Where is the care in childcare?

I do not understand what is happening with childcare prices

Alongside the cost of living, I have never seen anything like this!

This is what we hear the parents say

And the Government are only too happy to send you our way

The small businesses and nurseries are in financial crisis

Yet the government just keeps upping the prices

They tell us its mandatory that pensions are put in place

Demanding that the business also pays in a ‘going rate’

There will be fines and penalties for all who fail to do this

This was solely introduced for the governments benefit

People are not earning enough to pay into a pension

So, the government comes along with other things they ‘forgot to mention’

They have declared the minimum wage will increase

Therefore, the nurseries have no choice but to raise fees

The cost-of-living increases with the bills and the wages

More is going out with minimal, incoming staggered payments

There is no more money coming into the business

Yet we are paying out hand over fist

We were unable to furlough our staff during the covid period, told to pay them until further instructed

We struggled through and watched other settings close following directions from a government they trusted

So instead of providing the required support

The government questions if childcare settings are even needed at all?

Whilst our staff are worth their weight in gold

They do their job for the love not for the fortune, truth be told

The settings have no choice but to increase their fees

To retain the well trained, highly qualified staff to meet the children’s needs

Meanwhile the government and councils wash their hands

I have questioned the council directly about the governments allocated money and their plans

The answers are always the same

The money has gone, allocated elsewhere, with always someone else to blame

The industry finds itself questioning its worth

As we have been forgotten, questioned and had our names dragged through the dirt

Whilst we have gone through all this disarray

Ofsted decides to visit and brings along judgement day

They usually come along and point out the obvious

We are lacking funding and support which then equals a lack of resources

For an inner-city nursery in a deprived area of town

Of course, there is wear and tear and signs of being run down

But the professionalism, management, conduct, and love are never lacking

The nursery will never be outstanding due to the lack of financial backing

They compare our independent setting to the upper class providers

And the finances are the only thing which clearly divides us

The Government has done all within its power to destroy our business

And we are grateful to the staff, parents and children who have stuck with us

Please do not think that our childcare is lacking in care

If the government subsidized the increases it insists we make we could be more fair

With no reassurances and support being provided

Our industry feels the brunt of how the funding is divided

we often question how long can we go on like this for?

How long before we join the other settings forced to close their doors?

 © L. Blair 

Investment

Hi, how are you? I hear you say

"Well actually I'm not ...." my words fade as you walk away

nobody asks the question with interest anymore

its a rhetorical question, offered no second thought

if we only stopped for a second and lived in the moment

we would understand the question and the importance

the flippancy of "You alright?"

is ingenuous and unbecoming to a persons plight

you could be the only contact and conversation they have all day

so consider that whilst you casually walk away

the next time you ask "You okay?" pause for a moment and wait

listen to the response and actually engage

© L. Blair

 

A gift of love

Pure, unconditional love is all I had to offer

I presented it in a perfectly wrapped box

I carefully placed a bow on the top

Addressed it to only you

I hand delivered it into your arms

I could see the delight as you opened it up

To find a piece of me that would only ever be yours

Yet you could never keep this gift safe

Over the years you were careless with my love

It has been dropped, broken, cracked and sometimes lost

The times you really cared for it was when you thought it was truly gone

You would search high and low until you obtained it again

But you never really understood what it was actually worth

The priceless possession that you had within the palm of your hands

Time has faded along with the sparkle of something new

I’ve observed your carelessness and your various games

I have seen you use it as a weapon and hold it to ransom

There have been moments you have revelled in knowing it belongs to you

Numerous occasions it has sat unprioritized in the corner with no use

I cannot take it back as when I gave it to you it was yours to keep

The only option I have is to walk away

I will not look back for you to see me weep

As I walk away I hear the gift crack and break

I leave it with you knowing it will never again be the same

It has lost its purity and the conditions have crept in

Although what is left will always belong to you

I can no longer be a witness to the mistreatment and misuse

What is left will eventually fade along with my tears

© L. Blair 

Rest In Eternal Peace Baby Boy

The tears fall from my ever-aching broken heart

As I hear the news of another soul who departs

Our Sons are being murdered on the streets

There is no justice, there is no peace

 

That’s my Son with the braids and baggy jeans

With the Jordan’s and the baggy tee

That’s my Son with the headphones and hoody

With the durag and cap, who calls me mommy

 

Prejudged on sight and forever a victim

We try our hardest to prepare and protect them

We give them the talk and make sure they know their rights

Being a black man is a lifelong fight

 

We send them out into the world and we hold our breath

Until they are safely back home we cannot rest

The institutions, the police, the government all play their domineering role

Only for our Son to be taken by one of our own

 

My heart bursts with tears as it ruptures and bleeds

Where did we fail? What did we not teach?

We could not keep you home and be with you all day

For you to grow and become a man we had to step away

 

Taking your life was not a choice for them to make

As parents I do not know how much more we can take

We never want to lose our son to these streets

But the lessons our Son is taught are not the same we all teach

 

The reality of the world is dismal and bleak

Children killing children are not words we should speak

Dying nameless, alone and with none of the comfort that only a parent can bring

Lives are being taken long before their calling

 

My heart breaks for you and for the eternal loss you feel

I wish you could wake up from your nightmare and for none of it to be real

Because when I see your baby and hear people report of ‘another one’

I comprehend the reality whereby that could be my Son

© L. Blair 

 

The game of life …..

 

Black lives matter! What do these three words mean to me

It means everything for as long as I live and breathe

It is within my blood, in the fibers of my being and in every heartbeat

In the way I move, the rhythm of my soul, the words that I speak

The nature of my existence intertwines with other souls

And my empathy is in overdrive as the world is out of control

The systems are broken and there is no sign of change ahead

People have been murdered in broad daylight and slaughtered in their bed

By the very people who swore an oath to protect all souls

The system supports their decisions on when to apply integrity and how to uphold

How long can you victimize a whole race?

Before we retaliate, demand to be acknowledged and request a place

A place to belong, a place of peace, a fair system in which to believe

Incarceration, murder, poverty, victimization, an endless list

Our souls rise every morning to face this injustice

Whilst all lives are acknowledged, black lives have not mattered

We are the souls that were ripped from homes

Tortured, beaten and sold

Souls with monetary value but a life with no worth

Who wonder what our purpose is as we remain incarcerated on this Earth

Seeking emancipation by any means year after year

The media turn it into something that it is not

And many will hope that the movement is quickly forgot

But if you took a moment to truly understand what it means

Question why the tortured victim screams

We have no power to make the change alone

We are vulnerable inside and outside of our home

There is no safe place for us to be

The choke hold doesn’t loosen nor does the knee

When an entire race pleads ‘I can’t breathe’

I have seen my ancestors swing from trees

Whilst others were beaten, broken, caged and bleed

And what has changed?

I look around and it remains the same

Hidden agenda’s within policy and procedure remain to ensure control

No compliance results in the loss of another soul

I question why? Why and how is it not a given

As much as it is for all else living

That souls have to declare that our lives matter

Because we live in a world of ignorance; if it doesn’t affect you then it’s not your issue

All lives matter; then accept that black lives matter too

Whatever that may mean to you, as some souls do not get to choose

In the game of life if you are born black you automatically lose

© L. Blair 

Let me school you

We offer up so much praise to the Teachers during this pandemic
when in reality they knew what they were getting into becoming an academic
Just as parents knew what they were getting into bringing a baby into this world
what they didn't know is that they would be expected to teach that little boy or girl
French, Geography, Maths, English, R.E, P.E, Music, Science and I.T
Let us not forget that this stuff went out of the window straight after GCSE's
I no longer teach my child as their knowledge has surpassed mine
my responsibilities are now feeding, clothing, shopping, budgeting and managing time
I am now the Nurse, Tooth Fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny, cleaner, the cook and most importantly Mom
the giver of life, the wonder woman of nature and the all divine to my little one
So to now be told I must ensure my child continues to learn at home
with at least two texts a day from school and once a week the teacher will also phone
Messages to "suggest" a routine for my child to keep
suggesting their up at 7:30am, learning until 4:30 and by 9:30 their asleep
First of all my child is no longer in your care after 3 o'clock
and if you keep texting me on Saturday's and Sunday's your number will get blocked
Realistically your suggesting I teach my child better than you actually do
along with all of the other responsibilities I have beyond home school
So I don't need your suggestions about what time they should be out of bed
these are not normal times let us not forget
My child attended their virtual class, on time at 8:45
with an expectation of being able to use a programme I have never used in my life
So imagine my confusion when the lesson ends after only half an hour has passed
partly because the teacher couldn't use it either and couldn't complete the tasks
And that was that until Wednesday and then Friday another 'class'
so for all of her expectations, I'll be interested to see how long they last
After issuing a schedule to me which states between 9:00 & 4:30, my child must be taught at home
even though they have a different teacher for every lesson at school, I must do this all alone
I also must work from home on the same computer you want my child to use
whilst I support their emotional and mental needs to make sense of everything they are going through
so whilst all of these articles are being written stating as a parent I only do a fraction of what the teachers do
I am every teacher rolled into one, I am also everything else too!
© L. Blair                                                                                             

COVID-19

A New World Order

Fist fights go viral as people scavenge for the last toilet roll
they give in to fear and their primal instincts take a hold
Stock piling and panic buying
a daily update of the number of people dying
Normality is no longer an option as the world is now consumed
with the government panicking people but not actually being clear on what to do
Theaters', restaurants, cinema's, pubs, clubs and schools close
as we all prepare for lock down and isolation, unsure of what the future may hold
Changes are happening around the world and there are other things on the news
reports under the radar of what other people are up to
Gun and ammunition sales soar amid panic buying in the U.S
while in the UK it's tissue, pasta, flour, rice and bread
Countries began to close their ports and planes were being grounded
whilst shows and concerts continued in the UK and the world watched dumbfounded
Until good ol' Boris finally puts his foot down and said 'that's it, your grounded!'
to protect the people from themselves as their actions were astounding
Supermarkets open one hour earlier for older shoppers to get their essentials
because respect, manners, and being civilised is now greed, selfish and credentials
Talks were held with the government to provide care packages for the elderly
more companies should take the initiative instead of raking up their prices hourly
Local shops inflating prices beyond all reasoning and practicality
a world of 'every man for themselves', while people and businesses suffer financially
Delays by the government to do what is right
a thought aside for the vulnerable, the elderly and the sick, I hear your plight
Society is too busy fighting each other and trying to preserve their own
as we venture into the dark of territory unknown
I feel heartbreak and disappointment in the things that I see
as people fight over material things that they don't even need
The homeless have been scooped up from their outdoor apartments
as despite the housing shortage the government now have a place for them
Airports are being prepared to house the bodies of those not yet even diagnosed
sending letters to inform the vulnerable that letters could find them exposed
The five second rule no longer applies when you drop something on the floor
As people are outside licking poles, toilet seats, shelves and car doors
We all know there's information that is being kept from us
as we are advised to keep our distance but stay in touch
Distracting daily updates; the devil is in the details, inclusive of a smokescreen
Stay home and get paid, isolate to stem the flow, yet they don't know what they mean
Lots of ideas but they have not yet devised a system to put those payments through
feed hungry people lies and it can taste like the truth
They appear to be figuring things out as they go along
from the very beginning their response time took too long
I don't believe that things will just go back to how they used to be
but time will tell, and they have bought themselves enough, so I guess we will see