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Showing posts with label child care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child care. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

It Takes A Village

This morning we went to ride our big wheel motorcycle at Hermosa Valley Park with its large paved track.  The park's draw is a large grassy area with little to do if not riding or playing ball, frisbee, tag or old enough to get creative. It is by the beach and open access in all directions; no fence.

While there, I felt torn over who should be judged more harshly:  lame and negligent nannies communing and chatting on cell phones in remote shaded area or the parents who tolerate this.  Seriously.... sitting in a freaking circle off to the side, backs to the children in their care.  Some of the unwatched were bored, one hurt, and two playing  out of sight.  To be between the ages of 1 1/2 and 4 with no guidance, engagement, or supervision to me feels unfair, especially when someone is paid to do just that.

411 Alert:  If every time you need to address the kids(ages 4 and under) in your "care", it is essential to yell, that means you are too far from them.

My guess is that if you pay for someone else to neglect your children, you are likely no better than lame nanny, just financially superior.   Poor little  Paytons, Hudsons, Addisons, Thatchers, and Colemans.  I think your mothers would be shocked to find that you have been labeled poor for any reason at all.  Nothing wrong with having a nanny.   No excuse for having a brazenly neglectful one.

So today's question, compliments of PMS:  
Who sucks more?
The parents for leaving children in "care" of the openly disinterested and careless
OR
The women who accept money for and elude their responsibility suitably referred to as child caregiver


What stresses me equally about unattended children is not only the threat of their unsupervised and often rough styles of play. But, I feel I have only 2 choices.  Neither of which I like.  Watch the forgotten children to keep them safe along with my own or ignore them.  I know it takes a village.  But I can barely do enough for my own.  Do I really have to play and talk more with children that are not my own?  The world would be a better place if I did.  The world would also be a better place if I were less tired.