Handcuffed

There is always advice to stand back when your kids have kids. People will tell you to keep your distance and let the kids make mistakes, but what do you do when these young/new parents are a disgrace. Furthermore, the grandchild has learning disabilities and is on the spectrum. I stand back and watch as these new parents - who are no longer together - force this academically challenged child into a “normal” or regular classroom where he is totally lost. I offered to pay for a private speciality school and somehow they screwed it up thus he returns to the public school system with more harm being done. The most recent episode involves the child writing on a book and not doing assigned work. A text from the teacher has been shared, and it clearly states the child will not do the work so this has been happening all year.

“He doesn’t need to be in a regular class.”

“No, he usually is quiet and does his work, he just had a bad week.” The baby momma responds in a way that reveals her ignorance and possible inability to understand what the teacher was expressing.

This conversation punched me in the face and kicked up my anxiety as I realize, maybe finally fully realize, that there is nothing I can do. I cannot fix this and I cannot do anything immediate as this is not my child so everything is out of my reach and I have no control.

I sit here tonight in a funk as I now have to watch this young child continue to fail, fail, fail and fall further behind as neither parent wants to put in the work with the little one. My son complains that he has to do everything and she (babby momma) will do nothing. I want to scream at him that it does not matter, you must do it. Also, he needs to be reminded that his own father did nothing, it was all his mother and me.

I want to run away, I want to no longer be connected to this, I want to be gone.