Wednesday, April 04, 2007

A really crappy day

I was thrown out of The Salvation Army today. I had to have the manager call the police while I restrained my 8 yr old. I actually had the situation under control until an idiot stuck his nose in and started yelling I was abusing my child, I had too many children did I even know who the fathers were, and I pulled out my handy dandy letter from the therapist and he questioned the authenticity of it. like I would make one up for fun. He was a customer! He rallied the other customers around to shout at me until I asked the manager to call the police. This incident would have lasted only a few minutes if he had not been so cruel. I explained my children were tramatized children and he was doing further damage. He then figured out I was a foster/adopt parent (my oldest trying to stick up for us) and started in on how I was in it for the money.

A lady stepped in early on and introduced herself as a mental health professional and that I was obviously trained in restraints and knew what I was doing b/c my child was screaming therefore breathing. She explained how some children have a difficult time regulating their emotions and this was a necessary thing to keep them and others safe. She tried to help but he was on a roll.

The police arrived and my dd had calmed but is terrified of any officer, duh. She refused to speak. They saw the letter and knew immediately the situation was as I had said. They heard the man out and then told him to leave b/c he had no idea the magnitude of what his comments were doing to the kids. The manager defended me and said the kids had been fine in the store and then boom my dd freaked out. We were escorted out of the store to keep the peace and they made a report.

We waited awhile to talk about it with the kids and they are so embarrassed. They wanted to protect me and all I wanted to do was break his neck. The more of their story that came out the worse I felt. I think they will survive but I am counting the minutes until I can drink/cry myself to sleep. Today I feel like the worst mother in the world.

5 comments:

FosterAbba said...

I just love how the idiot public thinks they know "what's best" for someone else's children.

Sorry for your troubles.

Oh, and BTW, you aren't the "worst mother in the world." You are one of the good ones, trying to make a difference to kids who otherwise might not find a safe place.

Hang in there.

Tudu said...

Thank you. I can't wait to be able to say they are my children and not explain the legal part of "foster" child. I am off to bed while DH has taken the kiddos to dinner.

"Ada" said...

I hate that you and your family were attacked by ignorance today. Sending hugs your way and praying your children (and you) won't be too negatively affected by that horrible man.

Mongoose said...

I'm not sure why you feel like the worst mother. You obviously did the right thing and everybody told you so, right? Don't let some random ***hole make you feel bad about yourself.

Yondalla said...

It sounds to me like you did wonderfullly!