Every summer in Milwaukee, including this one, rampant child abuse takes place.
The child abuse is committed by no-good parents, single parents, parents who are generally very good parents most of the year, poor parents, wealthier parents, city parents, suburban parents.
This abuse probably began around Summerfest, was especially evident during the July 3rd fireworks at the lakefront, and will continue through the ethnic festivals, church festivals, the Wisconsin State Fair and various county fairs.
I am referring to the many, many, many parents who make the terrible decision to take their infants, babies, or very small children out at night to any of the above mentioned outdoor events, and then keep them out until 10:00, 11:00, Midnight, 1:00 a.m., just so they can selfishly be out and have a good time.
There they are, not a care in the world these Parents of the Year, smoking, drinking, carrying on as their babies lie crying, screaming, attempting to sleep in strollers as fireworks, huge crowds, loud conversations, and other smoking, drinking, carrying on folks surround them.
Is 8:30 p.m. past a baby’s bedtime?
How about 9:00?
10:00, when now it’s dark?
11:00?
12 Midnight?
1:00?
Suppose you take your infant or baby or small child to the July 3rd fireworks. Those fireworks (this year, shot off in a rainstorm) begin at 9:25. They go until 10:00. You weave your way through the crowd to get to your car. When do you get home? 11:00? 11:30? Midnight? Is that being a good parent to that poor child?
Would you do this if you were a parent, say, in the middle of the winter? Would you, some random January or February night just keep your baby up until midnight?
I have brought this up as a topic twice in the past few years filling in for Mark Belling on Newstalk 1130 WISN. The response was overwhelming.
About half of the audience wanted to pin medals on me. The other half wanted to hang me from the nearest tree. “How dare you dictate to me how I should parent!”
I called it "borderline child abuse." Several callers said no, it's not borderline, it is child abuse.
One very young suburban mom told me it was no big deal because it was only one night out of the year. I proceeded to ask her if it was wrong 364 nights out of the year, why was it right on the 365th night? So you could see your fireworks?
Many “bad” parents as I called them said the kids were asleep anyhow, so why couldn’t they enjoy a night out.
Hello, idiot parent. It’s not about you. It’s about the child.
Did you not assume a large and vital responsibility when you decided to have a child, and then actually had the child?
If being out late at night to carouse with other being carousing late at night is that important to you, have no not heard of the concept called, “the babysitter?”
What is so difficult to understand? When it’s bedtime (clue to today’s raised on Spock-parents: when it’s dark out), that means very young children
need to be HOME IN BED.In today’s “me first” society, especially in an area that lives for the summer goings-on, this child abuse, unfortunately continue every year, and as long as there are clueless, selfish parents.
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