Kids should be happy Right ?

As most of you know, I work at a daycare at the Gym. The room is filled with kids of all ages.
Some are happy as ever, some are just always sad.

Its such a shame
*One girl comes in all the time, she always has an angry, sad face, no matter what. She brings in something to play with, and plays by herself for the two hours that her mom works out. She doesnt share or socialize and when approached, she gets very nasty. Its sad to wonder what goes on at home? What makes her so angry at everyone?

*Another girl was really quiet today. I complimented a keychain she was making (remember those box and cobra keychains ???) She barely looked at me when she said Thanks.
When her 'mom' came to pick her up, she (the mom) was all excited about her new Fendi shades, told me and the Manager there, how much they costed, how many pairs she had, she was going to buy a pair for the dog , how she was going home now to put on all her jewelry and get all dressed up ( ???? Who cares ???)
I was told she was the stepmom, who broke up this marriage with children, and she was OBVIOUSLY living the high life. All she cared about was herself, and there was this sad little girl by her side. I wanted to cry for that little girl. Ba$tard of her father to do this to his children! Makes me so angry.

*Another boy always comes in and cries hyterically when his dad leaves. He cries to the point that it makes my heart heavy. You can tell when there is more to the cry than just daddy leaving. His dad told me the mom left years ago (the kid is only about 4 !! ).

Why are there so many people in this world, who God sent children to, and this is what they chose to do ??? and why are there so many people who would do anything to conceive a precious child, and they cant ???

Seeing the precious kids and these situations really strikes a nerve with me...


Thanks for listening !

Anna There isn't a hug big enough to make you feel better about what you see in these poor children. I am sorry that you are so effected by this, but I can totally understand. I agree w/Michele, tho.

And we wonder why kids grow up angry and become criminals or adults w/societal problems. It is very, very sad.

Anna I think Michele said it best.

Just remeber anyone can be a Mother but it takes someone speical to be a Mommy

Thanks girls. It really is soo sad... What did they do to deserve this ? and then they get punished when they can concentrate in school, or misbehave, and these assenine 'parents' wonder where the behavior and poor grades stem from ???



YEars ago, I volunteered with the company that took orphaned kids on outings. Two specific outings, I will never forget.

I was about 17. They let me join, even though I wasnt the required age of 18. Maybe seeing how much emotion can get involved, I realized why the age requirement, even though now at 28, Id react the same if not worse
(I'll make em short).


*We had to 'chaperone' or be 'the volunteer' to one child for the whole day, treat them to lunch, and basically be their buddy the whole day. One time I had a 19yr old girl. Her mental and emotional state was more like 8. Well, I didnt realize this because she was a sweet girl, and she even joked that she was older than me and I was her volunteer and she should be watching me . Well at one point, we were having a great day, (at a dude ranch) and I said 'Marisol, get over here, hurry, come on!' She was straying and chatting with friends and a group of us were heading somewhere. Well she came over to me and had a look of disbelief on her face and she goes 'Anna, am I being a good girl ? Are you going to hit me ?' I almost died right there. I couldnt beleive my ears. Of course I reassured her that she was excellent and that I would NEVER hit her.

*Another time, we went to the beach, and I had this 13yr old boy for the day. We sat and chatted and played with a group of kids and their volunteers. He even went to the souvenir shop and bought me a pencil ! I wanted to melt. I felt awful that he spent money on me!
Then he asked me if he could talk to me when he needed someone to talk to. He told me about how he went from foster home to foster home, and everyone treated him so badly, and he really wanted someone to talk to. He practicallyhad tears in his eyes. A 13yr old way past his years. seemed like he was 18, so mature. Of course I couldnt give him my number, against the rules. Absolutely not.

Both days I came home with a heavy heart, eyes flooded with tears and alot to think about...

Anna, you KNEW I was in an emotional state and you didn't put a disclaimer on this thread??
I'm CRYING like a baby over these poor kids.
I'm so glad there is someone at the gym like YOU who really cares about them. You may never know it, but I bet that you will really make a difference in a few sad lives.

Sorry Jenn !!!

Some days, all it takes is a 'mistress' flashing her material stuff, and a sad child next to her.. to get me pondering, angry and reminiscing...

OK Disclaimers from now on!

My prayers go out with all those kids

Oh Anna .... you are such a sweet generous person who gives so much of herself. What you are doing affects many people in a positive way ... stay strong and remember that. These stories make me very sad too ... I just don't understand it either sometimes ... but I guess our job is not to understand it but to be able to be there and help out when we are needed.
God Bless you sweetie!

Anna, thanks for bringing this up. My FH just had a similar conversation the other day. We talked about having children soon, because that is what most of our friends are doing. It is like some of our friends are tripping over each other to get pregnant right after the wedding. It's a competition of who can get preggo first!!! 25 year olds mind you!!!!

FH and I were like, woah- just because our friends are having children, it doesn't mean we have to 'keep up with the joneses'. FH reminded me that having children is not a competition- like who can get gucci sunglasses first or married first or something to check off a list as having done. To each his own in this category.

We agreed that our house has a long time to go before it is 'child ready' emotionally and of course, physicially. Maybe the years we will wait will make us better parents when we become parents. The time for manicures and gucci sunglasses should have been before children.

I wish I could share that with those parents who don't have enough time or love or maturity to give to their own children.

Oh my, it just breaks my heart to hear stories like that

Youre right alot of people RUSH into having kids quick and then dont give the kids the attention they deserve. You WILL be better parents when the time feels right for you. Because thats when you will give it all you got !

Your last sentence made me think of something else. How parents dont have or dont make time for their children. Once on a talk show, there was a child whose mom had passed away, and they asked her what she remembered most about her mom. She didnt say the expensive toys or the big trips, she said 'eating cheerios at midnight with her' (JennRenee, hope you got a Kleenex! ) Kids really DONT need all these material things.
Another thing, may be unrelated. BUt these kids at the Gym, their parents leave them with a BAG full of snacks! From fruit-rollups to potato chips, to juices, to cheese crackers, to chocolate bars!) IT makes me sick to see this. HEre THEY are taking great care of their OWN bodies, and here they are hypocrites, giving their kids bags of 'junk' to kinda shove them off for 2 hours. Sure, it keeps them happy. but what kind of breakfast is that ???
They give them enough snacks to last them a week! and I have yet to see a piece of fruit.

I was once working at a Kids-at-work day, with one of my past jobs, and I didnt know that 2 of the kids in the group were the children of the CEO. The son was talking about gameboy and playstation, and he goes 'My dad said we cant afford one, they cost alot of money, I dont have one'. He really wasnt too sad. He said it in a way that he almost understood it and accepted it. He talked about what he learned on a few trips to several different countries. He was very mature for a 10yr old. I was SOOOO IMPRESSED when I found out it was the CEO's son. Shows you what kind of values some CEO's teach their children. ITs not about buying their love, its about spending time with them and teaching them valuable lessons.

Thank you Cira

Anna how sad to read. Why do parents treat their children this way?

Anna, this is such a sad post!!! And here I am, just married, able to totally relate to these parents who can't make the time... I am still at work at 6:30pm!!!

I need to learn to manage my time better!!!

hi anna- you are a mush like me. Im mad at that step mom- who gives a crap about her sunglasses.. I think I would have opened my mouth and said something ...like how about this BEAUTIFUL girl here???

(my mouth gets me in trouble all the time)

some people can bring kids into the world- the rest are real daddies and mommies.

i cant tell u guys what i saw/and heard over this weekend.