Sadly, too many mums and dads abdicate their job of bringing up junior and expect others to do it for them, too readily blaming someone else when things go dreadfully wrong.

That is not to say there is no sympathy for such parents - some youngsters are a real handful and it takes tremendous patience and skill to keep them on the straight and narrow.

But what is unacceptable is the refusal of some parents to seek help. And that is why parents who turn to the Family Intervention Programme in Sheffield deserve to be congratulated.

There is no shame in admitting that you need help in dealing with the problems which modern society brings. And those who do so are behaving in exactly the kind of responsible manner we all hope youngsters will adopt as their own.

A service which is past its sell by date

THERE was a time when the decision to remove dozens of pay phones from the streets of Sheffield would have led to an outcry from the public over the loss of public services.

But we cannot help but feel that the loss of 25 pay phones is something the man and woman in the street will accept as a sign of changing times.

After all there is a telephone in almost every home these days while the vast majority of the public have mobile phones at their disposal.

Unlike the loss of some public facilities, we expect an acceptance of this as an advance in the way we live.

Soaking up Britain

CUTTING costs during the credit crunch does not necessarily mean doing without. For a survey shows that one in three people aren't going to give up their annual holiday, they will just take their break on home soil instead. That will mean the bank balance is a bit healthier. It may even leave a little left over to buy a heavy duty brollie!





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