Parenting and poo-tinted specs

11:10am Wednesday 25th June 2008

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By Caramel Quin »

Before becoming parents, my husband and I would chuckle at the way friends’ opinions of Walthamstow changed overnight the very moment they reproduced.

Suddenly they saw the negative in everything. Before, they’d have said Walthamstow Market was vibrant and diverse, and packed with great cheap fruit and veg. After, it was a filthy mugger’s paradise, full of hoodies and serving up rotting produce of dubious origin that would never pass young Timmy’s lips. We called it “wearing poo-tinted specs” (only we used a less family-friendly word – remember, we weren’t parents at the time). Like rose-tinted specs only, well, poo coloured.
And while I can’t say that we now wear poo-tinted specs –our little one happily munches market veg and some of my best friends are hoodies – it is true that parenting changes your perspective. At home, my ten-month-old is free range and scoffs grass faster than a Flymo. Today we sat on the Town Square Gardens and I constantly had to stop her eating cigarette butts and other litter. Loud car hi-fis late at night, random fireworks and potholed pavements all get my back up too. And don’t get me started on spitting in the street.

All of which highlights the fact that we all have different problems and different needs… that aren’t being catered to. I first realised this when our residents’ association was campaigning about the original Arcade redevelopment plans. Elderly neighbours told us how important it was that they had a Post Office round the corner. So I understand why residents are campaigning to save their local Post Offices and libraries. It doesn’t matter if there’s a really good one two miles down the road – two miles is a really long way if you use a walking stick or have a toddler. And potholed pavements are a pain with a pushchair, but they must be awful if you’re a wheelchair user.

Most politicians – national and local – are middle-aged, able-bodied men. They don’t know what it’s like to push a pushchair all day, or use a wheelchair or pension book. Which is why we have so many potholes in our pavements and ever fewer Post Offices. Isn’t it time the politicians tried walking in each of our different shoes for a day? Or better still, let’s find politicians who are a lot more like us…