No Explanation

Yesterday, the Lions were screening eyes at one of the schools.  A child's outcome was extremely poor, at a level that would make it very difficult to perform well in school not to mention being a safety hazard.

The school nurse remembered that the child should have had glasses and asked about it.  The child affirmed that he has glasses.  The nurse asked him where the glasses were -- and he said that they were at home and his parents told him he doesn't need them!!

This has happened before.  It isn't a common occurrence but it has happened often enough.  Why would someone do this to their child?  Because they are in denial that the child needs help?  What?  I'd like to understand what goes through people's minds on something like this.  Meanwhile, the poor kid is at school not being able to see distances, probably missing a great deal of what is being shown to him by the teacher.

A lot of times the situation seems to be that the parents have trouble getting through life themselves.  Their denials also extend to their own performance, their own perceptions of themselves, their own failures.  So why drag an innocent kid through their own mire?

The school nurse was obviously upset by this, and the parents will be getting a call from the school.  But the school nurse has no real clout.  She can't do much more than make repeated calls, and they often do this.  There is little recourse.

My husband feels that when children are not being cared for properly at home, not sent to school with the tools they need for success, and not being adequately understood by their parents -- it is enough of a red flag that child protective services should be brought in.  Probably the only thing that would scare these parents into doing the right thing is if someone got extremely tough with them.

No one wants a kid to have to wear glasses.  My grandson just got them a few weeks ago and I feel bad that he has to wear glasses, but on the other hand he notices how much better he can see with them.  At first he was just wearing them at school but now he carries them back and forth in his book bag because he wants to be able to wear them at home while riding his bike or doing other activities.  In time, maybe he'll get a pair of sports type glasses that can take a little more of a beating.  So far, he has been kind to the glasses and they are holding up pretty well.

His mother wears glasses and so she figured that maybe one of the children would end up needing them.  That's why they were already getting yearly eye exams besides the screening being done at school. 

That's what parents are supposed to do -- care for their children and deal with what comes along -- not bury their heads in the sand and tell the children obvious lies.  When the child took the exam and knew he did badly -- how could he not -- then he has already gotten a taste of the fact that he can't trust his parents to do right by him.  That will translate into a whole host of other problems that will dog him throughout life.  Not fair, is it?

I'm with my husband.  A warning sign of abuse whether physical, emotional or by means of neglect is not seeing that a child has the tools needed for success at school.  If not heeded, the warnings are there for yet another generation sent out into the world damaged and failing.

Makes me angry!!

Let's say a prayer today for all of the children who have this situation at home.  May God's love permeate the lack of care and attention at home and show this child through someone in their lives that God loves them dearly and cares about them dearly.  And may God awaken their parents to the role that they must play in their children's lives!!

Amen.