Please Help! Protect Our Children

I watched a Special Investigation segment on ABC News Nightline last night.  Just in case you don't believe what I'm about to post, here is the link for you to watch for yourselves.

Deadly Discipline? Students Hurt, Dying After Being Restrained

There are actually school systems (administrators and teachers) that not only approve of, but are actually encouraging torturing our children.  Physical and psychological abuse.  And then saying it's to "protect them from hurting themselves or others."

Worst of all?  These procedures are being practiced on Special Needs Kids such as those with Autism.

Such tactics are to include:

1.  Electric Shock Therapy
2.  Being physically restrained
3.  Being locked in "Seclusion Rooms"

Let's take the first.  Imagine 60 volts of electricity coursing through YOUR body!  And they are doing this to our children!  The young teenager in this video is held down as he SCREAMS and struggles to get away from the electric current.  I cried.  I just can't think of anything to say to this.  They are electrocuting him.

The Second:  Being Physically Restrained.  Tell me how you would react if you discovered your child or teenager lying on the floor with between 1 and 6 grown men lying on TOP of him.  Supposedly these men acted according to procedure.  The young man DIED.  Tell me how that is "Acceptable Procedure."

Third:  Seclusion Rooms.  These are small "pods" that are windowless, dark, and have padded walls so the child will not hurt himself.  I don't know about you, but I wouldn't like being locked in a pitch black room for HOURS.  Not minutes, HOURS.  Completely alone in the dark.  The "room" wasn't even that big.  It gives me nightmares to think about.

I don't see how ANY of these would help.  It all seems to me like it would make a bad situation ten times worse.  These children are already angry, and this will make them angrier, terrified, and LESS likely to cooperate.

This is Inhuman.

This is Cruel.

This is Torture.

If I did any of the above to my children, I would be arrested, tried, and convicted of child abuse and child endangerment.  And Rightfully So!  So why is it perfectly LEGAL for a teacher or school administrator to engage in this!  Not only is it LEGAL, school systems are ENCOURAGING THIS!!!

 This is an abomination.

Fortunately, there is legislation in Congress to prohibit most of this.  Please contact your Congressman to help support this legislation.  S.2860 - Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act
We need this passed to protect our children.  ALL of our children. PLEASE Help me STOP this.  I can't do it alone.  I need anyone and everyone to help raise our voices so that we can be heard.

If WE don't protect our children, Nobody will.

For a Child's Sake, Please Help.

A Late Dad to a Daughter

My husband found out last year that he had a daughter from his previous wife, so he came late to being the dad of a daughter.  He met her shortly before her 11th birthday.  The bonded immediately, as she did with her two brothers her dad had with me.  Instantaneous, right down to the sibling fights, shouts of "Leave Me Alone!" and hugs and kisses.

But as wonderful as it is to get to know her, I can't help but think of all he (and she) missed.  Michael Mitchell has a wonderful blog called Life to Her Yeaars that is letters to his daughter that he started when she was born.  It's pretty awesome.  But he did a guest blog called 50 Rules for Dads of Daughters that just made me cry.  They are wonderful pieces of advice.  What made me cry was how many of these rules my husband can't obey with his daughter because he missed the first decade of her life.

He'll never get play peekaboo with her.  He'll never be able to sit her on his lap and let her drive his car.  He's already missed ten birthdays.  He'll never get to turn her down gently when she asks him as a young girl to marry her .  He's never going to see her get on the school bus.He'll never get to ride her on his shoulders.  These are "rites of passage" with daughters and dads.  And he has missed SO much not knowing about her.  They both have.

It makes me sad.

She lives so far away (about 8 hours) that he misses so much of her life.  Telephone calls, Facebook and texts only do so much.  He can't hug his daughter electronically.  He can't help her with her homework.  He can't tease her until she smiles.  He won't know IF she smiles.  He can't ruffle her hair with his hand.  He can't argue with her over bedtime.  He misses so much of her life.  He misses Her.

When she comes back at Christmas he will marvel over how tall she's gotten.  He'll give her Christmas presents, take her places, tease her, dote on her, and love her.  But all of that he will also do for the boys.  That's right of course, but they are still making up for lost time.  Lost time they will never get back.

All he can do from now on is his best.  We all try not to dwell on "what-if."  It is a senseless question and really does more harm than good when asked.  He forms the bonds of love with her now while he can, and tries to show her that he loves her.  But it's difficult when those years of her innocent, unconditional trust were missed.

That they are together makes me very happy.  That they missed ten years makes me sad.  I'm looking at the relationship from the outside, so how much more do they feel?

Hug your daughter(s).  Hug your son(s).  Love them.  Realize how precious they are.  Think how lucky you are to have had them this long, and remember that they can be taken from you in a blink.  In an instant everything can change.  Don't take this time for granted.  You can be there and still miss it if you aren't careful.

Be careful.

And comment if you have any special remembrances of your kids, of lack of them.  Tell me if this grabs your heart for any reason.  I'd like to know.