Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman was questioned yesterday by police and child welfare officials after her 4-year-old autistic son showed up at school with a black eye and bite marks. Orange County’s Child and Family Services and two La Habra police detectives visited Suleman’s home but it was not clear if any action would be taken against the mother of 14, said Jeff Czech, Suleman’s attorney.
The 45-minute visit, first reported by RadarOnline.com, was arranged when a teacher noticed Aidan’s injuries and reported them to authorities, Czech said. The attorney said the boy likely got the black eye from a fall and suggested one of Suleman's 2-year-old twins may have caused the bite marks.
Czech said he doubts Suleman will be seriously reprimanded, “but I know CPS takes it very seriously.”
I started to post a picture of my son Evan here, taken this weekend. Evan had just gotten a bath and was trying to get away from his mother (that seems to be his favorite new game—running away from us). He was holding a plastic cup in his hands. As he ran, he tripped and fell. His chin hit the cup and caused a cut on his chin. If you have ever cut your face, you know how much you bleed. He bled. He has a cut on his chin. And, no bandaid will stay on that little boy! Seriously? It’d be like putting a bandaid on a slick, slimy fish. The drool just prevents a bandaid sticking and staying.
Now, should his teachers at daycare have called child protective services on us? Did we do something wrong? Should the police be involved? Should we need to hire a lawyer and keep him/her on retainer, just in case?
Well, if his cut on his chin would get us in trouble, I’m sure the small bruise on his leg would really get us in trouble, because in all honesty, who knows how he got that bruise. I would think he bumped against the table or fell in the yard as he played or tripped on his toy fire truck. Why don’t I know for sure? Well, Evan is active. He’s all boy. He runs. He plays. He falls. No one is pushing him. No one is hurting him intentionally. No one is abusing him. he’s just playing and having a great time with life.
Now, if Nadya Suleman is abusing her son or any of her children, then throw the book at her. Lock her up. Throw away the key. Seriously. But, children are children. They have bruises, cuts, bumps on the head.
That is unless all they do is sit and watch TV and play video games. Then, in that situation, parents get in trouble because their children aren’t active enough, maybe overweight, and obviously lazy! Lousy parents.
It really is impossible to be a parent.
Your two scenarios present a good "darned if I do and darned if I don't" situation. IMHO I would prefer a child who is cut and bruised from activity than one who is overweight or the only cut/blister they get is from the remote control they hold in their hand. Ain't it fun being a parent?
ReplyDeleteYes, and I'm wondering where I get all MY bruises!
ReplyDeleteIf yours are like mine...they come from the same place--the wife...
ReplyDeleteWell, here's one for the older generation: my mom had called me to help her get the milk into the house from the container on the front porch.
ReplyDelete(Yes, I know, it was when milk was actually delivered to your door.) I was standing behind her as she leaned over to get the glass milk bottles. I guess I wasn't paying much attention because the next thing I knew I'd been hit in the chin by a milk bottle she had tried to hand me and began bleeding like a . . . you know, kid with a cut wide open chin.
When my dad got home and heard the story, he couldn't stop laughing. It didn't seem so funny to me but he thought it was hilarous.
Such is the growing up in the '40s. Not much different for the little ones now.