Parenting Class

Earlier this week I saw one of the most ridiculous parenting stories ever and it spurred me into action to start yet another blog. Parenting is what I know (notice I didn't say "parenting is what I'm good at") and though I have a blog about New Orleans, I feel the need to dedicate a blog to parenting from this city. It is a unique enough experience to warrant another blog. So, here goes.

So often I find myself saying "only in New Orleans" while referring to extremely strange, cool and unusual happenings. Now the news story about the very juvenile delinquents I'm referring to is not unique to New Orleans. But Bay-bee, I don't recall seeing such a sad story any place else. So, through guilty by association, I'm going to call this one "only in New Orleans".

Here's the ridiculous skinny - mom leaves two six year olds and a three year old with a "cousin" while she goes to a parenting class for foster parents. She must have forgot to set some ground rules for the kids and the cousin cause those babies broke into someone else's place and stole two garage tools, a CandyLand game, some fudge and a pack of smokes. The police finally arrived to find the kids across the street playing. As they approached, one of the kids took out what looked like a weapon. It was a realistic-looking pellet gun.

I'm trying hard to reserve judgement but DAMN!! WTF kind of lessons are going on at home? Obviously the cousin isn't responsible enough to watch the kids. Obviously the kids are a little fuzzy on stealing and what's right and wrong. I get the fudge and the game but a hammer and a pack of smokes??? Were these intended to be presents?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there is a sort of thug mentality of "if I can get it, I can have it" that seems to be prevalent here. Should we leave things on our car seat that are attractive? NO. But, does it automatically mean its fair game for someone else? I'm not saying my kids have never taken anything that didn't belong to them. But not giving back a baseball is a little bit different than walking into someones home and taking whatever you fancy. Sorry, but it is.

Seems to me the whole family could use some more life skills classes. Classes on safety, sharing, on the law and oh yeah, boundaries. And the fact that this woman is a foster parent is a whole other post. Anyone want to chime in?