One Mom of a Teenager Trusting Another
Dec 13 '00
This is a follow-up to a review I wrote on October 18, 2000 it was titled "When a Mom isn't a Mom...Watch Out" Briefly it was about an incident that happened at a slumber party my daughter was supposed to attend. What ended up happening was the mother of the daughter who was having the party rented a hotel room and supplied the teenagers with alcohol. I felt that she had put the girls in a very dangerous situation and I had to write a review about it, just so people know that this could happen.
I got a lot of supportive comments (thank you everyone) and a few that were not very supportive. The one that inspired me to write this review was a comment from a gentlemen. He was obviously trying to get a rise out of me. I guess in a way he did. The comment that he left was as follows:
disclaimer: I felt that I could include the whole comment without drawing attention to him. I believe that he has been removed from Epinions, because his comment no longer appears on my review. Also, I have searched for him and I cannot find him. I have left his comment exactly as he wrote.
"This editorial is nothing but a uncontrolled rant about something that has f*ck all to do with you.
Guess what?! Just about every teenager over the age of 16 or so drinks and has sex on a regular basis. The fact that this mother knew about what her daughter was up to and no doubt was able to warn her about certain precautions for things tells me one thing. She's a far better and much more enlightened mother than you must be.
Oh! Are you offended by this. I bet you don't like someone judging you the way yu've judged her?
And another thing. It seems a strange paradox that a county that allows just about anyone to have guns doesn't allow people under 21 to drink. I'm off down the pub. Cheers."
What I gathered from this person's comment is that every teenager over 16 drinks and has sex on a regular basis. I have never been one to say that I "know all." However, I do not believe that every teenager over the age of 16 has sex and drinks. To me that type of comment stereotypes all teenagers into one category.
Initially I was offended by the comment. I read and re-read the comment and I felt I finally understood where this person was coming from. I believe that he comes from a different society and culture. America is a unique place that generally does not accept teens to do the following: drink alcohol and have sex. Yes, teenagers do these things. However, they are not something that are "acknowledged" by society. Society frowns upon teenage drinking and sex.
My initial review dealt with the trust that comes with believing in another parent. To this day, I still am quite shocked that another parent would act in such a reckless manner. It is my belief that the motherly instincts of a mom would not allow any child to be placed in danger. I feel that any child, or teenager, should be able to be placed in the care of another parent without fear that the parent will place that child in harms way.
Even after this incident I have not lost faith in the abilities and skills of other parents. Yes, I might -- no I will, be more cautious next time; but I still feel any parent should be able to have confidence in the parent of another to take care of any child as if it were their own.
One side note: The mother that supplied the alcohol and rented the room at the hotel believes that she was not at fault. She believes it is strictly the parents fault for not knowing exactly where their children were. That belief includes the fact that she has lied for someone else's child.
I have also since found out that her daughter is held to higher standards; she is not allowed to drink, and gets in trouble for typical teenage escapades. It distresses me that she puts the value of her child's well being above the well being of other children.
I will continue to try and know exactly where my children are at all times. I want to believe, however, in the fairytale that all parents are decent and care for the well being of children, not just their own.
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Epinions.com ID:
BryRrose
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 - Top 200 |
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Location: California
Reviews written: 235
Trusted by: 409 members
About Me:
"If I live another day, Make mine a Chardonnay!"
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