Sorry, just needed to vent to fellow dreadies and submerge myself in a positive environment right now
General Talk
I know I am probably overreacting to all this, but there is just something about me that when it involves my child, I turn into the lioness protecting her cubs. Release the rage, Mandy!I just got home from picking my daughter up from daycare. I was asked to speak with the office manager because I had to sign an injury incident report. So ok, I went into the office. The injury was a bruise that was from nearly a week ago, that wasn't even serious. It was a bruise. That's it. Every child gets bruises, and lots of them. As a matter of fact, my child has gotten and gone to school with numerous bruises, many of which were MUCH worse than this one, though no incident report was ever filed on those. Well, I guess they decided to file one on this bruise, and a week after it happened to boot.Anyway, the office manager informed me that she was concerned as to why I hadn't taken her to the doctor for the bruise. I told her that my child is fine, that it's just a small bruise, and I'm not going to fork out several hundred dollars to have a doctor tell me the same thing. I also asked her why they were only filing a report on this bruise, when she has had many before as children do, and many much worse than this one. She said that she was concerned because my daughter had told the teacher that the bruise hurt her. At that point, I guess the teacher started questioning her as to how she got the bruise, multiple times from what I understand, and that all she said to the teachers was that she fell down and hurt herself.Well, apparently a kid falling down and hurting themselves is a cause for concern, a week after it happens. I told the manager that I understood her concern, but that I know my child better than anyone as I am her mother, and that I am sure she will be ok. It was at that point that the manager told me that if I don't take the child to the doctor, she would be forced to report me to child protective services.There are two things that upset me about this situation:1. The fact that the woman told me I have no choice to take my child to a doctor. This means that she is either implying that I am too incompetent to know when something is wrong with my child, or that I am abusing my child. Whether or not there is grounds for either of these scenarios (which there is none) it would upset ANY parent. And yes, I am quite upset.2. The fact that even though this bruise is apparently serious enough to threaten such a thing, yet they only confront me about it nearly a week after my child got the bruise. If this were a genuine abuse or neglect case, most children would be in a lot more trouble in as little as a week of waiting.Then things get complicated once we get home. Me and my fiancee live with his mother due to the combination of her poor health and our financial situation. Well, needless to say she is extremely conservative. Which wouldn't really be an issue, but in her case she tends to be the type of person who is extremely closed minded, to the point of ignorance and bigotry. I have been able to deal with it up until today, but because I was already on edge after what happened at the daycare, well, she just ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time.See, when we were telling his mom what happened, she was upset as well. Unfortunately she isn't the most eloquent of speakers. After all of this, she has the nerve to inform me that the reason why they are "picking on me" is because me and my child aren't "normal". That is, we are Caucasian females with dreadlocks, and I have tattoos and piercings. She said that she knew this was going to happen, it was just a matter of time, and that it's a sign from god that I need to cut my daughters dreads off so that she will be "normal" and socially accepted. We've had this conversation many times before, and quite a few of those conversations have led to rather emotional arguments. Just to give you an idea of her mindset, she uses the terms "dreamer" and "free spirit" as insults when she gets angry at me or doesn't agree with something I am doing.I realize that the daycare was out of line on their threats. That's why I was upset in the first place, though I don't believe it was because of the way we look at all. I actually have my speculations as to why they are threatening me but I won't speak of those here as it is a rather taboo subject.I don't know why it all upset me so bad today, I really don't. Usually I can handle it. For some reason though, the combination of someone threatening to take my child away and someone actually verbally insulting both my child and me, it just tipped the hat I guess. I am usually more passive than this.Anyway, I just needed to vent and hear some positive affirmations from like minded friends. I also think a hot sea salt bath is in order tonight.
updated by @mandy2: 02/14/15 03:52:10AM
Really, I can't stop smiling.Much love to all the dreadie families out there! We are all so very blessed.