It is strange to see in London kids sporting stylish designer outfits while the parents accompanying them are wearing tracksuits. Then again, everyone in London seems to be the same "dressing age" these days - anything fgoes, no matter how old you are.
As someone with a small child constantly asking what skills the next generation will need, this appears to be a very good idea. After all, almost everything else we learn in school is little more than a Wikipedia search away.
Just under half of all children are missing out on a traditional bedtime story, a survey reveals.
It found a third of youngsters watch television before falling asleep instead of having their parents read to them.
Despite more than three-quarters of parents saying they thought bedtime was a good opportunity to bond with their children, just 43 per cent read to their offspring every day.
Only 43 per cent of parents read to their children every day
The poll also found younger parents were three times more likely to feel guilty about not reading to their children.
One in ten aged 16 to 24 admitted they have never read to their offspring, with 10 per cent saying they lacked the confidence to read out loud.
Others argued that they simply didn't have the time and instead relied on nursery or childcare workers to do the job for them.
The survey, which was commissioned to mark this week's National Family Week, also found a clear gender division in reading duties.
While 47 per cent of mothers read to their children every day, only a third of fathers did the same. Six per cent admitted they never get home from work in time to read to their children due to long office hours and the credit crunch.
Richard Bailey, of Capital Shopping Centres, which conducted the poll, said: 'We want to give parents the message that if you enjoy it, your children will, and this sets a great example for them.'
Viv Bird, of charity Booktrust, said: 'As the survey shows, it can be difficult to find the time in a busy day to share a book. We want parents to experience the fun of sharing books with their children; to find the experience relaxing rather than a chore.
'We're supporting National Family Week with our own website of useful tips, advice and "good reads" to help families find books to enjoy together.'
(An 1870 oil painting by Ford Madox Brown depicting Romeo and Juliet's famous balcony scene)
8 out of every 10 Britons are unable to recite a single verse of poetry.
18% of 18 to 24 year olds know any poems and only 42% of children study poetry at primary or secondary school.
72% admit they are too baffled and daunted by the language to even try reading it while 41% can not name a signle living poet.
Over 60s score significantly better.
This information is from a survey of 1,000 adults which was carried out to coincide with the airing of the BBC2 documentary "Off by Heart" which features the first national poetry recital competition for primary school children.
The Independent also wrote about this: "Bringing poetry back to the heart of Britain's rich cultural heritage"
The number of women giving birth over the age of 40 has more than doubled since 1997 and has risen by 5% from 2007 to 2008.
The latest breakdown from the Office of National Statistics shows that 12.6 women in every 1,000 have children after 40.
Could be due to greater equality - women in 20s and 30s pursuing careers or maybe even the high cost of living puts them off?!
The number of babies born in England and Wales reached its highest level in more than a quarter of a century last year. There were more than 700,000 births.
The birthrate has been pushed up fast in recent years by immigration. Last year nearly a quarter of all babies in England and Wales were born to mothers who were themselves born abroad.
Nine out of every 20 babies were born outside marraige and has risen from 37% in 2007 to 45% in 2008.
We are also dying less! Mortality rates in England and Wales fell to the lowest level ever recorded. Last year fewer than 7,000 men and 5,000 women in every million died - a rate that has fallen by 25% for men and 19% for women over the past decade.
(Figures released by the Office for National Statistics)
birth+ children+ death+ immigration+ marriage+ population | in britain+ society 
Parents are ignoring the threat of fines or even jail by taking their children on cut-price holidays during term time, a survey reveals today.
A quarter admit to having taken their children out of school already this year, with nearly a third considering doing so before the end of term.
Rising numbers are risking fines of up to £100 as the recession deepens and the plunging pound raises the cost of foreign travel, according to a poll of 4,022 families
Daily Mail Wednesday 13th 2009
Comment: this happens in our school all the time (although I don't think the parents get fined). The other day I heard someone say that they took their two boys out of school for the day because the youngest (not at school) was one years old and she had organised a family lunch. What sort of message is this sort of behaviour giving the children I wonder?!
