Sunday, August 26, 2012

McDonalds is NOT free daycare!

OK, so usually, I do NOT 'bag out' other parents, I generally believe that most of us try to do our best and all that jazz. However, I had two, TWO, separate incidents, that made me a little mad, one more then another.

Hubby and I had to drive 1 1/2 hours to pick up the kids, his mum meets us half way to her house so neither of us has to travel 3 hours straight. Any who, we go to the service centre on the Freeway that has petrol, Maccas and KFC, you know, them places everyone stops at to have a break. Well seeing I have had 4 kids, my bladder was about to burst, so I thought I would shimmy over to the loo's and do what we do there. On my way out, I opened the door, and turned the corner. The out of nowhere - WHACK! a metal 'child proof' gate from the Maccas Playground came swinging at my face with a small child hanging on it, and into my nose it went. Not cool.
I stood there, holding onto my nose, tears threatening (you know how it is with noses). I decided I would wait to see if a parent of the child came to me to do the right thing and say sorry on behalf of the child, and so I could tell them their precious bundle of joy can in fact escape the playground, close to the door to the busy road. I waited there for 5 minutes, and no sign of the parent!! I had to go back to the car as my Mother In Law had arrived. But I was not comfortable in leaving the child there, apparently unsupervised. I didn't know what to do, I went back in there to get my kids some fries from Maccas to subdue them until we got home, and the child was sitting down with the parents. I decided not to go and talk to the parents, to let them know their child could escape, and almost made me cry in public. But I am curious, do you often find parents throwing their kids into the Playgrounds of an enclosed area, and then disappearing without a trace for much longer then you prefer?

OK, so second incident today. When we were driving to the destination to collect our kiddies, I was happily driving along, bopping my head to the music Hubby calls 'crap' (which it is not), and I look in my rear view, and there is this car 'hooning' up behind me. This Freeway is 110kpm, so you drive pretty fast as it is, but as always, you get idiots that decide they are better the everyone, and have the right to speed. They were right up my bum. They decided to cut in really close behind me to over take. I kinda just thought "whatever, be stupid". I instinctively looked over, and I gaped in astonishment! I just stared and went "OH MY GOD!" it was a mother in that car, with 3 small children in car seats. But the part that got me outraged, was the fact she had all the windows up, and was smoking!!!! I couldn't believe it. Ill admit it, as much as I hate it, I am a mild smoker. But under no circumstances what so ever, would I ever smoke in the car with my children in it, with windows up or down. EVER! This is in fact illegal in Victoria as well. So I got hubby to jot down the licence plate number, and noted what exit she took, and I rang the police when we stopped.

I know, I have been whinging a lot in this post, but sometimes, I feel like a really crap parent, there are so many things I could be doing different/better. But then days like today, I feel like SuperMum! I'm not, but I feel like it lol. I hope I did the right thing in 'dobbing in' this lady, but I just couldn't let it go. Those poor kids.

Would love to hear your opinions and views.

Tiff!

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