Although they will keep trying to get you to take them seriously

This morning Salinda REALLY had a huge fight with Bart over the same exact issue as yesterday --rIdes to school. I NEVER give rides to school unless it is below zero. We live a block and a half from the school, and even though it is a long block and a half, it’s certainly not too far to walk even when it is cold. And every time I give a ride for just that block and a half I’m sorry I did.

Anyway, Salinda got into the vehicle with her siblings this time but then Bart didn’t do things exactly the way she wanted him to, so all hell broke lose. It escalated to the point where she was cussing (which she hardly ever does) and screaming so Bart drove her alone outside of town a little ways to discuss it without the screams bothering people in our small town, and Salinda got out of the car without Bart’s telling her to or wanting her to. She wouldn’t get back in, so Bart just left, knowing it was a walkable distance to school. She called me to tell me she wasn’t going to school because she had been left in some field. I didn’t understand her at first -- well, at first, I didn’t even know who it was. The Caller ID didn’t show up and I figured it was one of the little 7 year old girls I have in placement calling me as their caseworker.

When I finally figured out it was her, I told her that she could go to school or not, but that it wouldn’t be an absence excused by me and she would get Fs for the day. I then called Bart to get his side.

Bart. of course, was angry at all of the verbal abuse (she’s very good at it -- has a long history of watching her older brothers do it, plus she is smart and articulate) but he was not unwilling to get her but she wasn’t where he had dropped her off. I called her so I could be verbally abused as well trying to figure out where she was. Finally she told me where she was (after three times of calling and being hung up on) and Bart got her into the van and got her to school on time.

PMS maybe, and definitely 13-year-old-girl issues, but it sucks the life out of a person to be lied about, cussed at, and overall mistreated at the start of the day... especially when the motives were pure and the intention was to be nice.

So now we’re both out of sorts and not very motivated to complete the tasks at hand today.