Judgmental parents

@sissy15 (12269)
United States
February 8, 2017 11:09pm CST
I've been hearing all about how Jamie Lynn Spears daughter got into an ATV accident, and it reminded me of something that happened when I was a kid. When I was younger and on summer break I remember there were sirens and lights that we could hear and see in the distance, maybe about a mile out of town. We later learned that an accident happened down the road. These two kids that went to my elementary school had taken their ATV without their parents knowing, and they managed to drive it into a ditch and the ATV flipped on top of them trapping them. The little boy was sent to the hospital in critical condition, but he survived, he came back to school with both of his arms in casts, he used to be so outgoing and he turned into a quiet kid after that. His little sister died in the accident, they said she died instantly. Our school grieved. We went to a small elementary school in a small town where everybody knew everyone. It was difficult for us. We ended up putting a bench outside of the school and made a little memorial for her, and the little girl got a page dedicated to her in the yearbook. All of the kids in her class shared their memories of her. It was tough, because I was in the 5th grade that year, and her brother was a year behind me. It was sad, they were just kids, and he had to feel guilty because he was the one driving. I still feel for that family. Anyway I keep thinking, if that was now, everyone would be shaming the parents about how they should have been watching the kids better. The truth is accidents happen. You don't expect your kids to do the things they do, but accidents happen. They happen all the time, and for no real reason. Everyone wants someone to blame, and sometimes there is no one to blame. The parents are already suffering the worst pain imaginable, so why sit and place blame on top of it? I don't get it. It's horrible, but why not see it as a tragic accident, and learn something from it. I hate how parents tear each other apart anymore, they all forget how easy it is for something bad to happen. It just takes the blink of an eye. We all make mistakes, and there's so much that can happen. I do the best I can for my child, but bad things do happen. My son got into aspirin once, I got up to use the bathroom and I didn't know my mom's friend had some in her purse that she left on the back of the dining room chair. It took about 2 minutes for him to get into it. I do my best to keep anything that can harm my child out of reach, I've always done my best, but my son found ways to get things he shouldn't have. He would climb, or find ways to open things I didn't think he'd know how to. As parents we do our best, and that's all we can do. Everyone has to use the bathroom or the kid can get out of bed while you're sleeping, things happen and it's so easy to place blame, but ultimately you can't stop it. No matter how much you'd like to. I freak out everyday over the thought of all of the things that could happen to my child, and I pray that he stays safe and healthy. I do what I can to insure his safety, but I'm not perfect, no one is. We are all just trying to do our best. There's a huge difference between a kid being a kid and a parent injecting their kid with drugs, or getting so drugged out their kid gets into something. I guess it bothers me how judgmental some people are. It's like they forget how quick and sneaky kids can be. I won't fault a parent unless they are actually abusing their child or neglecting their child. Some parents don't know how harmful some things are. People scream idiot and place blame like those parents aren't already paying the ultimate price. It annoys me. Every parent thinks they can do better, but we all make mistakes and anyone who thinks they're perfect are clearly fooling themselves.
2 people like this
1 response
@celticeagle (159105)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Feb 17
Kids do the darndest things. Yes, we all do make mistakes. Too bad this mistake took a life.