Monday, April 7
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Kids who aren't kids [journal] Even after months of working at an elementary school, i'm still shocked by what i experience.
Case 1: Steven & Ivan
Here are two brothers, grades 4 and 3, being raised by their aunt and uncle. now, it's not because their parents died, but because they weren't wanted (their other siblings, however, were wanted). now their poverty-stricken aunt took them in because it was either that or...well who knows. Ivan, the younger of the two, has no social skills because he wasn't talked to or loved. he clings to me like a child who hasn't been touched. when they get near me i smell--not to be mean--garbage and the smell of not showering (on occasion steven has worn the same underwear for 2 weeks). other things steven does: licks his shoe, grabs gummy bears that he finds lying on the floor and collects plastic garbage bags. steven is also a boy who i have to, unfortunately, teach long division. sometimes at the mention of homework or learning, the boys will squel and run out of the room. on a good note, i've made some progress with steven. he now doesn't eat the bottom of his styrofoam cup and doesn't pick at things in the garbage.
Case 2: Johnny
Johnny's parents still raise him and he lives a somewhat more "normal" life. the thing about johnny is that he hates steven. steven has a great heart and is a good kid. he acts the way he does because he doesn't know any better. but sometimes kids are mean. if a kid saw another kid eating their snot or their shoe, of course they would say something, and johnny is the type of kid who would. he's beaten up on other kids before, so why not steven? one time when we told johnny to control his anger he gave us a surprising response:
"don't you talk to me about controlling my anger. i've been going to therapy for three years about it so i don't need to hear about it from you too!"
okay, so let me get this straight. johnny is grade three and he's been going to therapy for three years....
Case 3: Andrew
We suspect that his mom is a stripper. guess that's not too bad, but i was shocked nevertheless.
Case 4: Sarah and Rebecca
We had to contact CAS (children's aid society) because of their behaviour and their dad's. rebecca is extremely flirtatious and feminine for her age, something correlated to sexual abuse. her sister on the otherhand is completely withdrawn, shy and spaced out, who clings to me as much as ivan. this is kind of a strange contrast for two sisters. the sisters talk to me about her father visits teensex dot com and college girls dot com and goes to strip club this and strip club that. her father, when picking them up, makes sexual comments to my co-workers about getting their phone number and looking at their ass and saying i thought i recognised that at the secret with santa breakfast. well, because of the things we told CAS, and CAS's own interview with the children and an older sibling, they were taken away from their father.
ugh there's more to say, but i'm tired writing about this shiat.
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