September 12, 2018
The Look Of Neglect

I am a stay-at-home mom to twin daughters.  I take them to a playgroup once a week in our small town.  There is one little girl there who is 3 years old, the same age as my twins.  Her parents are divorced, dad lives far away, and her mom has a full-time career.  She comes to the playgroup with her daycare caretaker and the caretaker's own children.  

Here's what not being loved all day looks like:

• I often see her playing alone.


• When it's snack time, no one makes sure she has a snack, and if she's wrapped up in her play, no one reminds her that she should eat.  As a result, she's often very hungry at the end of the playgroup.


• During ball playtime, I offered her one of our balls, as she didn't have one.  Her caretaker said, "that's okay-she doesn't need one."


• Finally, at story time, she sat by herself staring down at a book with no one to read to her while all the other children sat on their mothers' laps with books.  

I couldn't stand to watch her being neglected any longer.  I pulled her onto my lap with my twins and the three of us read story after story.  I decided to take her under my wing and care for her every time I saw her at the playgroup.

The following week, she wasn't there.  I found out that her mother found another daycare closer to her job.  I knew she was going to be unloved all day once again.  The whole concept takes on new meaning when you see this in action.  I was never a fan of daycare to begin with, but my resolve has increased after this experience.  

Jana


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Posted by Staff at 10:59 AM