Obviously with Mammy2 being sick, she wasn't in any shape to tackle the brat. I told her to leave it with me. I was going to reef her out of it for this epsiode. She was getting too used to forging the notes. And the thing is she's better at writing notes then me. She's very flowery with her language.
An average note would read as follows
"____ is unable to attend the rest of her classes due to being very ill. Please excuse her from school. Rest assured she will continue her studies at home"
or something to that affect. Because I talk like that? Rest assured. Her english is to be admired, even if she is forging notes.
As it turns out, D finished on a half day, and this obviously worsened the cramps?! We had a website meeting straight after work and she had to go to Solas, which she did. By herself. I think she wanted to be out of the apartment when we arrived in. Naturally when we confronted her about the note, she immediately moved into the victim stance we've come to know and dread. Something along the lines of "Am I suppose to DIE of pain?" etc.
I had a quick image in my head of the headlines of some of the newspapers the following day:
"Lesbians leave 16 year old to die of period pain" and picture of the kid with a packet of tampex casually thrown to one side. Us in orange jumpsuits with Mammy2 throwing one of the cameramen to the ground.
or better yet
"Periods Kill. One 16 year old speaks from beyond the grave of her expierence with the evil plague that visits women once a month"
and a picture of some medium with a huge painted picture of the kid behind her.
You get the picture. I explained, as rationally as one can to a 16 year old that she's going to be in pain every month and its crap but its just one of those things. After lots of discussion back and forth, we decided that she isn't going to be punished this time. But if it happens again she is in big trouble. I believe in 2nd chances. I don't think Mammy2 was too impressed though. Aside from the fact that she was sick, she was also fuming at what
the kid did. I think if she had her way, the kid would have been grounded and her phone removed from her.
Mammy2 reckons she knows exactly how to play us and is working us to her advantage. I'd like to think she's not that sly and I don't think its the case. She's just a teeanger chancing her arm.
People are interesting in relation to parenting. Some of our mates just look on with their mouths open when we regale them with tales of the child. I can see it in their heads though, many thoughts , most of them starting with
"If she were my kid" or "They are such eejits for allowing her away with that"
The poor best mate C got an earful one day last year when he tried to question the parenting. He didn't realise it was a slight on character. I suppose I am a wee bit senstive when it comes to the kid. I'd like to think that we're doing a good job whilst not being completly taken for a ride. So much has happened in the last 16 months that I haven't had a chance to sit back and take a look at how we're getting along. But she's happy and for the moment, that's enough. She's acting like a regular teenager as opposed to someone who wanted to die last year. She's not slicing her arms to bits, she's moved onto our towels now instead!
I'm sure when Mammy2 serves divorce papers I may re-think this line of thought.
1 comment:
I haven't had a chance to sit back and take a look at how we're getting along.
I truly believe that we can only do that when they're gone - and then it's probably too late! Nobody is a perfect parent, even in the most perfect circumstances, and strangely enough someone outside the turmoil always seems to know better than us parents how the kids should be dealt with. Sometimes their advice is useful - because they are outside, and sometimes it is useless and hurtful - because they are outside. For what it's worth, you seem to be doing a great job - she is getting better, she is open and obviously feels safe and loved. What more can you want? Besides, she can write awesome notes...
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