I Could Scream!

I have this saying I tell my kids and group all of the time. Don’t lose your temper but use your temper to do something good. This is so easy to let roll off my lips but not actually easy to do. Over the last couple of years I have struggled with ‘deadbeat’ guardians or parents who totally abdicated their role as parent. I have a few teens in my group who float from school because they either have been suspended for temper issues or they are homeless.

I have struck out usually when it comes to getting the parent or Auntie or Uncle to actually do something. There is always this set of excuses that all sound good but don’t help the teen at all. We had a situation where one of our families who we would love to partner with in a real way continue to have a floating mom. About a month ago she came over to get us to help her with her 17 year-old daughter. She didn’t want her to living with her boyfriend. Yet after a month of helping this woman’s son I can now see that the mom is totally a druggie who is more into partying then doing anything.

Last night I told this one teen that he had to go back to school after spring break and that he couldn’t fake it any more. I have tried to express to him that his mom has chosen to drop out and that he can’t follow her example. The amazing thing is that this students teacher actually ‘fished’ around to find my cell and called during spring break. So this teen does have a few people who are loving on him. The challenge is that there is little motivation for him to follow through with school.

I told this teen last night to be up and ready and I would take him to school. I talked to his brother via text last night and got him in theory to commit to getting him up. I called him an hour before school without any answer. Fortunately, he answered a few minutes ago. Now I will conclude this blog and take him to school, talk to his teacher and then connect with his mom and tell like it is. God help me really connect with the mom’s heart.