another rant

You've all heard me complain about my loud neighbors (who smoke inside & outside - leaving my apartment smelling of smoke....who yell at their kids/cuss at their kids - so everyone in our complex can hear....who gives me the stink eye just because I told her kid -several times - to stay off of my stroller so she wouldn't get hurt -since her mother was too busy on her cell phone) but let me just say this: I think it is an irresponsible parent who can't parent their children. Maybe that doesn't make sense, but I have yet to see this woman do anything other than yell.
The oldest two girls take care of the 2-year-old. The boy takes care of himself. The mom bad-talks the other neighbor yet will let her kids play there. The youngest (and the boy, too...as heard from the 2nd neighbor) will steal toys from your house if you're not careful...and deny it (fine the first time she walked out of here with a sippy cup, not fine the second time she deliberately tried to hide a toy cell phone in her dress & tried denying it).
I get that not every parent sees the point to discipline - it's hard. It's fine she glares at me and doesn't like me (one of us is moving soon).
BUT NO BUCKLING HER KID INTO HER CAR SEAT - OH NO.
C'mon! You carry these kids for 9 months in your body. You go through labor to deliver them into this world. I think you should care about them & try to keep them safe. Buckling them into a car seat is the easiest way to do this. You can't prevent them from falling and getting hurt, but you can prevent them from being injured in a car.
I know that my in-laws don't buckle up. You don't ride in my car without buckling up. And you especially buckle up around my child (after he is securely buckled in himself).
Nothing irritates me more than seeing parents put their children either in danger or not preventing them from possible (probable) danger. I mean, my mom smoked through each pregnancy and our whole lives - that's danger. I try very hard to keep my son from that danger. It bothers me to no extent to see a parent smoke around their children. Why? Do it to yourself, fine, but go outside! Away from your neighbor's open windows, preferably!
Sorry this post is kind of all over the place, but basically I'm just ticked off that some people don't care enough to buckle their kids in.

Comments

Tinabean said…
oh I am the same way I hate parents like that.
If it was me I would have called someone, the police whoever & reported her not buckling her baby in.
Of course I was your worst enemy when I lived in apartments.
I got more than a few people kicked out & 1 arrested.
I will not put up with people who don't take care of there kids.
You are right to be mad!
EmmaP said…
my neighbor is such a great example to me...she will walk right up to people like that and ask "don't you love your child enough to buckle him/her up?"...or "put him/her in a carseat?" and stuff like that. I am not so confrontational, but when I think about it, I would feel HORRIBLE if I found out a child died because I didn't have the courage to say something. I suppose "It takes a village to raise a child" is the perfect sentiment here...
Meaghan said…
Wow you have a beautiful family! Hope you have been enjoying this nice fall weekend.

-Meaghan
Tiffany said…
How frustrating!!!

You are so right. Not buckling your kid up is crazy.

And, totally irresponsible.
Swirl Girl said…
Buckling up is such a great metaphor for good parenting, isn't it?

thanks for stopping in and visiting my site!

ps- sniffle, sniffle
Scarlet O'Kara said…
I am so with you. I have an Aunt that did nothing but yell at her children, as well as my sisters abd me. Because of her, I made a promise to talk to my children...even when I am upset.

And as for carseats and seat belts, no one rides in my car without one or the other. Life is too short and precious.
My kids never rode in car-seats,well except the little carriers we use to carry the baby in...they were not even strapped in!I can remember 1 boy on the breast, 1 riding on the hump, one in the passenger seat and another in the back seat playing. My kids were born in the 70's and 80's and there was no such thing as a car seat...I'm probly your mom's age. I loved and cherished my kids just as much as you, but it was a different time, I wasn't a bad mother. My boys never wore helmets when they rode their bikes and were barefoot most of the time.
Like I said a different day!
Love your journal!
P.S. I have a foster baby who NEVER goes anywhere w/o a carseat!

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