Parenting 101

Ok, we all know I am Mother of the Year. 
riiiiiiiiiiiight.
Like most Moms, I have my moments of weakness --
"Sure Monkey, you can go sniff glue all you want. As long as you leave me in peace with my wine..."


But in reality, I am a dang good parent. Manners, good behavior, respect, responsibility - these things are not allowed to slide. And Eileen knows it. I give 'that look' (inherited directly from my dad) and Eileen snaps to attention (it should be noted - at the age of ***, I still snap to attention when my dad calls my name... and I still answer with "Sir?"...)


So coming home Tuesday evening. Driving down our street. It was gorgeous out so all the kiddos were out playing; a sight that generally has me grinning ear to ear.  So I'm going roughly 5miles an hour, Eileen being the Parade Princess and waving at her fans.  I do the cursory rear view mirror check, and am stunned to see the kid from down the street riding his bike, literally front wheel touching my rear bumper. He's maybe 8 years old. 


What the hell? and of course instinct was to slam on my breaks - luckily my brain kicked in before instinct- realizing if I slammed on them he'd be creamed. So I ever so slowly come to a stop in front of our house, smack in the middle of the street. I get out and as I begin my lecture, H from across the street begins HER lecture (clearly she ranks in the Good Parenting Club)...  we're both telling him 'Don't ever do that again!" "That is so dangerous!"  "You could get seriously hurt!"   


And in my head I'm thinking: crap, if he'd been hurt the police would be knocking on MY door and I'd be facing the consequences. I don't need this from this little punk.


*sidebar : there has been one other incident with this kid from last fall so already I am NOT a fan*


He just kind of looked at us like "You're not my mommy"  ....


So I park, and tell child C to come with me to his house, as we are going to talk to his parents. He comes along. (hindsight being 20/20, of course he did.. bc he apparently KNEW he would suffer no punishment from his dad). 


Knock on door. Father opens door.
Me: Hi, I'm Erin. I'm Eileen's mom, I live a couple of doors down. 
Him: Blank Stare
Me: I hate to feel like I am causing an issue, but I need you to know what your son just did-as it was dangerous and quite scary. 
Him: Blank Stare
Me: As I was driving down the street.. (and here I relay the story).
Him: Blank Stare. 
Him: Hmmm. Well. ya know, I tell him not to do things like that. 
....
Me: Blank Stare


That's it. That's all he said. OH MY GAWD.

I just kind of stood there, then just said, 'well, ok. i really hope nothing like this happens again, as if something had happened I'd have been the one responsible - maybe it isn't very safe for your son to be out unsupervised on his bike...it's not safe for him, and not fair to others who are being responsible drivers."


Him: Blank Stare. 
He said NOTHING to the kid, nothing to me, no apology or any sort of recognition that his CHILD was tailgating a car with his dirt-bike. This was where I just looked at him and walked away. Livid. At his lack of respect for ME as a fellow parent/adult, at his lack of respect for the neighborhood and other children's safety, at his lack of ANY discipline with his kid. 


And if he thinks his kid or the 5year old daughter he also has will be allowed to play with Eileen - HELL NO. Eileen and B, H, R & S can play all they want. But if that kid comes around, I will promptly send him home. (not to mention he apparently just assumes other parents will keep an eye out for his kids out playing by themselves...)


Had the situation been reversed - and I was the one being told of dangerous, disrespectful, ridiculous actions by Eileen -
1) the FIRE coming out of my eyes directed towards her would have melted her bike and had her scurrying inside ASAP
2) before she could have scurried anywhere, she would have been directed to APOLOGIZE to the adult standing at our door
3) her little boot-ay would be sent straight to her room; and when Mommy Dearest had calmed down enough - there would be a stern discussion, grounding, lack of TV , etc etc. 


This dad. Nothing. Before I'd made it back to our house, the kid was back out riding around. Unreal.