When this busy mother was called into her daughter’s school after her kid punched a boy, she got right to the source of the problem – much to the shock of those involved.
One of the many anecdotal stories that has been floating around the internet for long enough to lose its original source is about a mother who happens to be an ER nurse. Although the original source has been lost, it was most recently shared on InspireMore. It was originally posted on Not Always Right.
In the story, the mother is called to her daughter’s school because her daughter hit another student.
The entire interaction was a lesson in respect for everyone involved. The story begins:
“I’m an ER Nurse. We’re not allowed to keep our phones on us, they’re to be kept in our lockers. A call comes into the hospital reception on a private line for me.”
“Phone: This is (teacher) from (school). There’s been an incident involving your daughter. We need you to come in.
“Me: Is she ill or injured? Can it wait until my shift is over in two hours?
“Phone: Your daughter has struck another pupil. We’ve been trying to call you for 45 minutes. It really is very serious.”
The mother of course leaves work early and goes to the school, where the principal tries to make her feel bad about taking so long to get there, which doesn’t work.
“I go to the school and am ushered into the principal’s office. I see my daughter, a male teacher, a female counselor, the principal, a boy with blood around his nose and a red face, and his parents.
“Principal: How kind of you to FINALLY join us!
“Me: Yeah, things get busy in the ER. I’ve spent the last hour administering over 40 stitches to a seven-year-old who was beaten by his mother with a metal ladle and then I had to deal with the police regarding the matter. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
When she arrived, she had been ready to punish her daughter, but as soon as she heard what happened, the mom quickly changed her mind.
“After watching him [the principal] try to not act embarrassed, he tells me what has happened. The boy had twanged my daughter’s bra and she had punched him in the face twice. I got the impression they were more angry with my daughter than the boy.”
This mother takes the stance any parent should in the situation, defending her daughter from sexual assault:
“Me: Oh, and you want to know if I’m going to press charges against him for sexually assaulting my daughter and against the school for allowing him to do it?”
When the other adults present claim it wasn’t that serious to be considered sexual assault, the mother quickly proves her point.
“They all get jittery when I mention sexual assault and start speaking at once.
“Teacher: I don’t think it was that serious.
“Counselor: Let’s not overreact.
“Principal: I think you’re missing the point.
“The boy’s mother then starts crying.”
At this point, the mother asks her daughter what happened and the mother is furious, showing the teacher how unreasonably his response was.
“Daughter: He kept pinging my bra. I asked him to stop but he didn’t, so I told my teacher. He told me to ignore it. The boy did it again and undid my bra so I hit him. Then he stopped.
“I turned to the teacher.
“Me: You let him do this? Why didn’t you stop him? Come over here and let me touch the front of your trousers.
“Teacher: What? No!
“Me: Does that seem inappropriate to you? Why don’t you go and pull on the counselor’s bra right now. See how fun it is for her. Or on that boy’s mom’s bra. Or mine. You think just because they’re kids it’s fun?”
Even after that clear example, the principal makes one more unsuccessful statement.
“Principal: With all due respect, your daughter still beat another child.
“Me: No. She defended herself against a sexual assault from another pupil. Look at the them. He’s a foot taller than her and twice as heavy. How many times should she have let him touch her? If the person who was supposed to help and protect her in a classroom couldn’t be bothered what should she have done? He pulled her bra so hard it came undone.”
At this point, everyone finally understands the situation.
“The boy’s mom is still crying and his dad looks both angry and embarrassed. The teacher won’t make eye contact with me.
“I was so angry I gathered my daughter’s things and left. I reported it to the superintendent, and was assured it was strongly dealt with.”
This story just goes to show how much we as a society need to readjust how we look at certain situations and that every person deserves respect, regardless of age, gender, or other factors.
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