File under WHAT THE FUCK?!
So I took a little 3-year-old friend of mine to the playground today. It was gray and rainy and he was headed straight to Squirrelsville after being cooped up in the apartment all morning; in other words, it seemed like the perfect day to get absolutely soaking wet. So out we went. It wasn't raining hard, mostly just drizzle, but I'd gone ahead and dressed him for the elements: sweatshirt, rainslicker, rain boots, and an umbrella. He stomped in puddles and ran around in circles and generally had a grand old time being a little kid.
Which is when a worker from the Parks department marched up and threatened to call Child Protective Services on my ass.
I'm going to keep this brief so my blood pressure stays at a reasonable level: Out of the blue this woman stormed up and demanded to know why the kid was out in the rain. "Look at that child! He is SOAKING WET! I can't BELIEVE you are letting a child out in this weather! I could call Child Protective Services on you!"
It went on like that for awhile - her berating me for letting the kid out in the rain, me looking around, wondering who let this crazy woman in - but after her third threat to call CPS, I'd had enough. I would love to say that I took a deep breath, thanked her for her concern, and calmly stated my case. Instead I did what any slightly startled, thoroughly insulted caretaker would do.
I went full throttle bitch on the woman.
To make a loud (but un-profanity strewn! 3-year-old ears present!) story short, I made it quite clear what she could do with her concern. I then told, nay begged, her to place the call to CPS so I could have the satisfaction of listening to them laugh in her face over her claims of abuse. "Some crazy woman is letting a child play in the rain! IN THE SUMMER!"
I'm not going to lie, I've had roughly seven different arguments in my head with this woman. And in each one, she's just about as insane as she was in real life.
Which is when a worker from the Parks department marched up and threatened to call Child Protective Services on my ass.
I'm going to keep this brief so my blood pressure stays at a reasonable level: Out of the blue this woman stormed up and demanded to know why the kid was out in the rain. "Look at that child! He is SOAKING WET! I can't BELIEVE you are letting a child out in this weather! I could call Child Protective Services on you!"
It went on like that for awhile - her berating me for letting the kid out in the rain, me looking around, wondering who let this crazy woman in - but after her third threat to call CPS, I'd had enough. I would love to say that I took a deep breath, thanked her for her concern, and calmly stated my case. Instead I did what any slightly startled, thoroughly insulted caretaker would do.
I went full throttle bitch on the woman.
To make a loud (but un-profanity strewn! 3-year-old ears present!) story short, I made it quite clear what she could do with her concern. I then told, nay begged, her to place the call to CPS so I could have the satisfaction of listening to them laugh in her face over her claims of abuse. "Some crazy woman is letting a child play in the rain! IN THE SUMMER!"
I'm not going to lie, I've had roughly seven different arguments in my head with this woman. And in each one, she's just about as insane as she was in real life.
posted by Ali @ 9:21 PM
3 Comments:
Clearly insane. That does not even approach the edge of the realm of suspected abuse or neglect. My God, IF ONLY the families I work with would be so "cruel" to their children.
If that is the bar for abuse/neglect then someone had better call CPS on me because we have been known to let our children play outside in the rain WITHOUT benefit of rain gear in the summer.
Obviously she has zero experience with kids, or even more likely her own neglect issues to work out.
You were clearly in the right lady!
Don't big cities open fire hydrants up for kids when it's really hot? Would that crazy woman poke her nose into that situation? Some people just seem to have a need to butt in.
Awwww, you're going to be a great mother.
love ya even more,
Aunt Shermie
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