Shut up and Supervise!

There is a growing trend in today's schools. No, I'm not talking about bullying, we all know about that and will deal with it in one way, shape or form eventually. No, I'm talking about the trust we, as parents of our young children, place into the schools we send our children to, to hire responsible, caring, alert parents and aides to supervise our most precious children, be-it on the playground, in the classroom or on field trips. Well, my friends, I what I have to tell you is alarming, maddening and frightening.

Growing up in the 80's and 90's, for me, I thought was tough. I remember being bullied on the playground while the teachers aids responsible for watching what is going on stood in a corner and chatted away as I had my hair pulled out, was called every name in the book and teased to the point of tears. All in 3rd grade! We now know bullying is an even bigger problem so you would THINK that schools would be on top of their game, watching everything their eyes could possibly see. Teacher/Student ratio is VERY important. Yet, this morning, while out on my morning job, my heart broke as it was confirmed to me that these "aids" responsible for keeping the 2 year olds safe on the playground are NOT paying attention. This is what I saw.

I went past the playground on my first round around the block. The teachers aide was busy talking to some Blonde trying too hard to look much younger than her age. I don't know if she was a mother or just another runner like me, all I know is that the two, the teacher's aide and the blonde, we engaged in a conversation while the little ones played on the playground. I thought to myself "who is supervising these children"?

My round about the block takes about ten minuets. I was surprised when I came back around towards the playground to see the same blonde bimbo and the teacher's aide STILL chatting and NOT watching these children. Then I turned my attention to the children. What I saw was heartbreaking. One child got angry with the other, took up a bucket of sand and through it RIGHT in her face! Of course the little one immediately starts crying, puts her hands up to her eyes as the sand must really be stinging (and I am hoping there is no damage done to her retinas). Only THEN does the teacher's aide say to the blonde bimbo "Alright, well you have a nice day" and then walks over to the crying child and says "no no no" in a calm voice "don't cry. use your words". She had no idea she had just had a bucket of SAND thrown in her eyes or who had done it, and you can NOT expect a 2 year old to be able to articulate that! I stopped my jogging. This is EXACTLY HOW MY SON BROKE HIS NOSE and I was NOT about to let another inadequate aide get away with chatting instead of watching these kids.

"If you hadn't been talking with that woman for so long" I said "you would have been able to prevent this. You need to SHUT UP AND SUPERVISE. This child just had a bucket of SAND thrown in her face and I suggest you get her inside to the school nurse and have her eyes flushed out and you better hope to GOD that her eyes are not damaged".

The teacher's aide was speechless. She knew I was right. She radioed to the nurse who came out to collect the child and from there I left. I made sure to let her know that my son had his nose broken on the school playground because of inadequate supervision by the teachers aides and she was no better than the bitches who stood by as my son bled out all over himself before they found him wandering the playground.

This particular incident struck a cord with me, for personal reasons, as I know first hand that these "teacher's aides" do nothing but stand in a corner together and socialize; talk about their weekend, their planned vacations and bitch about their husbands. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. For the safety of our children, this trend MUST change.

So I challenge all you mothers out there, reading this post, to be on your guard with your child's school. Don't be afraid to be that mother that is always saying something, bitching or complaining. Because, as I have found, no one does! And if I don't say something, no one will. Take it into your hands to protect your child and make sure he/she is safe the best YOU can when he/she goes to school.

Good luck, Mama's!! It's a hard road ahead but I'm with you 100%!