You have all probably heard recently about the mother in California who threw her 3 boys into the San Francisco Bay, if not check check out the story. When I hear stories like this I get so mad, I cannot even at times put into words how this affects me. My first reaction is to find that mother and throw her into the Bay. I just don't understand how a mother can do that to her children. As mothers we are supposed to protect our children, not harm them. We are the ones they depend on for that, they trust us. They trust us to catch them when they fall, they trust that we will take care of all their needs, they trust that we will not let anyone harm them. So imagine what those kids must have thought as their mother, the one they trust, throws them over the edge.
Now, are there times when I am at my wits end with my kids and I feel like I could scream? Absolutely, but would I ever do anything to hurt them, NO WAY. In fact I get mad when I see other people hurt them and not just in a physical manner. I get mad when someone else hurts their feelings. There is just something inside of me that wants to protect them at all costs. Now I know that there will be times when I cannot protect them as they get older, but you better believe that for right now if you mess with my kids you mess with me.
So, I know there are some of you out there who will say but she was mentally ill, she did not really mean to do that. Well, let's talk about that for a minute. She very well may have been mentally ill, the article says that she was on medication for a mental illness, but she chose to go off of her medication because she was feeling "better". I just don't understand why people do that, don't you go on medication to feel better and feel more normal? If so, then why do people go off of them when they feel better. I have seen this happen with people I know and it drives me crazy. The article also says that she told her family that she was going to harm her children and they did not believe her. I just don't get it. Why would you not take that seriously, especially coming from someone who has a mental illness and is off of her meds. There were people in the family that went to the authorities and tried to tell them that she was not capable of being a mother and no one listened. Actually they may have listened, but they obviously did not hear.
These children were failed my so many people and it just makes me ANGRY. If you choose to have a child, BE a parent. What does that mean in my book? Protect them, do everything in your power to make sure that they are safe at all times. Know where they are and who they are with at all times. When your children are little this means if they are not with you then you better really KNOW and trust where they are. If someone else is watching them stop in unannounced, maybe even at times when you know it is the most chaotic. If they are old enough to tell you that they don't feel safe, believe them. It may be inconvenient for you, but it is not about you. If they are older, know their friends and know where they are at. I had a rule in my house growing up that my mom always had to know who I was with and where I was going and if plans changed she had to know. I have already decided that when our kids become teenagers there will be a sign posted on the door with the 5 "W's", who, what, where, why, when. Before they leave the house those questions will be answered and if I think they are not being totally honest you better believe I will be in my car checking up on them.
Daryl and I have already decided that our house will be a safe haven for our children, this will be a place where they will know they will be loved and protected no matter what the cost.
I beg you BE a PARENT, and not just to your own but to all the other children out there who need you. Not only will I protect my own, but I will also do all I can to protect those who have no one to protect them. Their lives are in our hands.
