Pet Peeve

One of my pet peeves is parents who really don't parent. I don't mean the every day things or even the little things. I mean...well, it'll be easier to cite my latest example.

We went on a preschool field trip yesterday to a working farm where the kids get to help do chores and play with little animals and what not. Milk a goat, you know, that kind of thing. We stuck with Volume's class because I like his teacher better and both boys have been in her class before. We'll call her Boot Camp (not because she's strict but because she gets the job done). So there is a little boy in Boot Camp's class who has his mother along on the trip as well (most parents of special needs kids had to come along). Now I have 2 special needs kids myself and this little boy was very high maintenance. But what his mother would do reminded me of the British police "Stop, or I'll say stop again" technique. It was SO bad that at one point, Boot Camp took over disciplining him...in his moms lap. She would not chase after him, he broke a chicken egg, she would just look on as he got into trouble with that "What am I supposed to do" type look. Now I understand out of control kids. I understand it takes a lot of energy to chase said kids. I also understand that it is a parent's responsibility to handle it. It just made me mad that with all the other kids that Boot Camp had to deal with, this mother who was there FOR HER KID was expecting her to take care of him as well.

On another note, another child in Volume's class who I believe is on the spectrum was acting a lot like Volume did our first trip there and her mother was handling it quite well I thought. Even when she FREAKED at the rabbit, the girl did not get away or cause even that much of a disturbance. She screamed and cried, but from the safety of her mothers arms where she should be.

Maybe its just me, but if I'm out with my children, knowing they are special needs puts me on edge more to watch them and be within arms reach should they do something inappropriate (like breaking an egg at a farm) to try and stop that. I believe Maven would agree with me, having had intrepid as a child and all that went with that. If the kid at the farm had run off once or twice and she just didn't catch him in time, it would be one thing....but the kid kept running off and she would just SIT THERE. I'm not one to like to judge but it did make me angry.

So thats my vent for today. I do, however, smile at the thought that mine are not teenagers...yet. (after spending time talking to Faerie last night on the issues at her house and offering her a haven to get away tonight should said issues still be going on) I also thank God that I have a supportive husband and that we both agree on parenting. And we thank Captain Huggy-face, my middle nephew, for his wondrous help at the farm yesterday too. Without him, I think we might of been in a bit of trouble. Then maybe someone else would be blogging about my kids ;)