Bad parents or simply human?
Samantha and David Cameron
Parents debate over the British PM David Cameron’s mistake of forgetting his daughter behind at a pub.
Did the British PM David Cameron and his wife Samantha really display terrible parenting skills when they forgot their eight-year-old daughter, Nancy, in a pub after having a Sunday drink?
While they have been bearing the brunt of many jibes and snide remarks ever since this story broke, the Camerons will be glad to hear that they are not the only parents guilty of this crime.
Sociologist Shiv Vishwanathan says he knows of at least five colleagues who have been guilty of this. “I would only worry if they realised after two days that their daughter was missing,” jokes Vishwanathan who adds that one of his friends forgot his wife at Connaught Place in Delhi and many pals have left their wives behind at parties.
“Since the couple came in two cars and thought the child was with the other parent, it was a genuine mistake,” says Vishwanathan. The reason the Camerons are getting so much flak is because they are public figures.
Actor Ronit Roy too sympathises with the British PM as he says, “Things like this can happen to you and me too.”
When asked if he ever forgot his kids, Ronit answers, “I don’t even forget my mobile anywhere, so forgetting my child is out of question. We usually have security around. But still, my son is always with me and my daughter is always with my wife or vice-versa.”
TV actor Hiten Tejwani, who stars in Pavitra Rishta is like Ronit and says he is very careful with his kids, but unlike Ronit, Hiten thinks the PM behaved irresponsibly.
“My first reaction after reading the article was, ‘How could he?’ It is still okay if you have just reached the car and then realised that your child is not there with you. But realising it after reaching home is not acceptable.”
When asked about his parenting style, Hiten says, “We are very careful with our children. They are our first priority. Kids have the tendency to run around here and there, but we are constantly with them.”
While parents debate over the Camerons’ absentmindedness, TV actor Shweta Tiwari focuses on the silver lining and says people learn from experiences and this incident will make Nancy a responsible child who will now be more aware of her surroundings.
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