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[Mammoth Jones]

My main issue is that you judge others harshly for making judgements you disagree with, even when their judgements are statistically sound.

I remember very clearly a thread where a mother was charged with child endangerment because she let her kid play in a park unattended. You were basically in agreement with the charge and resulting arrest.

So if you want to have a discussion about how much you don't like what I posted two years ago please feel free to PM me instead of shitting up this thread with your petty grudges.

Gun owners that store their firearms properly aren't allowed to have opinions on these things? Christ that's obtuse.

How do you defend yourself if the gun is stuck in a safe?
Realistically if someone was going to do you harm they would smash your head in or shoot you long before you even thought about getting your gun.
Better yet they'd just grab your kid. Good game - job done what are you gonna do about it?

You're not a commando, to the best of my knowledge you have no meaningful training. You'd probably shit yourself more reliably that properly aim a firearm lol.

You act as if I think a gun is a magical talisman that will be 100% useful in every situation. I never made that claim. Don't debate a caricature. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. If you can't or won't accept that isn't much I can do.

Thankfully I don't need jusfity anything legal in my home to you. You do you. Whatever you do. Go do that and have at it. What goes on in my house is my business. Don't like it? Tough. Thems the breaks.

Need to be a commando to defend your home? Stop it, lol.

 

[KarneeKarnay]

It's not just the US. In the UK as a kid I would only be allowed on the street outside of my house. When I hit my teens I was allowed to go out anywhere as long as my parents knew where I was and I wasn't too far from home.

Even back then though, it was definatley a thought that crossed my mind that people are afraid of letting their kids outside.

This is much bigger now where the same area I grew up in, kids don't go anywhere without an adult. The fear of something happening, the fear of not being there. It really is a massive concern for parents these days.

 

[CornBurrito]

So if you want to have a discussion about how much you don't like what I posted two years ago please feel free to PM me instead of shitting up this thread with your petty grudges.

Gun owners that store their firearms properly aren't allowed to have opinions on these things? Christ that's obtuse.

Did I mention guns once?

I don't believe so.

You're a helicopter parent who would harshly judge any parent that gave their child a modicum amount of freedom outside if the child got injured. Despite us living in the safest time period ever. That's my issue with you. Not you having a gun or whatever.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Did I mention guns once?

I don't believe so.

You're a helicopter parent who would harshly judge any parent that gave their child a modicum amount of freedom outside if the child got injured. Despite us living in the safest time period ever. That's my issue with you. Not you having a gun or whatever.

Not a helicopter parent at all. But if your definition of helicopter parent is leaving very young kids unattended at a park then sure. That's not my definition.

You act like I'm saying "I gotta be hovering over junior with bandaids incase he gets a boo boo"

I'm saying it depends on age. And it depends on location. Sure if I lived in some super safe suburb I'd be OK with that compared to a park where dead kids have turned up. Recently.

"We live in the safest time ever!" Yea no shit. In aggregate. People will still adjust for their specific neighborhood.

 

[Leyasu]

I'm genuinely not sure if this is sarcasm or not. Do you think 9 year olds are too young to walk home by themselves? What are you afraid will happen.

Perhaps people think about the fucked up people that also share our world?

Just the other day in Manchester England, a teenage boy tried to rape an 8yr old in a park. We live in a fucked up world unfortunately.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

Perhaps people think about the fucked up people that also share our world?

Just the other day in Manchester England, a teenage boy tried to rape an 8yr old in a park. We live in a fucked up world unfortunately.

Teenage rapists who target children typically go after members of their own family, incidents like what you're describing are about as likely as that same eight year old getting struck by lightning.

Here's a pretty excellent, darkly humorous article on Stranger Danger:

http://reason.com/archives/2017/05/25/we-all-scream-for-the-ice-crea

Paul DiMarco has been selling ice cream in Poughkeepsie, New York, for two decades. He owns a fleet of trucks. When one mom confided to him, "You gotta be careful because there's a lot of pedophiles in this world," he recalls replying, "That attitude falls into the same category as 'All black people that drive Cadillacs are pimps.'

...

Fear of ice cream peddlers points to a larger problem few parents want to admit to: our collective mistrust of any man who chooses to work with kids. From male day care employees to school bus drivers to Cub Scout leaders, they're all potential predators until proven otherwise.

And they can't prove otherwise. How can you prove a negative?

...

Once you start insisting on government vetting, you're trusting a system that has made "sex offenders" out of teenagers in love, streakers, and public urinators. You're also buying into the mistaken belief that no one convicted of a sex crime can ever be rehabilitated—even though the actual recidivism rate is only around 5 percent. Most importantly, you're looking in exactly the wrong direction.

"It's so much more comfortable to fear the unknown, the stranger," says Sandy Rozek, spokeswoman for the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws. "But that doesn't fit the facts. Depending on the age of the child, between 90 and 99 percent of those who sexually molest children are the friend, the acquaintance, the family member." Not the ice cream guy.

 

[peteykirch]

Sounds like how the Police is ran as well.

Fear that every suspect will kill you, so you must kill them first.

 

[greepoman]

I still haven't seen any discussion on why exactly this is "ruining our children"? I mean the Boomer generation ran around free and they're doing a good job of running things into the ground now... are we so sure "helicopter parenting" might not be better?

Sure there are plenty of anecdotal stories, but as I said previously this has been a complaint for a long time and yet these kids are joining the workforce and productivity has never been higher.

While you have extreme cases... how about cases where sure you might be a little over protective but you end up spending more time bonding with your children? Maybe that's better than "free range" children who never see their parents?

 

[cuate]

if I was a parent I wouldn't be comfortable letting my kids unattended and alone. much less out by themselves. it's nothing to do with fear, just awareness and precaution. kids aren't exactly wise decision makers, and society isn't perfect, so you'll want to always be with them until they're old enough to take care of themselves.

 

[ColdPizza]

I disagree, not as a parent cause I'm not one, but as a educator. Too many times I see Parents being friends with their children. This leads to children not caring about consequences because they know they can get away with anything.

Now I'm not saying it needs to be a dictatorship at home but there needs to be a level of fear for the child to know not to test their parents. Cause once they know they won't get in trouble at home they think they won't get in trouble anywhere. They think they are invincible and that thinking is deadly.

As a minority that teaches minority I see deadly paths for some students. They don't respect authority because they don't respect their parents. You have parents coming in saying "I don't know what to do with him/her anymore" while your son/daughter is sitting there cursing you out. It starts at home, and when that home culture is a joke the child feeds that into every aspect in life.

I think this is spot on.

 

[PhantomThief]

if I was a parent I wouldn't be comfortable letting my kids unattended and alone. much less out by themselves. it's nothing to do with fear, just awareness and precaution. kids aren't exactly wise decision makers, and society isn't perfect, so you'll want to always be with them until they're old enough to take care of themselves.

But they have to learn from their own mistakes. Coddling them won't do your kids any favours.

 

[cuate]

But they have to learn from their own mistakes. Coddling them won't do your kids any favours.

i wouldn't say it's coddling. kids are vulnerable, they will always need the supervision of an adult guiding and teaching them, since they're naturally inexperienced and immature, that they can't rely on themselves to keep away from harm or mistakes, potentially fatal ones.
then there's the issue of insecurity, where it's not rare to hear of kidnappings, assaults, and shootouts, at least where I live

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

I am guilty of this. My parents let me walk to school at 7 with our 10 year old neighbor. I'm not going to lie, I would be apprehensive of my kids doing the same when they are 7.

Around the neighborhood, Black, White, and Latino kids are usually accompanied by either parents or a much older relative. The Hasidic and Chinese tend to allow their young kids to walk by themselves or in a group of similar young kids. I always have to do a double take when I see a group of young kids and the leader is like 8 lol.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

I disagree, not as a parent cause I'm not one, but as a educator. Too many times I see Parents being friends with their children. This leads to children not caring about consequences because they know they can get away with anything.

Now I'm not saying it needs to be a dictatorship at home but there needs to be a level of fear for the child to know not to test their parents. Cause once they know they won't get in trouble at home they think they won't get in trouble anywhere. They think they are invincible and that thinking is deadly.

As a minority that teaches minority I see deadly paths for some students. They don't respect authority because they don't respect their parents. You have parents coming in saying "I don't know what to do with him/her anymore" while your son/daughter is sitting there cursing you out. It starts at home, and when that home culture is a joke the child feeds that into every aspect in life.

You lose me at the notion that teaching respect for authority or imbuing our children with this notion is somehow important or vital. If anything, people in general should have less fear of and respect for authority. I've done my damnedest to foster that in my own children, and I do my best not to parent them from an authoritative standpoint (because I said so, lots of punishment, etc), but a rational one (we do this because X, Y, and Z, and actions have logical and reasonable consequences).

And they shouldn't test me? Of course they should test me. They should test everyone and question everything.

 

[Calamari41]

When I first moved to Switzerland I was an au pair for an affluent family for almost a year. I was in charge of two girls: 2 and 4 years old.

I would show up in the mornings before everyone had left for work/school. I had to help the kids get ready, and I remember on my first day getting the 2-year old all dressed and ready so we could walk with her sister to the kindergarten, which was a good 10 minute walk away.

When I came down with both of them, the mom was like "Why is (2-year-old) dressed to go out?"

Me: "We're gonna walk (4-year-old) to her kindergarten."

Mom: "Oh hahaha, that's not necessary! She meets the neighbour girl who's in her class, and they walk there together."

Me, flabbergasted: "Two 4-year olds walk to school... by themselves?"

Mom: "Well of course!"

It didn't take me long to put two and two together and figure out that this is the norm here. Kids here aren't just taught to be pretty self-sufficient from a very young age, but they are EXPECTED to be. I've even heard from some parents that if they walked or drove their kids to school that they would be seen as paranoid and overprotective by the teachers and other parents.

My guess is that a lot of American parents would just as easily allow their young children to walk to school alone if they lived in affluent Swiss towns.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

This topic sure does fit in well with our discussion: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1397937

Man is beaten up for trying to help toddler find her parents. Lucky the police ended up supporting him, that isn't always the case.

 

[Sunster]

Where is the evidence our kids (as a whole) are being ruined though? Helicopter parents are certainly not the majority in my experience.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

You lose me at the notion that teaching respect for authority or imbuing our children with this notion is somehow important or vital. If anything, people in general should have less fear of and respect for authority. I've done my damnedest to foster that in my own children, and I do my best not to parent them from an authoritative standpoint (because I said so, lots of punishment, etc), but a rational one (we do this because X, Y, and Z, and actions have logical and reasonable consequences).

And they shouldn't test me? Of course they should test me. They should test everyone and question everything.

Wait, in what sense do you mean to test you? In the sense of what they can get away with? What they are allowed to do?

 

[Leyasu]

Teenage rapists who target children typically go after members of their own family, incidents like what you're describing are about as likely as that same eight year old getting struck by lightning.

Here's a pretty excellent, darkly humorous article on Stranger Danger:

http://reason.com/archives/2017/05/25/we-all-scream-for-the-ice-crea

It was just an example off of the top of my head. I have young kids, and I hate letting them out of my sight

 

[acheron_xl]

My guess is that a lot of American parents would just as easily allow their young children to walk to school alone if they lived in affluent Swiss towns.

My guess is that you are wrong.

 

[Herne]

Can you fucking imagine letting a 9 year old little girl walk home by herself every day?

That's just one example of this boomer finding yet another reason to blame gen x and younger parents for fucking everything.

My sisters and I walked to and from school by ourselves from the ages of six and up, a journey which took us half an hour or more. So did everyone else's kids - the only parents who drove their kids were those who those who lived further away. When I started secondary school it took me an hour to get there but I would walk it by myself. We lived in s housing estate surrounded by other housing estates, with plenty of open fields and wild nature around us, and we would go anywhere we wanted and our parents might not have a clue where we'd gone for the day. My mother would send me off to the shop by myself from the age of seven or eight on a twenty minute journey. When we were a little older, we would join our cousins and head down into the woods, and sometimes the little ones from five onwards would join us.

This was 80's Ireland and we're much more aware of the potential dangers to kids nowadays, but I haven't seen that things have changed all that much here.

 

[Calamari41]

My guess is that you are wrong.

Well, there are plenty of middle class to affluent suburbs and urban areas with low crime rates in America where people let their kids walk to school. I grew up in one of them, and currently live in another. My kids will be walking alone as soon as they can be trusted not to jump into traffic. I've also lived in neighborhoods where I myself don't feel safe walking around alone, much less a four year old.

I don't know specifically which Swiss town the poster I was replying to lived in, but I'm guessing it sees quite a bit fewer muggings than my old stomping ground at West Adams in Los Angeles.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

Out of curiosity: Are there any places in the US where this isn't the norm?

Where people trust their community and encourage positive interactions over fearful seclusion?

 

[n64coder]

When I was growing up in the 70s/80s, it was very common for kids to ride/bike everywhere. But times were different because:

- there were more people home (mostly Moms) during the days. Now you have more families with both parents working

- there were less people/cars to worry about

- there wasn't as much of a safety culture
- no helmets for cyclists, skateboarders, etc.
- no requirement to wear seatbelts
- babies could be on your lap in the front seats
- kids could ride in the bed of a pickup truck or the back of a station wagon.

- with many kids walking to schools, parents walking with some of the kids, crossing
guards on corners, it was pretty safe.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

Pretty great clip from "Black-ish" that speaks to this issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJZU5plRhs

Of course, it doesn't go far enough. As a white male working in education, I'd still feel extremely tense and endangered trying to aid a lost child.

 

[Ninja Dom]

It's not just the US. In the UK as a kid I would only be allowed on the street outside of my house. When I hit my teens I was allowed to go out anywhere as long as my parents knew where I was and I wasn't too far from home.

Even back then though, it was definatley a thought that crossed my mind that people are afraid of letting their kids outside.

This is much bigger now where the same area I grew up in, kids don't go anywhere without an adult. The fear of something happening, the fear of not being there. It really is a massive concern for parents these days.

Do you think the threat has increased in that same area?

 

[hey_monkey]

I would trust my kids to play outside or walk up the block to the store or whatever because I have raised them to consider the situations. I mean, my daughter is only four, so she'd be more limited, but elder child, who is nine? Sure. Gas station is a block and a half away. His school is four blocks. No big. He knows what's safe and what isn't.

But I don't trust my neighbors not to get CPS on my ass for what I consider perfectly safe behavior. And that's the problem.

 

[bosseye]

You lose me at the notion that teaching respect for authority or imbuing our children with this notion is somehow important or vital. If anything, people in general should have less fear of and respect for authority. I've done my damnedest to foster that in my own children, and I do my best not to parent them from an authoritative standpoint (because I said so, lots of punishment, etc), but a rational one (we do this because X, Y, and Z, and actions have logical and reasonable consequences).

And they shouldn't test me? Of course they should test me. They should test everyone and question everything.

I completely agree with the stance on rational vs authoritative parenting. My kids don't need punishment as such, but when they do need to be nudged back into line it's vastly more productive to, as you say, give X, Y, Z reasons, logic, reason etc.

I don't necessarily agree with your standpoint on respect/fear for authority though. From my point of view, a healthy respect and even a touch of fear at my kids age (4 and 7) for authority figures (teachers, policemen etc) goes a long way towards reinforcing the sense of civilised societal structure. There are daily situations when they're expected to just do as they're told by someone in a position of authority, for valid reasons, for their own good, whatever; questioning authority because they've been taught not to do what 'authority' tells them without questioning it seems like a recipe for trouble.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

But I don't trust my neighbors not to get CPS on my ass for what I consider perfectly safe behavior. And that's the problem.

This is how insidious the issue has become. The media's fear mongering was ignored for too long, and now it's more than the occasional hovering soccer mom that we have to worry about.

Irrational fear for our kids has given police in safe neighborhoods a way to meet their quotas, given politicians an easy platform to run on, given the media a compelling issue to sensationalize and given busybodies and control freaks a way to impose their wills and values onto people who are different from them.

This fear has many dark benefits, and it's going to be difficult to erase it in a country where resistance can mean being branded a criminal.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

Just found out that a young colleague of mine who "mysteriously disappeared" during the last school year left the district because a couple of parents felt he was getting too close with the kids.

Although I couldn't get the specifics, one of the administrative assistants who knows him very well said that whatever he did involved physical contact that didn't violate the school's policy, the law or NYS child abuse guidelines (no touching on the bathing suit area). The school apparently felt uncomfortable with him having any physical contact with kids, even though it was decisively non-sexual in nature, which is insane to me because I see female teachers having such contact with kids constantly and there's zero scrutiny placed on them.

I'd seen this guy work here for about a year, he was really beloved by the kids and the staff, and now I'm hearing that this person who contributed nothing but positivity to our environment is leaving the profession and (according to that friend of his) has been borderline suicidal for the past few months.

I'm furious. I've emailed him to share my support, but I'm totally disgusted that he was put through all of this when he didn't break a single rule, just because a few close-minded parents decided to ruin his career.

This shit has got to stop. I'm going to have a hard time being friendly to my administrators this year.

 

[old]

The most astounding thing in the OP was that the kids play in the waters and channels.

Must be nice to have the environmental protections to keep those things clean so you can enjoy them.

All of our local waters are filled with sewage and industrial waste. Nobody swims in them.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

American society in general is governed by fear.

Pretty much. People are so afraid of getting sued or judged poorly that they stop doing the right thing. The sad thing is that you can't even really blame them.

It's hard to worry about other peoples problems when you have to worry if helping them is going to result in them making problems for you.

 

[Earthbound64]

Just found out that a young colleague of mine who "mysteriously disappeared" during the last school year left the district because a couple of parents felt he was getting too close with the kids.

Although I couldn't get the specifics, one of the administrative assistants who knows him very well said that whatever he did involved physical contact that didn't violate the school's policy, the law or NYS child abuse guidelines (no touching on the bathing suit area). The school apparently felt uncomfortable with him having any physical contact with kids, even though it was decisively non-sexual in nature, which is insane to me because I see female teachers having such contact with kids constantly and there's zero scrutiny placed on them.

I'd seen this guy work here for about a year, he was really beloved by the kids and the staff, and now I'm hearing that this person who contributed nothing but positivity to our environment is leaving the profession and (according to that friend of his) has been borderline suicidal for the past few months.

I'm furious. I've emailed him to share my support, but I'm totally disgusted that he was put through all of this when he didn't break a single rule, just because a few close-minded parents decided to ruin his career.

This shit has got to stop. I'm going to have a hard time being friendly to my administrators this year.

A similar thing happened to me when I was helping out at a preschool when I was in high school back in the late 1990s.
I should have taken that as a sign to abandon any hopes of working in the field back then.

 

[MogCakes]

In Oregon it's considered Neglect if your kid is 11 or under. I believe similar laws exist elsewhere. There's several of these types of stories, here's a case of supposed neglect where a 10yrold and 6yrold walked home w/o their parents.

I do believe helicoptering is excessive these days but the law sure doesn't help to strike a compromise.

I used to ride my bike home alone from school. Today there is no way that would be safe unfortunately.

 

[Pizza]

my parents were beyond involved with literally every facet of everything I did in my life. I literally could never escape them ever.

But on the other side, I went outside and did things. Even if I had to lie to get out with the looming threat of "all our friends live in this neighborhood and they'll tell us if they see you" I'd just go out and do shit, saying I was somewhere else.

But in retrospect I never really ran into anyone outside the house. Urban sprawl is so bad that I was pretty much limited to my neighborhood which sucks

My parents irritated me so bad that I never want to reproduce, especially since helicoptering around here is becoming the expectation

 

[Lunaray]

Didn't grow up in America, but until I was 13, my parents wouldn't let me leave the house unaccompanied because they were paranoid about kidnappings. I went to an elementary school that was just 10 minutes away by walking distance and I still needed to be accompanied there and back every school day. I also had to tell them where I was going to be all the time.

In hindsight, that was some pretty extreme helicopter parenting.

 

[gutter_trash]

it's not exclusive to Americans,
Canadians have gotten more fearful too despite crime rates being at an all time historic low.

 

[Yoritomo]

Solution is pretty simple. When you have your own kids do it differently.

Best results from parenting come from being warm and encouraging, having high expectations, and encouraging and facilitating independence.

Yes other parents are harming their children. Just raise your own children differently.

 

[1044]

Solution is pretty simple. When you have your own kids do it differently.

Best results from parenting come from being warm and encouraging, having high expectations, and encouraging and facilitating independence.

Yes other parents are harming their children. Just raise your own children differently.

Hard to raise your kids differently when they are taken away from you for 'neglect'.

 

[kiunchbb]

It is not just a issue of parent, sex sells, but fears sells even better. People have less children so parent can now spend more per child than ever before.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

A similar thing happened to me when I was helping out at a preschool when I was in high school back in the late 1990s.
I should have taken that as a sign to abandon any hopes of working in the field back then.

Sorry to hear that, it's so absurd. Like, what did the school have to lose by defending him? He did nothing wrong.

I deal with parents like this all the time as a counselor, they're looking to crucify people on a daily basis for any minor thing they disapprove of. All my principal had to do was say "I won't tell you that you can't be upset, but our employee didn't break any rules" and he'd still be around. Instead, we keep giving these judgmental loonies more and more power because throwing employees under the bus is the fastest and easiest solution.

 

[Yoritomo]

Hard to raise your kids differently when they are taken away from you for 'neglect'.

I'd rather have a couple interactions with CPS than raise a socially crippled dependent kid. Unless CPS is corrupt they'll investigate the situation in the home before taking any action.

 

[Preezy]

My daughter is only 2 so I don't have to be a helicopter parent yet, but as she gets older I'm going to get kitted out with a flightsuit and helment and have the Airworlf theme playing in the background 24/7.

 

[Gravy Boat]

I used to ride my bike home alone from school. Today there is no way that would be safe unfortunately.

Is it really any less safe today compared to when you were a kid? I feel like people are just more scared these days. I blame the internet.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Just found out that a young colleague of mine who "mysteriously disappeared" during the last school year left the district because a couple of parents felt he was getting too close with the kids.

Although I couldn't get the specifics, one of the administrative assistants who knows him very well said that whatever he did involved physical contact that didn't violate the school's policy, the law or NYS child abuse guidelines (no touching on the bathing suit area). The school apparently felt uncomfortable with him having any physical contact with kids, even though it was decisively non-sexual in nature, which is insane to me because I see female teachers having such contact with kids constantly and there's zero scrutiny placed on them.

I'd seen this guy work here for about a year, he was really beloved by the kids and the staff, and now I'm hearing that this person who contributed nothing but positivity to our environment is leaving the profession and (according to that friend of his) has been borderline suicidal for the past few months.

I'm furious. I've emailed him to share my support, but I'm totally disgusted that he was put through all of this when he didn't break a single rule, just because a few close-minded parents decided to ruin his career.

This shit has got to stop. I'm going to have a hard time being friendly to my administrators this year.

Pretty much why I gave up on my dream of being a kindergarten teacher. Can't be a dude around kids like that and have it not be suspicious to folks. My mom was a kindergarten teacher she still talks fondly of her time helping kids. But I can't do the same. It is what it is.

 

[Earthbound64]

Pretty much why I gave up on my dream of being a kindergarten teacher. Can't be a dude around kids like that and have it not be suspicious to folks. My mom was a kindergarten teacher she still talks fondly of her time helping kids. But I can't do the same. It is what it is.

Feels bad, man.

Grandmother taught kindergarten, mother taught middle school and elementary art, sister teaches middle school and elementary art, and then there's me... elementary school teacher for hire, if anyone wants me.

 

[Yoritomo]

Is it really any less safe today compared to when you were a kid? I feel like people are just more scared these days. I blame the internet.

Probably more safe.

No one had a helmet when I was young and everyone was biking to school in the 80s. Now it's not hard to enforce a helmet rule. The rest of the dangers are dependent on location I'd imagine. But all my kids walk to school regularly and all are under 11.They also hang with friends at the local park. Regularly ride bikes to a local corner store to spend a bit of report card or allowance money on candy, while hanging out with friends. We send them to Kroger to pick up little items we've forgotten for the evening's meal.

They love it. They love being treated as competent. Yes they make mistakes, and there are always lessons on safety and planning. But when I ask them to tell me all their favorite times with friends they have all been during times of independence. Building a fort by a greenbelt/creek that's a 5 minute bike ride from the house. Letting them loose in the mall with instructions to meet at a certain time and place.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

I'd rather have a couple interactions with CPS than raise a socially crippled dependent kid. Unless CPS is corrupt they'll investigate the situation in the home before taking any action.

You have way to much faith in CPS. Way way way to much.

 

[commedieu]

You have way to much faith in CPS. Way way way to much.

Hmm.. looked at me a little funny...


K. Kids are now wards of the state.

 

[Karsticles]

Sorry to hear that, it's so absurd. Like, what did the school have to lose by defending him? He did nothing wrong.

I deal with parents like this all the time as a counselor, they're looking to crucify people on a daily basis for any minor thing they disapprove of. All my principal had to do was say "I won't tell you that you can't be upset, but our employee didn't break any rules" and he'd still be around. Instead, we keep giving these judgmental loonies more and more power because throwing employees under the bus is the fastest and easiest solution.

Parents are the worst part about teaching. Bad administrators are the second.