**WARNING**
I'm mad and disgusted over something that happen last night. This is snowballing in to a big old rant... I need an outlet... this is that outlet.
I'm a parent now. Before I had Lyla I used to judge parents for things they would let their kids do and say "I would never....". You might think after having a child of your own that you judge other parents less. In some circumstances that is true. Like the poor mom with the screaming kid in the cart at the grocery store. I don't judge her anymore. She needs milk and doesn't have a babysitter, what else is she supposed to do? BUT in other circumstances, well I judge even more after having a child of my own. I judge and get downright angry at these parents.
When you make the choice to become a parent you are taking on the biggest responsibility of your life. Its a huge decision. And I understand that some pregnancies are not planned. But seriously, if you are going to have sex then its planned. If you don't think you want the responsibility of another human being, then keep it in your pants.
Let me give you all the story of what happen to us last night and then I can continue my rant...
Background: There are a lot of kids that live on our street. There is a wide range of ages. They all run up and down our street without much adult supervision. It seems to me the "older kids" (elementary age) are responsible for taking care of the "little kids" (Lyla's age and some younger). I am not ok with this. And I know that the day is going to come when Lyla wants to play with all the other kids in the neighborhood and I have to be THAT MOM who tells her no. And she isn't going to understand why and she is going to hate me for it. But she is my responsibility and that will be my decision.
A couple weeks ago I was driving down our street and the kids were all out playing. I stopped the car so the older kids could get out of the way. I start driving again (very slowly) and one of the little kids, honestly, she is a baby. I don't know how old she is, but I'm going to go with close to 2. She ran out in front of me from between two parked cars. I slammed on the brakes and barely missed her. Who comes to grab her? Her older sister while her mom is in another car with the window down screaming at her to get back on the sidewalk.
So last night Gary is at work and Lyla and I are eating dinner. I hear a noise, I thought it was the cat with one of her toys. Then my doorbell rings. I got outside and find out that one of the kids shattered my basement window with a rock. The kid is the older sister of the baby I almost hit with my car. She is 4 years old. I know because I asked the grandfather while he was boarding up my window for me. FOUR. YEARS. OLD. and she is running around the neighborhood without an adult. Are you kidding me? Her mom came down and is screaming at the poor little girl. You know what, am I mad at the girl for throwing a rock (probably one of my nice expensive landscape rocks I'm sure), no, I'm not. Want to know why... because she is FOUR YEARS OLD and nobody is teaching her right from wrong. Am I mad at her mother... YES! Absolutely yes.
I just don't understand the world that we live in and the lack of concern that all these parents have. I saw on the news this morning that a two year old was found in the middle of a main street because her dad was passed out drunk on the couch.
There are so many people out there that want to have children and can't. Then you have all these idiots that do have kids but don't want to take care of them. It makes no sense to me. None.
The most I can say for all of this is that Lyla learned a good lesson. She doesn't miss a thing. When she was in the bathtub last night she reenacted the evenings events with her little people and said how we do not throw rocks.... At least there was one positive!
