect for children’s areas.

That said the op’s reaction after the fact was a bit OTT and we don’t really know the way it was presented, I am sure there would of been talk about what it was used for (oral meds).

But mostly I am disgusted by the comments on the op’s nails, stick to the issue not unrelated personal attacks grow up you petty little children, if her nails are the best thing you can think of to comment on then STFU, not everyone is dressed up to the nines at all times like you vain, shallow ar$eholes must be.

Pommy bastard said :

urchin said :

I have to agree with parts of what Mulberry says.

my 4 year old would not know the difference between the syringe he is given and the syringe with a needle.

Unless of course your child had attended one of the excellent education courses run at Mc Greggor preschool where kids are taught all about syringes and how they can be good and bad, and how they should not be touched if found.

I’ve heard they even go as far as to give the kids a safe syringe so as to educated them about their usefulness.

It’s good that kids are taught these things, if only some parents were more involved in preschool they’d see the value too.

good points all. perhaps like the OP, i had never really given the matter much thought till this thread came up. we’ve never seen any syringes in parks etc.. but as you say, forewarned is forearmed. i will have to have a chat with my 4 y.o. about this in the near future.

re: the riot act as a local news consolidation source perhaps i should have been more precise–it is valuable for finding out what’s going on in the act (bands, festivals, crazy people in pink underwear driving bmws…). there are some very smart posters but oftentimes they get lost in the mad rush of people trying to pen the wittiest riposte. not that i am completely innocent of this internet sin myself, but on this thread it has just turned into a feeding frenzy, really. mulberry brought some of it on herself, to be sure, by reacting badly to it but in the end this is just another ugly form of bullying. people see someone getting pounded on by a group of others and want to join in the “fun”. sad and disappointing but alas, not surprising.

Mulberry I thought your initial post was ill-considered and damaging, and no, there’s no obligation to support every position that’s posted to Riot-Act in the guise of “community”! You’d be better off admitting that you went off half-cocked about a little orange by-mouth medicine dispenser, and should not have posted about it. Seriously, have you never had a child or even a kitten in any household you’ve participated in, that needed doses of carefully measured medicine?
So how about sucking it up and moving on?

jdmal said :

No u r wrong, that’s not the issue. U say things u know u should,’t because u feel safe no-one knows who u are.

But why would I feel safe because no-one knows who I am if it didn’t involve personal intimidation?

It’s called ‘freedom of speech’, a critical component of a well functioning democracy. Just a Mulberry had the right to post the original rant, other contributors have the right to post a response. I don’t agree with all of them but I’ll defend their right to contribute.

“Nor is it cowardly just because you can’t come around and assault me if you disagree with what I say.”

No u r wrong, that’s not the issue. U say things u know u should,’t because u feel safe no-one knows who u are.

Ha hahahahaha haaaa! Aw i almost left this place after seeing how people spoke 2 mulberry, i have been seeing this stuff since the 90’s on the original microsoft network. But the good citizens have redeemed the situation.

What i would like 2 say to u unfortunate people who have been caught up in in cynicism, no far worse than that, preditary abuse, is that i bet u were’n’t always like that. No, it’s something that spreads like a terrible disease. Like the stories they made up about Jesus with the stonings and what not, which were based on a certain amount of truth.

It’s ok it’s not ur fault, it’s also a Canberra thing, i think it’s the politicians- they bring that ego, 1-up ur fellow “man”, humiliation as a weapon (it’s actualy a poor tactic, because it reveals a weak character), tear someone 2 shreads especialy if they’re weak, stuff that goes on, i grew up in this town and know all about it.

You didn’t seem 2 notice that u were shattering a vulnerable and caring person who was trying 2 express her concerns about a difficult situation, a mother of young children, that ur poison will not only affect her life but also her children and others. For example she just simply might not have as much love in her heart after dealing with u scumbags.

While the site seemed frozen or inactive or whatever it was last night (i don’t know how it works yet) i was pacing my living room floor thinking about waht i was going 2 say 2 uáll about this, how i would do a post of my own about badness and abuse in the A.C.T before I tore the predators 2 shreds and logged off 4 ever. But that doesn’t seem nececary now, uz have been put in ur place and i hope u use that time 2 really think about what type of quality person u r. Ganging up on a vulnerable mother, as G Built said u wouldn’t do if ur identities were on show, and that just makes all the more worse- cowardly predators.

I think Gerry-Built deserves the award for most considered response here. I would also have a moment of panic if I saw a syringe in one of my kids’ hands, but in these circumstances it wouldn’t have been any more than a moment.

Mulberry, you don’t deserve the kind of vitriol you’ve had in response to this post. Your ranting against the school might be an over-reaction, but some of the responses have been even more over-the-top than your OP. I think you’re over protective, and that will give your kids a false sense of security as adults, probably leading them into trouble. But you shouldn’t be criticised as harshly as you have been.

I think the moderation has been lax on this post. Too many worthless personal attacks got through, which is not the usual pattern.

But Mulberry, I think you should get over it. Your son’s principal was rude and arrogant, but apart from that, the school hasn’t done anything less than they should have done. Now you’re just getting yourself upset over the unreasonable comments of a bunch of strangers on RA. Turn the puter off, stop ranting against the school and society and go play with your son. He will benefit from that.

Reminds me of the time at Questacon’s Mini Q that my daughter and some other children were playing with a toy (over size) syringe in the “vet clinic” area. The other kids were using it to put medicine in the mouth of the stuffed toys. My daughter was walking around with her shirt up “injecting” herself in the tummy. Her father is a diabetic on insulin and at the time I was doing IVF.

Kids learn what they see.

urchin said :

riotact can be good as a local news consolidation source, but the discussion element is a bit old and tired.

The RiotACT is as about as close to being a local news source is as I am as close to being the next Prime Minister. If anything The RiotACT is more like the ancient meeting houses where people gathered to discuss the issues of the day – the direct predecessor of our modern day democracy.

Gerry-Built said :

It never ceases to amaze me how rude and ridiculous a lot of you can be in your responses, simply because this is an anonymous forum (and yes, I know I am on RA).

I would argue that this is not an anonymous forum. We all use names that link our posts to ourselves. A user name on a forum is no different to the name you use at the bank. It makes no difference if I post as Mathman or as Tony Abbott, they are both just identifiers that act as linkages within particular arenas. Nor is it cowardly just because you can’t come around and assault me if you disagree with what I say.

Gerry-Built said :

The personal attacks, in particular just mirror how unaccepting people are in this ‘society’, and how much agro and vitriol (barely) hides beneath your thick skin.

It stands to reason that The RiotACT is a reflection of what society is really like – indifferent, intolerant and with a smattering of common sense.

urchin said :

I have to agree with parts of what Mulberry says.

my 4 year old would not know the difference between the syringe he is given and the syringe with a needle.

Unless of course your child had attended one of the excellent education courses run at Mc Greggor preschool where kids are taught all about syringes and how they can be good and bad, and how they should not be touched if found.

I’ve heard they even go as far as to give the kids a safe syringe so as to educated them about their usefulness.

It’s good that kids are taught these things, if only some parents were more involved in preschool they’d see the value too.

Mulberry said :

“god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!”

I understand why you panicked upon seeing the syringe–I would’ve too! However, what I don’t understand is why you bothered asking for ‘help’ here when you knew you could be treated this way. Then again, the people here who are against you are actually helping you see the other side of your situation (with the exception of those who are here just to harass you)even though what they said was probably not what you wanted to hear. I admire your perseverance Mulberry, but you are not going to get the help that you wanted if you continue to be narrow-minded and sarcastic.

I have to agree with parts of what Mulberry says.

my 4 year old would not know the difference between the syringe he is given and the syringe with a needle. at least not until after he is picked the one with the needle up. of course i would explain that to him, but i think it would just confuse him and he would probably get scared of the one without the needle as well and not want have anything to do with it either.

on the other hand, kids visiting hospitals, nurses and doctors trying to make the experience seem less scary for little ones is a great thing, and giving them things like an oral syringe will take some of the fear out of the experience if they have to go in for real and suddenly find a nurse or someone with a real syringe coming to administer medicine orally or via injection.

probably i would just tell the kids to never ever pick up anything like that unless i had given it to them. that would probably be enough.

but where i agree with mulberry most is in how obnoxious so many of the posters here are.

ironically, many of the people tearing mulberry down for her “manufactured outrage” are the first to jump up onto soapboxes when their pet theme is being discussed. seriously, people in glass houses and all that.

riotact can be good as a local news consolidation source, but the discussion element is a bit old and tired. there are too many people with their fingers poised in anticipation over their keyboards, waiting for the chance to be snide (or is it intended to be “witty”?) at another’s expense.

the worst thing you can do in that situation, of course, is to feed them. never feed the trolls. that’s where mulberry went wrong.

Step 1) Build bridge

Step 2) Get over it

Gerry-Built said :

Mulberry’s initial reaction was understandable. Seeing a needle in the hands of a 4YO SHOULD be enough to send chills down anybody’s spine. However, having established what it actually was, where it came from and why, there should have been no reason to pursue it any further.

At some point, parents have to realise that you give some of your parenting authority to society – and quite a lot in the case of schooling/education. Schools shouldn’t have to justify every single educational “experience”. If you don’t agree – there is a strong case for home-schooling…

It never ceases to amaze me how rude and ridiculous a lot of you can be in your responses, simply because this is an anonymous forum (and yes, I know I am on RA). The personal attacks, in particular just mirror how unaccepting people are in this ‘society’, and how much agro and vitriol (barely) hides beneath your thick skin. Of course Mulberry over-reacted, but you can say so in a much less acidic, negative manner and leave her dignity somewhat intact, free of the bullying presented above.

Thanks for sharing your concerns in this forum, Mulberry. Whilst it is obvious almost everyone thinks you over-reacted, it was unfortunate they chose to descend to the personal attacks the way they did…

You are absolutely right, Gerry-Built. I totally agree.

babyface said :

if you preface a statement with “as a mother”

you are wrong

always

No. When you preface a statement in such a way, you are clearly framing the opinion you present. That certainly qualifies a statement better than your sweeping generalisations… always…

Mulberry’s initial reaction was understandable. Seeing a needle in the hands of a 4YO SHOULD be enough to send chills down anybody’s spine. However, having established what it actually was, where it came from and why, there should have been no reason to pursue it any further.

At some point, parents have to realise that you give some of your parenting authority to society – and quite a lot in the case of schooling/education. Schools shouldn’t have to justify every single educational “experience”. If you don’t agree – there is a strong case for home-schooling…

It never ceases to amaze me how rude and ridiculous a lot of you can be in your responses, simply because this is an anonymous forum (and yes, I know I am on RA). The personal attacks, in particular just mirror how unaccepting people are in this ‘society’, and how much agro and vitriol (barely) hides beneath your thick skin. Of course Mulberry over-reacted, but you can say so in a much less acidic, negative manner and leave her dignity somewhat intact, free of the bullying presented above.

Thanks for sharing your concerns in this forum, Mulberry. Whilst it is obvious almost everyone thinks you over-reacted, it was unfortunate they chose to descend to the personal attacks the way they did…

Sounds like someone won’t be getting a Red Ryder?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-89yiueWNGo

The OP *does* have a number of valid points.

Firstly, if you saw your child waving a syringe of unknown origin around, you would react immediately.

A standard task for many canberra outings with some social groups was to do a grid walk and remove dangerous items – broken glass, junkie needles etc.

Secondly, giving a child a syringe as a toy without a clear message to never pick them up from the ground or only accept them from dr’s, nurses etc is a pretty big fail.

You people are 2 cruel! What’s really going on is they gave a toy syringe to a 4yr old and said “here play with this, it’s fun!” That kid could grow up thinking needles r just fine, but not anymore, because mum made it clear that’s a bad thing.

Mulberry said :

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!!
This place is a joke!! Canberra communtiy forum my a##!!! More like Canberra’s lonely old losers who like to gang up and make a joke out of people!!
Good for you guys!!!

oh i kept reading and i have more, heres the deal ok, if you preface a statement with “as a mother”

you are wrong

always

its funny because that syringe is harmless but your parenting style is gonna mess your kid up for life

Please, won’t somebody fetch the cotton wool! Now WRAP! Wrap the children up! We are losing precious time, at any moment my 4 year old my comprehend the words ‘junkie’ and ‘diabetic’ and I may not be there to explain the difference…

This is so funny! All I can say is… the internet is forever my friend. The day you went nuts in public and had one of the highest response rates I’ve ever seen on the-riotact telling you so will be forever immortalised.

2 thumbs up.

Drugs is bad, mmkay!

Next the pre-school will be teaching gun safety and it’s effects.
Here kids, take a gun home, but without the bullets cause god forbid you get the whole thing!

Here kids, this is what a bong looks like – it is used for smoking drugs – drugs are bad, if you see one of these in the park, don’t pick it up – tell an adult, here take one home so you know what they are, use it as a toy – you just don’t get the hooch that goes with it – god forbid we give you all that is needed to use it.

Funniest. Post. Evar.

Saw this post this morning with no comments and thought “troll”. Logged back on and saw >150 comments and thought “troll”.

One good thing, ‘though, is reading (a couple of pages of) the comments and seeing that hardly anyone supports the troll’s outrageous outrage.

Neurofen, kids vitamens and plenty of other kids medicine comes in one like this.

My 2 and 3 year olds know how to use scissors and knives as we have educated them in their use.

I don’t blame the OP for her initial reaction! I don’t think you can be too careful these days and the thought of my child picking up a real needle is very scary. I think that educating your child (or drumming it into their heads – as my parents called it) is the most important thing you can do.

I don’t see much point trying to get the school to change its methods, they obviously thought nothing was wrong with giving the syringe out originally!

Oscillate Wildly said :

LOL, this is hilarious! Mulberry, do you freak out if you buy your kids medicine and it has a dosage syringe in the box?

Also, did anyone else notice that Mulberry and Petrol and Chlorine both spell ‘obviousley’ the same way? Hmmmm….

You nailed it son.

Roadrage77 said :

Chill out Mumzilla.

+1

I can fully understand freaking out when Mulberry saw a syringe being held by a 4 year old at the face of a baby. I am sure we would all react with some degree of concern until we realised it was of no immediate danger. I know I would have.

I have often thought about the panadol/nurofen syringe I use for littlelymbos ailments and how LL liked to play with them. As droppers for artwork, water squirters and so on. Came to the conclusion it was best to explain to LL not to take one of these from anyone other than parents or carers at daycare.

Mulberry, for what it is worth, I think your initial concern/panic is reasonable, calling the school to find out where it came from is also reasonable, you may have known the presentation was on but not have dreamed that the children would be given a syringe to take home. If your complaint did remind the teaching staff to explain to the kids not to pick up syringes (better late then never) than your complaint has made a positive impact. Beyond this I do not understand why you have continued to be so angry about it?

SURELY this is a troll post. September Mully Cup winner? i mean, honestly. i can understand your concern if you thought your kid might have picked it up off the ground, but you know it came from a nurse and you know its clean. whats the big deal? OH its a SYRINGE that JUNKIES use!!! did you also consider its a syringe that diabetics use? people with blood clotting problems? etc? you’re being daft.

Your taste in nail polish is vile, and you have bogan fingers.

Mulberry said :

Grrrr said :

Dear OP,

If sighting a syringe causes you to almost hit a tree, then just think of how badly you’ll react in a real emergency. Please return your driver’s licence today and stay the hell off our roads!

Thanks.

Look – I didnt nearly hit a tree – I was trying to emphasise the shock i got when I saw my son waving a syringe infront of my babies face. At this point i didnt know that it wasnt a “needle” but it was a shock all the time and yes i panicked for a minute. I then sat down and spoke to all my children about the dangers as well as trying not to scare them out of immunisations etc once i pulled up safely off the road. jeezzzz!!

If you didn’t know it wasn’t a ‘needle’, perhaps you should be attending classes with your 4 year old so that you are adequately equipped to teach him about the dangers of life, instead of choosing the moments after you freaked out, yelled, swerved and snatched his new ‘toy’ away to try and teach him that immunisations are good.

+1 for Mulberry. I’m with you all the way. Don’t worry about this place. You have every reason to be upset about the syringe. As a mother of a young child, I’d go ballistic if they came home with one. How can it possibly be educational? For all those idiots saying “it’s a syringe”, not a needle. How can a four year old tell the difference?

Some people get off on hiding behind their computers. Ignore them and please don’t lose any sleep over it. They’ll go to bed alone w@nking themselves silly thinking about which website forum they managed to stir up today. Bit like a herd of rhinos. They try to ram their rather large horns into people who dare post something on this site. Only thing is, they manage to miss their target every time, mainly because they are so obviously weighed down with low self esteem.

Wow!! What a response. My very small contribution would be along the lines of…..”Canberra has shortage of quality teachers…..manic over-reaction of parent with camera phone…..more teachers choose not to be here”

Look at the reason why we moan about education

LOL, this is hilarious! Mulberry, do you freak out if you buy your kids medicine and it has a dosage syringe in the box?

Also, did anyone else notice that Mulberry and Petrol and Chlorine both spell ‘obviousley’ the same way? Hmmmm….

Mulberry said :

Look – I didnt nearly hit a tree – I was trying to emphasise the shock i got when I saw my son waving a syringe infront of my babies face. At this point i didnt know that it wasnt a “needle” but it was a shock all the time and yes i panicked for a minute. I then sat down and spoke to all my children about the dangers as well as trying not to scare them out of immunisations etc once i pulled up safely off the road. jeezzzz!!

I think most people guessed that from the start. Riotact is very much the antithesis of ACA/Today Tonight. Try to generalise, exaggerate, sensationalise, or stage-manage people’s emotions/reactions in some other way, and it will bite you on the bum. A lot of people, myself included, have learnt the hard way, and now you have 🙂 Welcome to the club.

It’s okay, Mulberry. You’re okay. In the same way you panicked, RiotActer’s are good for it too. God forbid if there’s a whiff of a nanny state or a bad driver!

Grail said :

I for one agree with Mulberry – it’s shameful that we should be teaching kids that drugs and drug paraphernalia are “fun”. It doesn’t matter whether the drugs are heroin, panadol or neurofen, teaching kids a drug habit of any kind is offensive.

I for one disagree with Mulberry – it’s counterproductive that we should be teaching kids that medicine when used correctly, or an object of medical equipment with no possible meaning beyond what is bestowed onto it by a viewer, is in any way “shameful” or “dangerous” on its own.

That it doesn’t matter to panic parents like mulberry that the medicine or equipment has a primary medicinal use, which the children should recognise it for, instead of the the secondary recreational use that only a small percentage of population would feel a need to tell a four year about let alone encourage them to recognise or judge people for was the relevant point of attack. It shouldn’t matter if the drugs are heroin, panadol or neurofen, teaching kids that medical equipment should be feared because it is incidentally used to facilitate a drug habit is offensive.
This is terrible parenting, nobody should try and dodge that issue in favour of being polite to her.
Her ignorance and idiocy deserves our scorn.

Grail said :

How many parents would be shocked if their kids came home from school at age 6 and had a lovely display of contraceptives that the nice lady from the drug company was handing out (in order to “brand” the children in the marketing sense of the word)?

1- This would be illegal, encouraging unapproved guests into a classroom to market things to children.
2- In this imaginary scenario, lets address the behaviour of the children needing contraceptives…
Why are they having sex at that age, and why are the pre-teen girls fertile?
Answer both points above, then I’ll let your hypothetical scenario hold merit.
Otherwise its an irrelevant hypothetical, so is any argument based on it.

Grail said :

My brother and his wife have been giving their kids various drugs through syringes like the one in the photo for many years.

The kids are quite comfortable with the idea of being administered drugs by authority figures.

Second point doesn’t logically follow from the first. Just because your brother and his wife over-medicate, doesn’t mean the kids are now (or always will be) mindless drones who love drugs or don’t question their authority figures.

Grail said :

What this all leads to is a society where we consider it “normal” to take drugs regularly, when we should be focussing more on healthy living and sanitary habits rather than treating illness after the fact.

Yes, and we’ll all be loving the taste of Soylent Green by next Thursday, because this is a perfect line of reasoning to apply to all of society, based on the single sample of you brother and his wife, and how they treat their mindless children.

The worst the OP could be accused of here is being an over-protective parent. Yet she has been abused for everything from her intelligence to her nail-painting skills.

In my opinion she is right to be upset by her treatment here. She can’t ‘harden the f up’ -she is being attacked anonymously. In real life do you people so roundly and personally abuse people you hardly know?

At times this place is like a high school playground with the ‘pack’ sniffing out an easy target.

Grail said :

I for one agree with Mulberry – it’s shameful that we should be teaching kids that drugs and drug paraphernalia are “fun”. It doesn’t matter whether the drugs are heroin, panadol or neurofen, teaching kids a drug habit of any kind is offensive.

I’m sure the nurses involved in Mulberry’s fantasy world kid’s school, were also teaching the kids how to playing with lighted fireworks can make you happy, how peeing on electrical sockets gives you a great buzz, how getting drunk before you drive makes you a better driver, and how inserting both arms into a tree stripping machine makes you fly like supperman out of the other side.

I don’t know tch! Nurses today eh? tch! All they ever seem to do is to try to drum up more work for themselves…

Grrrr said :

Dear OP,

If sighting a syringe causes you to almost hit a tree, then just think of how badly you’ll react in a real emergency. Please return your driver’s licence today and stay the hell off our roads!

Thanks.

Look – I didnt nearly hit a tree – I was trying to emphasise the shock i got when I saw my son waving a syringe infront of my babies face. At this point i didnt know that it wasnt a “needle” but it was a shock all the time and yes i panicked for a minute. I then sat down and spoke to all my children about the dangers as well as trying not to scare them out of immunisations etc once i pulled up safely off the road. jeezzzz!!

Ronnie said :

..I also found a used hypodermic needle at the Farrer shops. As a normal 5 year old I picked it up and put it in my pocket and rode my bike home (with my parents who hadn’t seen me pick up the needle).. the pedalling motion meant that I jabbed myself a number of times before I got home. I showed mum what happened and when she saw the needle it all kicked off.

What does “it all kicked off” entail?

Dear OP,

If sighting a syringe causes you to almost hit a tree, then just think of how badly you’ll react in a real emergency. Please return your driver’s licence today and stay the hell off our roads!

Thanks.

Mulberry said :

Deano said :

So let me get this straight. You are complaining that the preschool is teaching your kid about the proper use of needles instead of reinforcing your belief that they are only ever associated with drug addicts. Vaccinations must be a fun time for your family.

Believe it or not, just knowing about needles doesn’t automatically lead to a life of drug use. Over reactive parents on the other hand……

and I dont believe that my son will turn to a life of drugs, i am concerned if he see’s one in the playground he could pick it up and prick himself because he has now been taught that they are ok to play with!

it is nothing like the one’s that panadol and nurofen are administered from either!

Giant brain

It looks nigh on exactly the same as the one my kids have for Nurofen.

You won’t need your kids to take up drug use to grow up paranoid. Sounds like they will get it genetically.

I’d be more concerned about your choice and application of nail polish

Pommy bastard said :

Would this be the one?

Junior Primary School Modules
Harold’s Surprise: 1st and 2nd Years of Schooling

Possum holds a party in the park for the friends who looked after her while she was sick. Harold and the class are invited to the party and are asked to take some healthy food. They have lots of fun following the map to the picnic spot in the park. Issues are raised when one of the children incurs a minor injury on the slide in the park and a discarded syringe is found in the park. As well as providing some delicious party food, Possum has a surprise for everyone at the party. The surprise is in a big wrapped box which the class gets to open at the end of the session.

http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/what-we-do/primary-school-program

If not, I’ll drop them an e-mail and ask which one it was…

No it was not.

gawd – what a whinge about a syringe….

I for one agree with Mulberry – it’s shameful that we should be teaching kids that drugs and drug paraphernalia are “fun”. It doesn’t matter whether the drugs are heroin, panadol or neurofen, teaching kids a drug habit of any kind is offensive.

How many parents would be shocked if their kids came home from school at age 6 and had a lovely display of contraceptives that the nice lady from the drug company was handing out (in order to “brand” the children in the marketing sense of the word)?

My brother and his wife have been giving their kids various drugs (teething, headache, prescription, etc) through syringes like the one in the photo for many years. The kids are quite comfortable with the idea of being administered drugs by authority figures.

What this all leads to is a society where we consider it “normal” to take drugs regularly, when we should be focussing more on healthy living and sanitary habits rather than treating illness after the fact. How many of you will wake up with a cold, take some Codral or Lemsip and head off to work? Do you stop for a second to think about how this will impact upon the workplace?

Mulberry said :

lobster said :

Also, you should have rotated it the picture so the “FOR ORAL USE ONLY” wasn’t visible. THis would have made it harder for people to find obvious faults with your crusade.

yeah because four year olds can read that

Apparently some adults can’t read it either.

lobster said :

Also, you should have rotated it the picture so the “FOR ORAL USE ONLY” wasn’t visible. THis would have made it harder for people to find obvious faults with your crusade.

yeah because four year olds can read that

Also, you should have rotated it the picture so the “FOR ORAL USE ONLY” wasn’t visible. THis would have made it harder for people to find obvious faults with your crusade.

Davo111 said :

Jim Jones said :

As one poster has pointed out, they’re nothing more than measuring cups.

Perhaps we should give condoms to 5 year olds disguised as plastic bags?

No, that is the exact opposite of what is happening in this thread.

Eg.
My child came back from school with a zip lock bag! The very same plastics that the porn stars use as condoms! I can’t believe my children are being given the encouraged to have sex with strangers on videos!!!!!

hahaha righto – because that was obviousley my intention haha

Would this be the one?

Junior Primary School Modules
Harold’s Surprise: 1st and 2nd Years of Schooling

Possum holds a party in the park for the friends who looked after her while she was sick. Harold and the class are invited to the party and are asked to take some healthy food. They have lots of fun following the map to the picnic spot in the park. Issues are raised when one of the children incurs a minor injury on the slide in the park and a discarded syringe is found in the park. As well as providing some delicious party food, Possum has a surprise for everyone at the party. The surprise is in a big wrapped box which the class gets to open at the end of the session.

http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/what-we-do/primary-school-program

If not, I’ll drop them an e-mail and ask which one it was…

Why PB? Whats your point. Your just having a needle.

Go the double Mulberry. Great post.

Flame Of The Week.

colourful sydney racing identity said :

Are you going for the Mully and FOTW in the one day? Awesome!

why the hell not hey? and what is FOTW exactly?

Pommy bastard said :

And the name of the program and the organisation teaching it was,… what was it again?

If it’s slipped your memeory (due to your inhaling too many nail varnish fumes,) then the name of your kid’s school would suffice.

I dont know the name of the “program”
but it was ACT Health and Macgregor Pre-school
will that do you?

Mulberry said :

Pommy bastard said :

Mulberry said :

Pommy bastard said :

Lazy I said :

I think there is some justification for concern. Syringes/needles in play areas are far too common (I was taught as a child that if we saw a syringe in the playground we were to report it to a teacher immediately),

And do you not think that that is the very information that Mullberry’s kid was given? Do you really think the people that teach these things, most of whom are qualified nurses, would have been emphasising throughout?

But they were NOT told about any dangers of needles/syringes whatsoever!! That being my point!

I’m calling bullshit on this. NO health care worker would be so dumb as to, and would dare risk their professional reputation and registration by NOT educating kids as to the risks these items may pose if found in the wild, during such a session.

Utter Bull Mulberry, utter bull.

Swaggie said :

To be told that “health care professionals” are the only people with opinions worth listening to just reduced me to helpless laughter.

I’d love to read that post, it would be hystercial, I can do with a hoot, who said it?

call bullshit on whatever you want OLD BASTARD or whoever you are… what the hell would you know.
Who made you gods gift.
Get off your high horse – seriousley, you are a nasty piece of work, not to just myself but to many others I have seen on here… your nothing special mate!

Are you going for the Mully and FOTW in the one day? Awesome!

And the name of the program and the organisation teaching it was,… what was it again?

If it’s slipped your memeory (due to your inhaling too many nail varnish fumes,) then the name of your kid’s school would suffice.

Pommy bastard said :

Mulberry said :

Pommy bastard said :

Lazy I said :

I think there is some justification for concern. Syringes/needles in play areas are far too common (I was taught as a child that if we saw a syringe in the playground we were to report it to a teacher immediately),

And do you not think that that is the very information that Mullberry’s kid was given? Do you really think the people that teach these things, most of whom are qualified nurses, would have been emphasising throughout?

But they were NOT told about any dangers of needles/syringes whatsoever!! That being my point!

I’m calling bullshit on this. NO health care worker would be so dumb as to, and would dare risk their professional reputation and registration by NOT educating kids as to the risks these items may pose if found in the wild, during such a session.

Utter Bull Mulberry, utter bull.

Swaggie said :

To be told that “health care professionals” are the only people with opinions worth listening to just reduced me to helpless laughter.

I’d love to read that post, it would be hystercial, I can do with a hoot, who said it?

call bullshit on whatever you want OLD BASTARD or whoever you are… what the hell would you know.
Who made you gods gift.
Get off your high horse – seriousley, you are a nasty piece of work, not to just myself but to many others I have seen on here… your nothing special mate!

Genie said :

Oh hang on you claim to have not known about this.. that the school didn’t advise you off a guest coming in to talk to your child.

Ever heard of those things called newsletters or just a letter that teachers stupidly (yes stupidly) hang out to the children and then you get handed them months later by said child ?!?

yes.. this is what I “claim”

Davo111 said :

Jim Jones said :

As one poster has pointed out, they’re nothing more than measuring cups.

Perhaps we should give condoms to 5 year olds disguised as plastic bags?

Good for you Davo. In our house we also use any of my out-of-date condoms (very rare as you can imagine) as dumpster bin-liners. I often store the out-of-season clothes n them as well, or use them as emergency raincoats. If I’m going away from a while, I use one as a car cover for my tiny weeny Morris Minor.

Davo111 said :

Jim Jones said :

As one poster has pointed out, they’re nothing more than measuring cups.

Perhaps we should give condoms to 5 year olds disguised as plastic bags?

Don’t know what point you’re trying to make – I’m sure it’s hilariously witty, though.

Regardless, there’s nothing dangerous or evil about condoms as you seem to insinuate. Plastic bags are actually far more dangerous for young children because of the potential danger of suffocation – anyone with children knows this and prevents their children from playing with plastic bags. Condoms are fine.

Oh hang on you claim to have not known about this.. that the school didn’t advise you off a guest coming in to talk to your child.

Ever heard of those things called newsletters or just a letter that teachers stupidly (yes stupidly) hang out to the children and then you get handed them months later by said child ?!?

PetrolAndChlorine said :

Deano said :

PetrolAndChlorine said :

Muberry, I Completely support you! I would be feeling the exact same way. I had to post this,

I can’t help but point out the irony of your user name in relation to this topic. A quick Google search returns:

What happens when you mix chlorine with petrol?

A chlorine solution in gasoline. It should be noted that this is an extremely bad thing to try, given that any improper use of chlorine will almost certainly result in someone dying.

and numerous other links to making bombs with chlorine and petrol.

Way to go.

PetrolAndChlorine said :

and I know i too will now be shunned,

Well… you did ask for it 🙂

Did it also show up a silverchair song hahahaha??

Either way your still a moron.

So wait…. lemme get this straight its NOT a needle !?

Easy way to clear this up.

Mulberry, what is the name of the program under which your kids were intrioduced to syringes?

As you have stated you are involved in every aspect of your kids education you should have no difficulty giving us the name of the program. The organisation teaching it would be a bonus.

Or could someone contact the DET and ask what syringe education is given to 4 yr olds?

Just a thought 🙂

colourful sydney racing identity said :

Op said “every person I have shown/spoken to outside the teaching community in this school is absolutely disgusted and outraged…”

RiotAct is clearly a different kettle of fish…

Clearly!!

OVERREACTION.

You are one of the reasons teachers, etc. Can’t do there jobs properly.

Op said “every person I have shown/spoken to outside the teaching community in this school is absolutely disgusted and outraged…”

RiotAct is clearly a different kettle of fish…

Mulberry said :

Pommy bastard said :

Lazy I said :

I think there is some justification for concern. Syringes/needles in play areas are far too common (I was taught as a child that if we saw a syringe in the playground we were to report it to a teacher immediately),

And do you not think that that is the very information that Mullberry’s kid was given? Do you really think the people that teach these things, most of whom are qualified nurses, would have been emphasising throughout?

But they were NOT told about any dangers of needles/syringes whatsoever!! That being my point!

I’m calling bullshit on this. NO health care worker would be so dumb as to, and would dare risk their professional reputation and registration by NOT educating kids as to the risks these items may pose if found in the wild, during such a session.

Utter Bull Mulberry, utter bull.

Swaggie said :

To be told that “health care professionals” are the only people with opinions worth listening to just reduced me to helpless laughter.

I’d love to read that post, it would be hystercial, I can do with a hoot, who said it?

Jim Jones said :

As one poster has pointed out, they’re nothing more than measuring cups.

Perhaps we should give condoms to 5 year olds disguised as plastic bags?

Mulberry said :

I’m all for opinions that differ to mine, but you all do it with such immaturity and nastieness… what about try acting like humans?!

Ahhh excuse me…everyone is acting like Humans. Debating / arguing / criticizing / degrading…it’s all human nature. You’re just annoyed because people aren’t agreeing with you. Take it to your local member.

Madman said :

Jim Jones said :

Anyone with children already has stacks of syringes around the house – they’re used to administer most oral medicine (everything from panadol and neurofen to antibiotics and worming fluid), and very commonly used as toys.

Accessible to be played with?
By your 4/5 year old…

Jim Jones said :

Everyone who has kids that I know of teaches their kids not to pick up rubbish in the park (or anywhere), regardless of what it is.

But giving them to take home and play with is reversing the precedents you have taught them and in turn will give the children a perception that they’re okay to touch because the same one the nurse gave them didn’t hurt them.

I don’t think it is reversing the precedents. For me this is more about teaching kids the skills to know the difference between something you can touch, eat or whatever and things you can’t – even when the things sort of look the same.

Most 4/5 year olds I know really like Chocolate, but still have enough of an idea to not pick up a half-eaten one they find on the ground and wolf it down.

Likewise dogs – my 2 year old knows not to go up to or touch strange dogs, even though there are plenty of dogs in our extended family who he is free to tackle, lick and chase.

And thus again we arrive at the fundamental distinction between needles and syringes.

“needles are pointy and sharp”, as my astute colleague pointed out earlier.

Madman said :

Jim Jones said :

Anyone with children already has stacks of syringes around the house – they’re used to administer most oral medicine (everything from panadol and neurofen to antibiotics and worming fluid), and very commonly used as toys.

Accessible to be played with?
By your 4/5 year old…

Jim Jones said :

Everyone who has kids that I know of teaches their kids not to pick up rubbish in the park (or anywhere), regardless of what it is.

But giving them to take home and play with is reversing the precedents you have taught them and in turn will give the children a perception that they’re okay to touch because the same one the nurse gave them didn’t hurt them.

Someone finally understands the point I was trying to make – thank you

Damn, I agree with the OP. Mostly… Ok, a bit anyway. I would freak if I saw my 5 or 6 year old playing with a syringe in the back of the car as I was driving. Once I heard it was part of an education program etc, I would be a whole lot calmer.

I’m in the Education System and realise that it is part of our job to teach some topics that parents really don’t want to. Yesterday I got to tell Year 4 boys all about ‘Personal Development’… what fun. Parents; You are able to speak to your own children about topics like syringes, road safety, sex and Personal Development (just not all in the same talk please). 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone!

justin heywood said :

A 4 year old is too young to appreciate the difference.

Apparently at least one adult is as well…. 😛

Madman said :

Jim Jones said :

Anyone with children already has stacks of syringes around the house – they’re used to administer most oral medicine (everything from panadol and neurofen to antibiotics and worming fluid), and very commonly used as toys.

Accessible to be played with?
By your 4/5 year old…

Jim Jones said :

Everyone who has kids that I know of teaches their kids not to pick up rubbish in the park (or anywhere), regardless of what it is.

But giving them to take home and play with is reversing the precedents you have taught them and in turn will give the children a perception that they’re okay to touch because the same one the nurse gave them didn’t hurt them.

There’s a difference between being given something to play with by an adult, and picking up rubbish. Children under 2 years of age can make that distinction without too much trouble. Can’t see why 4 year olds should have a problem with it.

And yes, there are a stack of people in this very thread stating that children play with syringes as watershooters – every parent I know does this. As one poster has pointed out, they’re nothing more than measuring cups.

Jim Jones said :

Anyone with children already has stacks of syringes around the house – they’re used to administer most oral medicine (everything from panadol and neurofen to antibiotics and worming fluid), and very commonly used as toys.

Accessible to be played with?
By your 4/5 year old…

Jim Jones said :

Everyone who has kids that I know of teaches their kids not to pick up rubbish in the park (or anywhere), regardless of what it is.

But giving them to take home and play with is reversing the precedents you have taught them and in turn will give the children a perception that they’re okay to touch because the same one the nurse gave them didn’t hurt them.

justin heywood said :

If syringes are handed out freely by an authority figure a child may get the impression they are harmless – but the syringes that child might find on the ground in a park are definitely not.

A 4 year old is too young to appreciate the difference.

Everyone who has kids that I know of teaches their kids not to pick up rubbish in the park (or anywhere), regardless of what it is.

rapunzel said :

Ok I’m gonna take a stab at giving you a good dose of my opinion.

These types of issues really get under my skin. The point is, we need a good injection of common sense into our school system, not just some band-aid solution. I don’t say any of this in vain.

So stop poking fun at the issues, and remember: nothing rhymes with orange.

punny.

Madman said :

I fully agree that the children should be educated on syringes, but there is no need to hand them to the children to take home…

Anyone with children already has stacks of syringes around the house – they’re used to administer most oral medicine (everything from panadol and neurofen to antibiotics and worming fluid), and very commonly used as toys.

Pommy bastard said :

Were you hoping to get on “60 minutes” or something?

Gee, give 60 minutes some credit, this is the type of crap Today Tonight/Current Affair would cover… 😉

I fully agree that the children should be educated on syringes, but there is no need to hand them to the children to take home…

If syringes are handed out freely by an authority figure a child may get the impression they are harmless – but the syringes that child might find on the ground in a park are definitely not.

A 4 year old is too young to appreciate the difference.

Ha Ha. This is awesome.

Anyone pointed out that it isn’t a needle yet?

It’s basically a measuring cup.

Or you could keep doing what you are doing:

EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD IS WRONG EXCEPT ME!

Perhaps you could start a cult

Mully award hey? oh well, why not!
This discussion is going NO-WHERE so I’m pretty much over trying to discuss it!one
Thanks everyone 🙂
Will be sure to talk to you all soon I’m sure!!!;)

fgzk said :

Davo when you see a syringe do you know the dangers it presents? Do you know how to check what risk it presents and safely dispose of it? Maybe we need a health professional to run the basics.

i know that if you get pricked you’re at risk of hepatitis or HIV, is that enough to be concerned? As far as safe disposal, you’re supposed to put them in the sharps containers (which have instructions on the side), with gloves, or preferably with a long handeled grabber.

http://www.usyd.edu.au/ohs/policies/ohs/sharps.shtml

there you go 🙂

Fortunately i have never come across needles at work.

Kids of age 4 are not going to stop and examine a syringe for a needle.

If they see one on the ground, they will probably just pick it up.

The question is, having seen one at daycare, will this make them more or less likely to play with a discarded syringe they find in the playground.

Deano said :

PetrolAndChlorine said :

Muberry, I Completely support you! I would be feeling the exact same way. I had to post this,

I can’t help but point out the irony of your user name in relation to this topic. A quick Google search returns:

What happens when you mix chlorine with petrol?

A chlorine solution in gasoline. It should be noted that this is an extremely bad thing to try, given that any improper use of chlorine will almost certainly result in someone dying.

and numerous other links to making bombs with chlorine and petrol.

Way to go.

PetrolAndChlorine said :

and I know i too will now be shunned,

Well… you did ask for it 🙂

Did it also show up a silverchair song hahahaha??

john87_no1 said :

I understand your shock and concern. But if you are the only person that complained, then maybe the promblem is your own. I do think that it is a little young to be taught about needle usage. Maybe needle safety lessons would have been more appropriate instead.

It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.
It’s not a needle.

etc. ad nauseum

I understand your shock and concern. But if you are the only person that complained, then maybe the promblem is your own. I do think that it is a little young to be taught about needle usage. Maybe needle safety lessons would have been more appropriate instead.

How cleaver Deano. Now you have the safe injecting method and a lot less carnage.

PetrolAndChlorine said :

Muberry, I Completely support you! I would be feeling the exact same way. I had to post this, and I know i too will now be shunned, but i couldnt sit here and watch you battle this lot alone. Somebody had to give you a hand. Obviousley this bunch couldnt care less if their children play with needles!

Fear not, you will not be shunned by me. In fact, I will actively try to educate you.

I will type this slowly so you can understand me; it is not a needle, needles are pointy and sharp.

It is a syringe.

Am I getting through to you? A syringe that is, very, very similar to the ones that come with neurofen, which are specifcally designed for, wait for it, children *shock horror*.

Jim Jones said :

rapunzel said :

Ok I’m gonna take a stab at giving you a good dose of my opinion.

These types of issues really get under my skin. The point is, we need a good injection of common sense into our school system, not just some band-aid solution. I don’t say any of this in vain.

So stop poking fun at the issues, and remember: nothing rhymes with orange.

forage, porridge

Actually, “syringe” isn’t a bad rhyme really.

rapunzel said :

Ok I’m gonna take a stab at giving you a good dose of my opinion.

These types of issues really get under my skin. The point is, we need a good injection of common sense into our school system, not just some band-aid solution. I don’t say any of this in vain.

So stop poking fun at the issues, and remember: nothing rhymes with orange.

forage, porridge

PetrolAndChlorine said :

Muberry, I Completely support you! I would be feeling the exact same way. I had to post this,

I can’t help but point out the irony of your user name in relation to this topic. A quick Google search returns:

What happens when you mix chlorine with petrol?

A chlorine solution in gasoline. It should be noted that this is an extremely bad thing to try, given that any improper use of chlorine will almost certainly result in someone dying.

and numerous other links to making bombs with chlorine and petrol.

Way to go.

PetrolAndChlorine said :

and I know i too will now be shunned,

Well… you did ask for it 🙂

fgzk said :

You will grow out of the purple nail phase.

one day maybe 🙂
but for now – why not!

Pommy bastard said :

I suspect we have a “Mully Cup” contender in the making here! 🙂

bag it up and post it 🙂

why do some of you imply that i am not involved in my childs schooling…
I am very involved in all aspects of all of my childrens education and for that matter every aspect of their lives! The parents were NOT told about this at all.

Criticise what I have said if you must, but dont criticise me as a person or a mother… would you do it to my face? Do you even know me?

So, can we clarify the item in question?

Did it have a proper metal needle in the end or was is a liquid plunger?

You will grow out of the purple nail phase.

I agree with #48 and #49. As a 5yo I was given a plastic syringe at school to use as a water pistol. That was fun. Problem was around the same time I also found a used hypodermic needle at the Farrer shops. As a normal 5 year old I picked it up and put it in my pocket and rode my bike home (with my parents who hadn’t seen me pick up the needle).. the pedalling motion meant that I jabbed myself a number of times before I got home. I showed mum what happened and when she saw the needle it all kicked off. I think I wouldn’t have as readily grabbed it had a syringe not been previously given to me as a toy.

Ok I’m gonna take a stab at giving you a good dose of my opinion.

These types of issues really get under my skin. The point is, we need a good injection of common sense into our school system, not just some band-aid solution. I don’t say any of this in vain.

So stop poking fun at the issues, and remember: nothing rhymes with orange.

I agree with Mulberry (not to the driving off the road panicing extent, but you get that) – that thing looks enough like the nasty dangerous type that you don’t want your kid picking up.

I used to work at a McDonalds store, and every once in a while you’d find a used sharpie in the kids play equipment. It happens. For some reason, playgrounds make for great places to shoot up. Go figure. Is it just that tunnel tubes make for a good hidey-hole or is it some kind of wish to get on a high in a jungle-gym and make like you’re a kid again. Who knows? I digress.

So I’d want the message conveyed at introduction – if there’s sharp stabby on the end, it’s not a toy. I get the scaffolding argument – introduction, then followed later by rules – but when there’s weeks in between one message and the next, you’ve got the opportunity for a problem. Yes yes, it a nanny state desire to have those gaps in life smoothed over, but when you’re protecting your own there’s a whole world of instinct pushing you in that direction. Go easy guys, the intention is good.

When I was a kid, I had a syringe to play with too – only it was the size of a baby’s arm – a big f***er that could hold a decent amount of water and shoot someone from the other side of the room. No way you could confuse it with the little stick-thin “bad” types. Bloody budget cuts eh?

PetrolAndChlorine – Thank you – but I’m really trying to shake the “young mum” sterotype!!
Obviousley not doing to well if its shining through!!

*correction* it should be “delegate all responsibility for an element of safety education”

Mulberry said :

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!!
This place is a joke!! Canberra communtiy forum my a##!!! More like Canberra’s lonely old losers who like to gang up and make a joke out of people!!
Good for you guys!!!

Agreed. It seems people in this forum are seldom sympathetic to anyone who shows emotion in a post about community matters. More often than not, its just a place to belittle personal beliefs, offer anonymous sarcasm and nit-pick over words instead of a sensible and polite discussion.

Mulberry said :

But they were NOT told about any dangers of needles/syringes whatsoever!! That being my point!

Fair enough.

What you had, then, was an opportunity to educate your kids, stepping in and rationally discuss the pros and cons of needles/syringes with your child, and asking them to tell an adult if they see one lying around, rather than waiting for someone else to do it. The child was not subjected to a dangerous item, but could be advised that dangerous items look similar and to be aware of it.

What you did was freak out and delegate all responsibility for safety education of your kids to the school.

If you really felt it was the school’s moral obligation to instruct the kid instead of you about the possible hazards of syringes (and bleach, and swimming, and run with sticks, and scissors, and glue, and glass, and cars, and dogs, and sharp corners, and strangers, and so on) then perhaps a calm request to instruct them about the dangers next time, rather than launching off on some tirade.

I’ve seen this before. The wild hysteria when other parents in my daughters class found out that they had learned about menstruation as part of a series of lessons focussing on how their bodies will change over their life-time.

I have memories if visiting the doctor for vaccinations as a very young child. Back then our family GP would give you the shot, remove the needle, give the syringe a quick rinse under the tap and present it to you as a souvenir of your visit to the doctors.

You can buy syringes like that, and the hypodermic ones, from most medical supply outlets – usually in bags of 100. They’re handy for a bunch of uses – not the least of which are squirting water at your kids.

oh no reason really, i would just hazard a guess that you are in your early 20’s and therefore still trying to feel your way around in the world (no offence intended) take it on the chin with these guys, your doing well! If i am correct in guessing your age, i will commend you in the concerns you have for your children – often younger parents can be a little naive or not care enough! I’d rather see a parent that cared too much, rather then one that doesnt care enough!!

I have two young sons. I admit I would probably be a little freaked out seeing this in my rear-view mirror.

Should I have had the same outrage as you that my child being provided with such an item I would take this as a sign that perhaps I wasn’t as involved in my child’s education as perhaps I should have been and, rather than berating the school for doing their job and educating my child, asked how I could be more involved in the curriculum.

However, I don’t have the same outrage as you. I don’t want my child to live in fear – especially irrational fear. I know that my child is far more likely to encounter a needle in the context in which they were intended such as getting his vaccinations, or giving blood, as opposed to finding a dirty needle on his walk to the shops. So rather than make him scared of all needles I would rather he trust that Doctors and nurses are not trying to hurt him – and generally this means him being exposed to members of the medical profession and the tools of their trade. It is my risk based approach to parenting.

I also believe such exposure gives my children the opportunity to become more compassionate by asking questions and learning that some people are not as lucky as they are with their health and that they need help to keep them well.

I would also see this as an opportunity to continue teaching my boys about not picking up stuff off the ground that doesn’t belong to them (be it needles, food or strangers handbags).

If I had a kid (which I don’t), I wouldn’t want him/her playing with this because:

1 It looks like a hypodermic needle (I know, it isn’t);
2 A 4 year old probably can’t tell the difference between a hypodermic needle and an oral syringe in the 3/4 of a second between seeing it lying on the ground and picking it up;
3 I wouldn’t want my 4 year old to risk infecting him/herself with HIV.

I wouldn’t want syringes banned, nor would I go off at the school, I would tell my little darling not to play with it. 4 year olds really aren’t that smart…

Maybe if he/she was older.

To be told that “health care professionals” are the only people with opinions worth listening to just reduced me to helpless laughter. The OP has a point (thankfully the syringe didn’t) and I’d back her in this case. If we had ‘health care professionals’ who would instigate a needle exchange programme that meant ‘exchange’ and not ‘hand out’ I’d have more respect for them.

So I guess no public servants are working today due to RiotAct shinanigans…

Looks like Mulberry might make the next Mully! : ]

ummm.. what does my age have to do with anything??? trust me… revealing this would only open a much larger can of worms!!

Davo when you see a syringe do you know the dangers it presents? Do you know how to check what risk it presents and safely dispose of it? Maybe we need a health professional to run the basics.

Mulberry, as I said earlier, i completely support your case for concern.. would you mind however if i asked your age/age group??

I actually agree with OP here, they shouldnt be given to kids as toys – sharp or not. When i see a siringe i’m immediatly at a “hightened alert” as they are dangerous. I dont think we should break down those “mental” barriers.

However, you shouldnt “swerve” off the road in the situation.

You might like to do some education yourself. How you react when your children get older and experiment in drugs will play a part in their future drug use. Better to tell the truth and not get caught up in emotion. Knowing the facts will help. Being hysterical and over reacting will only alienate and drive the issue underground. Then who is going to help them.

What’s the worst that could happen………they get a medical degree and use needles every day of their lives. How bad would that be.

Mulberry said :

But they were NOT told about any dangers of needles/syringes whatsoever!! That being my point!

DON’T PANIC.
THINK RATIONALLY.
LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SYRINGES AND NEEDLES. (Maybe ask your four year old, he learned this in school just the other day)
Just as motorcycles are not military tanks, syringes are not needles.

They were not taught about needles, because they were learning a lesson about syringes.
I mention scaffolding, because that is how your children were being taught.

Just as you didn’t suddenly wake up one day knowing every fact and life lesson and you acquired them gradually over time, you children were learning the same way.

This is how education works.

Source: I am a former education student.

PS: Don’t try and use “I’M A MOTHER, I HAVE BABIES” logic when arguing with an education system.
It doesn’t qualify you for anything other than the baby bonus, and the only thing it proves is that you were fertile.

Mulberry said :

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!!
This place is a joke!! Canberra communtiy forum my a##!!! More like Canberra’s lonely old losers who like to gang up and make a joke out of people!!
Good for you guys!!!

Maybe it was the way that you asked for help Mulberry. Flying off the handle, attacking people left right and centre and not getting the facts straight, certainly doesn’t help in persuading people to see your side of the argument.

What you have succeeded in achieving so far is teaching your children that all needles and syringes are bad and therefore must be used by “druggies”; and that nurses and teachers couldn’t possibly know what they are doing. Think rationally – lord knows the people who are assisting in you in your raising your children would appreciate the time off from the panic parenting model that you are currently subjecting them to.

Good luck to you in explaining the distinction between “good” and “bad” “needles” the next time you need to get vaccination shots, a blood sample or pretty much any other medical procedure that I could care to name.

Mulberry said :

I’m all for opinions that differ to mine

Umm … your posts so far indicate otherwise.

When presented with an absolutely overwhelming, unanimous response, you proceeded to spit the dummy and say that everyone except for yourself was wrong.

The bulk of people posting in this thread have children (varying amounts, of varying ages) and they have a wealth of parenting knowledge that – with respect – far outweighs your own (or my own).

To spit the dummy and ignore this is cutting off your nose to spite your face (actually, to spite your children’s faces).

Mulberry said :

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community…

Actually, the only thing you asked for help on was a) “What can I do?” and “What are your opinions???”.
What our response has been so far seems to be a) “Calm the hell down, change your method and think logically, instead of being the paranoid and overreactionary parent you’ve tried so far.” and b) “See a), we think you’re being a bit emotional.”

Maybe talk to someone in charge there who could fix\explain it or satisfy your burning rage?
If you’re unhappy with their suggestion, organise a proper face to face chat with that person.
See if you can work through it to get a happy solution.
If still not happy, take it higher.
Repeat as necessary.

Mulberry said :

What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!!

You asked for opinions.
Opinions are like arseholes.
We all have one, and they’re ugly.

Maybe you can go and start your own support group, “People who can’t tell a syringe from a needle”.
They meet at the same time as “People who can’t tell their arsehoe from their elbow”.
The meeting location is South Building, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra.

Pommy bastard said :

Lazy I said :

I think there is some justification for concern. Syringes/needles in play areas are far too common (I was taught as a child that if we saw a syringe in the playground we were to report it to a teacher immediately),

And do you not think that that is the very information that Mullberry’s kid was given? Do you really think the people that teach these things, most of whom are qualified nurses, would have been emphasising throughout?

But they were NOT told about any dangers of needles/syringes whatsoever!! That being my point!

I’m all for opinions that differ to mine, but you all do it with such immaturity and nastieness… what about try acting like humans?!

Lazy I said :

I think there is some justification for concern. Syringes/needles in play areas are far too common (I was taught as a child that if we saw a syringe in the playground we were to report it to a teacher immediately),

And do you not think that that is the very information that Mullberry’s kid was given? Do you really think the people that teach these things, most of whom are qualified nurses, would have been emphasising throughout?

Mulberry said :

maybe its just all you outspoken – over opinionated people that comment

vs

Mulberry said :

What are your opinions???

A few points:

1-There is no needle, so stop saying needle. It’s a plastic oral syringe.

2-You almost kill your kids -“without thinking I screamed and nearly swerved off the road into a tree” – and reduce your 4 year old to tears over said piece of plastic.

3-You don’t seem to be asking for help or assistance. You are looking for people to concur with you. Those who don’t are ‘one-sided’.

And you wonder why your reaction and post are treated with contempt by some.

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right?

People were helpful enough when you asked for recommendations for a motorbike mechanic.

It’s ok to be wrong sometimes you know.

Muberry, I Completely support you! I would be feeling the exact same way. I had to post this, and I know i too will now be shunned, but i couldnt sit here and watch you battle this lot alone. Somebody had to give you a hand. Obviousley this bunch couldnt care less if their children play with needles!

but i thought that there were people out there with half a brain

There are – you’ve just proved it.

As a mother I personally think this is wrong

As a father I have no issues with this. I, however, I have some reasoned points to back up my view – you, on the other hand, can’t tell the difference between a syringe and a needle, seem to think their primary (only?) use is injecting heorin, and when the massive weight of opinion is against you, degenerate to comments like:

This place is a joke!! Canberra communtiy forum my a##!!! More like Canberra’s lonely old losers who like to gang up and make a joke out of people!!

Really, you’re not doing your “I’m not some crazy person, but rather have a valid, rational concern” argument a whole lot of good here… It is worth noting, however, that yours is one of the very few posts on this site that has generated a near-unanimous agreement amongst us all. So, yeah, well done for that 🙂

Hell hath no fury like a mother wrong(ed).

Mulberry said :

1- My four year old cannot read “for oral use”
2- yes my nail polish is tacky,
3- the dangers of picking up needles was NOT discussed with the children until yesterday (2 weeks later)
4- and i too have given my child medicine through plungers, and this is nothing like any plunger I have ever seen.
5- I am far from one of “those” mothers,
6- I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.
7- And yes i have spoken to all of my children about the dangers of needles.
8- Is anyone in this forum ever able to help anyone?? all you ever do it give people crap!

1- It is not a goddamn needle. It is a syringe.
Stop panic parenting, show your children how to react rationally.

2- Agreed.

3- See earlier comment re: needle.
This is actually useful in terms of the process of education, formally called “scaffolding” or informally “lying to children for their education”.
IE: Tell them one thing early on, which helps them get the basics, then tell them another more advanced fact later on.
Make kids comfortable with the object, then tell them its not always great.
If they know some are ‘safe’ first and then later that others aren’t so safe and can do damage, they’ll be more aware of the thinsg that make them different.

There is a spectrum between between “good syringe” vs “bad syringe with dirty needle”, with “sterile syringe with a needle in it being held by doctors\nurses” being somewhere in between.
Your child is four, being a very formative time, so they’re opting for “Trust the adults and the health system” now, instead of starting with “EVERYBODY PANIC THERE’S A NEEDLE HOLDER” and having to point out later that its not the needle holder thats actually the problem.

4- Just because you havent seen it before, you’re afraid of it. See earlier comments re: panic parenting. Maybe you could realise that the example showed up in a school environment (ie: where children go to learn things), and trust that the community nurse and the schools know what they’re doing.

5- No, you really are one of ‘those’ parents.
That uncomfortable feeling you’re having is called cognitive dissonance.

6- It is not a needle.
See comment 1), and earlier comments re: panic parenting.

7- You’ve made the syringe vs needle half a dozen times so far, personally I suspect you’re confusing your four year old at the very least, maybe your eight year old.
They’re receiving the “EVERYBODY PANIC ITS A NEEDLE” message from the panic parent at home, and the “No need to panic, its just a syringe” message from multiple people at school.

8- Yes, RiotACT has helped many people.
Mostly people who accept their by posting here there ideas become open to criticism.
(That being the purpose of the Comment box)
People who accept or react well to criticism tend to well here.
You’re currently not winning friends, in that when we criticise yoru ideas, you’re rejecting it as “YOU’RE ALL WRONG I’M A MOTHER AND MY INTUITION AND FEELINGS TRUMP YOUR PETTY LOGIC AND REASONED THOUGHTS’.
PS: RiotACT commenters tend to become a frenzied bunch of attackers when we know there’s blood in the water.

breathe, mulberry. breathe…

I can fully understand that as a parent you would have been outraged but children do need to be educated about what syringes are – and of course the dangers of picking them up off the ground etc etc.

I would also expect that the preschool should have told you before the attendance by the nurse about what they were going to do so any concerns could have been raised before the event not after.

I think there is some justification for concern. Syringes/needles in play areas are far too common (I was taught as a child that if we saw a syringe in the playground we were to report it to a teacher immediately), do you really want a 4 year old picking one up in a playground and walking around with a hypodermic needle they find because they are familiar with it’s shape (yes I know the one handed out didn’t have a needle)? Granted they will likely do this out of curiosity unless told otherwise, but I can see why parents would be concerned.

Items of this nature really aren’t toys (needle or not) and handing them out to children to use as such sends the wrong message that they are great fun to play with.

Mulberry said :

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!!
This place is a joke!! Canberra communtiy forum my a##!!! More like Canberra’s lonely old losers who like to gang up and make a joke out of people!!
Good for you guys!!!

Awesome dummy spit!

Thanks for the entertainment.

BTW, it’s worth considering the fact that some people that you think ‘agree’ with you on this issue are just nodding their heads whilst looking for an exit.

Anyone who thinks that a plastic syringe is a danger to their child’s well-being is obviously mentally unhinged.

I think we can all agree that nurses and educational professionals are more likely to have “half a brain” than someone who freaks out at the sight of a plastic syringe and lives in a solipsistic state of denial.

god forbid anyone ever ask for “help” from a local community… ive seen many of you do this before to others who have asked for help or assistance in some way. What makes you all think you know better or know what’s right? As a mother I personally think this is wrong, and i am definately not the only one and I know that for a fact!!
This place is a joke!! Canberra communtiy forum my a##!!! More like Canberra’s lonely old losers who like to gang up and make a joke out of people!!
Good for you guys!!!

I suspect we have a “Mully Cup” contender in the making here! 🙂

Lets see help provided.
Fix your nails.
Educate your self about drug delivery methods.
Don’t freak out your children needlessly.
Don’t react to people in the car in such a way that it effects your control over a vehicle.
Syringe is a plunger and tube.
Hypodermic has a needle.
Education is a broad subject.
People and children inject life saving medication all the time.
Spoons are used to take illicit drugs.
Guns can kill.
Labels on medical equipment are there for a reason. A non issue is an issue that does not exist if you follow the clearly printed instructions.
If your four year old cant read he shouldn’t be hitting up drugs.

I would also talk to the principle about Orchy bottles.

Have I missed something. How much help do you need.

Mulberry said :

I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.
…
all you ever do it give people crap!

but the child wasn’t given a needle – just an apparatus similar to that which could be used in conjunction with a needle.

crap? we just give back what we are given…

Mulberry said :

well in response to all your one-sided replies….
My four year old cannot read “for oral use”
yes my nail polish is tacky,
the dangers of picking up needles was NOT discussed with the children until yesterday (2 weeks later)
and i too have given my child medicine through plungers, and this is nothing like any plunger I have ever seen.
I am far from one of “those” mothers,
I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.
And yes i have spoken to all of my children about the dangers of needles.
Is anyone in this forum ever able to help anyone?? all you ever do it give people crap!

And I have far more confidence in the nurses who are employed to teach these things to kids at school, than some hare-brained, ranting, bad driver, who cannot even apply nail varnish correctly, to give the correct story/education to kids.

Were you hoping to get on “60 minutes” or something?

Very Busy said :

….. and of 29 comments so far, not one in support of you. Yet the poll shows 41 voters saying “Should be kept away from kids” vs 68 votes for “Make great water toys”. I smell a rat!!!

Mulberry, do you have access to 41 computers because I’d doubt that you’ve got 41 friends.

hahahahaha
what relevance does my “friends” have with anything you nut!
but yes.. yes i have 41 computers ….
maybe its just all you outspoken – over opinionated people that comment, and the rest dont want to put up with the abuse!
me? well I should have expected it really… but i thought that there were people out there with half a brain

Mulberry said :

well in response to all your one-sided replies….
My four year old cannot read “for oral use”
yes my nail polish is tacky,
the dangers of picking up needles was NOT discussed with the children until yesterday (2 weeks later)
and i too have given my child medicine through plungers, and this is nothing like any plunger I have ever seen.
I am far from one of “those” mothers,
I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.
And yes i have spoken to all of my children about the dangers of needles.
Is anyone in this forum ever able to help anyone?? all you ever do it give people crap!

It is not a needle.

Mulberry take a look at http://www.myshopping.com.au/PT–185_Toys_Games_Doctor_Vet_Sets__fs_10521_e__

You’ll see that two of the doctor sets have syringes (toy ones I admit). If the toy manufacturers are making them then really what chance do you have of stopping schools bringing the real thing into the classroom.

The best you can do is to teach your 4yo to only ever accept these toys (as he sees them) from the school and not to pick them up off the ground.

Mulberry said :

well in response to all your one-sided replies….
My four year old cannot read “for oral use”
yes my nail polish is tacky,
the dangers of picking up needles was NOT discussed with the children until yesterday (2 weeks later)
and i too have given my child medicine through plungers, and this is nothing like any plunger I have ever seen.
I am far from one of “those” mothers,
I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.
And yes i have spoken to all of my children about the dangers of needles.
Is anyone in this forum ever able to help anyone?? all you ever do it give people crap!

So absolutely everyone who has commented is wrong, and you are the only one is right?

Don’t kid yourself, you are the very epitome of ‘one of “those” mothers’.

and i too have given my child medicine through plungers, and this is nothing like any plunger I have ever seen.

Odd, because it’s almost exactly like every syringe I’ve ever seen (well, except that it’s orange) – the one I give my bird medicine with, the one I give my child medicine with…which I should note is a different one to the bird one 🙂

I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.

Sorry, but any way you slice it, that isn’t a needle. It’s just not. And putting quotes around the word “needle” doesn’t change that fact…unless by “needle” you mean “not a needle”. Which would be a curious (and grammatically atrocious, and just plain wrong) use of language 🙂

Is anyone in this forum ever able to help anyone??

Not those who are clearly beyond help, no.

Deano said :

So let me get this straight. You are complaining that the preschool is teaching your kid about the proper use of needles instead of reinforcing your belief that they are only ever associated with drug addicts. Vaccinations must be a fun time for your family.

Believe it or not, just knowing about needles doesn’t automatically lead to a life of drug use. Over reactive parents on the other hand……

and I dont believe that my son will turn to a life of drugs, i am concerned if he see’s one in the playground he could pick it up and prick himself because he has now been taught that they are ok to play with!

it is nothing like the one’s that panadol and nurofen are administered from either!

….. and of 29 comments so far, not one in support of you. Yet the poll shows 41 voters saying “Should be kept away from kids” vs 68 votes for “Make great water toys”. I smell a rat!!!

Mulberry, do you have access to 41 computers because I’d doubt that you’ve got 41 friends.

Ernie said :

Wow. I completely agree with all the responses lady. I have 2 small children myself and like Screaming Banshee’s kids, they get their medicine through these and my 2.5 year old is fairly well educated on what it is used for already.

I think you need to broaden your mind a little Mulberry and educate yourself on what these syringes are used for. God forbid you should see a child self administer insulin.

+1!

well in response to all your one-sided replies….
My four year old cannot read “for oral use”
yes my nail polish is tacky,
the dangers of picking up needles was NOT discussed with the children until yesterday (2 weeks later)
and i too have given my child medicine through plungers, and this is nothing like any plunger I have ever seen.
I am far from one of “those” mothers,
I just dont appreciate that my four year old was given a “needle” which depicts this as a toy.
And yes i have spoken to all of my children about the dangers of needles.
Is anyone in this forum ever able to help anyone?? all you ever do it give people crap!

I dunno.

On the one hand it is good to familiarise kids with healthcare equipment, so they aren’t frightened of vaccinations or panadol.

On the other hand, who wants their kids to be familiar with drug paraphernalia?

Squirting water, how boring. Injecting ##### fliud into canisters filled with ######## much more fun.

screaming banshee said :

Post-lastly, lousy job on the nail-polish.

ROTFLMCO!!

I can understand your fright at seeing a syringe the hand of your 4 year old in the rear view mirror (potentially with a needle on it), but beware you haven’t become another victim of the all pervasive culture of fear that seems to be taking over our collective conscience.

I think its great schools teach kids about hospitals, syringes and all this wonderful stuff – even the slightly pointy bits that could be sharp or God help us risky.

For some fun reading on this have a look at http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

Hang on…you took this picture in your car? Please don’t tell me you took this after your near miss with a tree, with your kids screaming in the back. Your reaction was already hysterical enough to begin with, but the thought that you’d then take a photo of ‘the evidence’ then and there takes the cake. I can picture it now – “stop screaming kids, mummy needs to gather evidence for her little crusade”.

i’m impressed that the principle spoke to you – so, it works!

😉

Two things:
1) Going nuts rarely helps anything.
2) Think about talking to your kids, to tell them that if they see something that looks like this lying on the ground, don’t pick it up.

Ernie said :

I think you need to broaden your mind a little Mulberry and educate yourself on what these syringes are used for. God forbid you should see a child self administer insulin.

Or an epipen!

“Now I have been on a rampage with the pre-school/primary school for nearly two weeks with nearly everyone I have spoken to dismissing my concerns, yet every person I have shown/spoken to outside the teaching community in this school is absolutely disgusted and outraged… im not satisfied”

Oh god. I know parents like you.

If you’re going to act like this, you really shouldn’t have children.

Looking at how you’ve painted your nails in that photo, probably with a texta, how can you consider yourself a legitimate member of the fun police?

Wow. I completely agree with all the responses lady. I have 2 small children myself and like Screaming Banshee’s kids, they get their medicine through these and my 2.5 year old is fairly well educated on what it is used for already.

I think you need to broaden your mind a little Mulberry and educate yourself on what these syringes are used for. God forbid you should see a child self administer insulin.

You need a big shot of chillax … right in the veins.

You tide of opinion tends to swing against you the instant you hit that magical looney button (aka the caps lock).

So what kind of SUV is that you’re driving maam?

Admittedly, if I had kids and saw that one of them was holding what looked like a hypodermic syringe, I’d probably panic too. But if panic == swerve the wheel of your car, I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable driving on the same roads you do.

+1 to everyone else, it’s a syringe, not a hypodermic syringe. Do you have a cat or dog? You’ll need one if they ever need liquid medicine. I have one for when I got wisdom teeth out. Also had one when I needed to clean wax out of my ears. They’re also fun to play with.

As long as the school teaches the kids not to pick them up off the street, I don’t see what the problem is. Unless you’re against water guns too?

Most people have summed it up pretty well, but just to add my voice: get a grip and get some perspective. I feel sorry for the poor staff at the school who’ve had to put up with your ridiculous, ill-thought-out rage.

You know what else heroin users use? Spoons! This evil cutlery of junkies must be banned from all schools lest…er…whatever the hell you think the danger is with syringes also happens with spoons!

Chill out Mumzilla.

OMG, Mulberry. Thanks for brightening up my morning with your hilarious post. You’d better watch out that Chris Lilley (Summer Heights High) doesn’t start stalking you for new material.

A syringe without a needle is just a fun plastic water-squirting device to a child. My mum was a nurse and she used to bring home all kinds of syringes (without the needles of course) for us kids to play with – some of the bigger ones would hold a fair amount of water, and were ideal for sneaky water fights.

Don’t see the harm in it myself, as long as the children are taught to watch out for needles, and never to pick up syringes they may find outside.

My poor junkie kids got their medicine through these until they were old enough to use a little cup.

Just pause for a second and think about this, the school have held an education ‘event’ for lack of a better term which featured a common (modern) household medicine syringe, not some aids infested used junkie syringe.

By your own admission when you saw this in your rearview mirror and nearly swerved off the road and hit a tree. So first of all you nearly hit a tree. Second of all what do you think might have happened under such circumstances had it been a hypodermic syringe, chances are someone would have been jabbed.

Lastly, perhaps if you had taken the time to talk to your children prior to driving away you might have avoided the on-road incident. I personally have jumped to the conclusion that you pull up at the kerb wait for your children to climb into the car and drive off without even stopping the engine, even if school doesn’t finish for 15 minutes.

Post-lastly, lousy job on the nail-polish.

Deano said :

So let me get this straight. You are complaining that the preschool is teaching your kid about the proper use of needles instead of reinforcing your belief that they are only ever associated with drug addicts. Vaccinations must be a fun time for your family.

Believe it or not, just knowing about needles doesn’t automatically lead to a life of drug use. Over reactive parents on the other hand……

That’s a massive +1 to this and all the other replies!

I used to have syringes as a child which I used solely for squriting water – this is no different – as outlined above this one is clearly for oral use only and not “like the ones HEROIN users” use.

But I suppose the good thing is that you made your four year old cry.

Hooray for moral panic.

not the old medicine plungers but SYRINGES like the ones HEROIN users, use, to FOUR YEAR OLDS

Um, not to sound too harsh, but you’re not too great at this ‘observation’ thing.
Lets hope you haven’t scarred your children too much, or that they’re now having fun made of them at school for having the helicopter parents who destroyed everbody’s fun by having a paranoid overreaction.

A syringe is just a piston in a tube, used to push the contents of that tube out the hole at the end.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syringe

To be useful at any form of piercing, or under-skin medical usage, it requires a needle tip, such as this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luer
It then gets to be called an hypodermic needle, (because hypodermic is Greek for under-skin), and then used for under-skin injection of substances.

The syringe pictured above is not, as you believe, a hypodermic needle, nor is it indended to be.
It has “FOR ORAL USE ONLY” printed on it, because the hole in the end is too large to make a needle fit.

Your entire post boils down to:
“I was so BLINDED with FURIOUS MATERNAL RAGE that it needed to CAPITALISED when expressed in WRITTEN WORDS.
Even though I failed to notice the FOR ORAL USE ONLY printed (and clearly photographed) on the side, I am a mother, so I know that I HAVE RIGHTS and that MATERNAL INTUITION BEATS SCIENCE.
Also, EDUCATING CHILDREN is not something that should be trusted to QUALIFIED COMMUNITY NURSES and PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS.“

Classic example of the ‘cotton wool’ society in which we live nowadays…

Chill out, you are way too over protective, this is a non issue. I feel sorry for the nurse and teacher who have to deal with you, they have done nothing wrong, seriously.

Weather event in a receptacle used for India’s finest blends if you ask me. Whoopee do, a kid has a syringe used for squirting water. I don’t know if society has conditioned today’s mothers to be freak-out queens but years ago, when I used to bring home syringes and squirt anyone and everyone, my Mum would say “that’s nice dear, goa nd squirt your brother”. After five minutes the syringe would be dropped somewhere only to be found a month later for another five minute round of squirtiting until that too got tiresome.

What the OP has probably done by going off the rails is establish an irrational fear in her tot’s mind of syringes and anything that looks like them, as well as unconsciously adding to her tot’s innate psychological analysis profile that his Mum is a bit strange and irrational sometimes.

What can I do?

What are your opinions???

You should learn to be more involved in your child’s schooling, and find out what is being presented to the kids as part of their education, rather than react (badly) after the event.

So let me get this straight. You are complaining that the preschool is teaching your kid about the proper use of needles instead of reinforcing your belief that they are only ever associated with drug addicts. Vaccinations must be a fun time for your family.

Believe it or not, just knowing about needles doesn’t automatically lead to a life of drug use. Over reactive parents on the other hand……

Growling Ferret said :

You have never administered panadol, nurofen, or any sort of antibiotic to your child?

My kids know they are not toys, but something they should only touch if given to them my Mum or Dad – perhaps you should teaching and parenting, not carrying on like a pork chop…

+1 agreed Ferrit my learned friend.

Come on, even on your pic we can read clearly for oral use only. Most of my daughter medications (nurofen, antibiotics, …) are delivered using this type of syringe. I do understand, however, that you are pissed out because you quite naturaly freaked out in your car, but I do see little responsability from the school.
What about toy guns? Should they be forbidden too, as the actual thing is quite a bit more dangerous than syringe?

You shouldn’t worry till the play station goes missing.

You have never administered panadol, nurofen, or any sort of antibiotic to your child?

My kids know they are not toys, but something they should only touch if given to them my Mum or Dad – perhaps you should teaching and parenting, not carrying on like a pork chop…