Child Predators

One of the most difficult jobs as a parent is protecting our kids. And protecting them from child predators is ranked #1 in my book.

As the mother of a female elementary school child I am often confronted with the "spending the night" issue. It is NO! A big fat NO! Too young. I talk to her about others touching her and who should and shouldn't and when it is appropriate (like at the doctor for an exam with mommy in the room) and when it isn't. But I am not about to forfeit my daughter's innocence at such a young age. I am not naive enough to believe it won't be lost all too soon anyway by her own choice. . .

UGH! Moving on. The thought makes my stomach turn . . .

So there is this girl in her class whose parent's are divorced. One random Friday her dad calls after school (whom I have never met) and he invite's my daughter over to hang out and have pizza with his daughter and even spend the night!!!! I was so stunned by the bold offer I didn't even know what to say at first. Is this guy serious? I mean, I don't know you and you think I am just going to drop my daughter off to your house for the night just because your daughter is in her class. I THINK NOT MISTER!

So I say, yes, only to the hanging out and invite myself along. I claim my daughter is going through a stage of not wanting me to leave her anywhere - which is actually true. This seems to catch him off guard. He was ok with it, but seemed a bit bothered that I would be accompanying her.

So I ask the time and the directions and get the sense that he doesn't really want us to come now. But he offers up directions and upon arrival we are at his girlfriend's house???? No wonder he was probably not wanting me to show up. I hung out anyway. She seemed nice enough and all. They were gracious and we all ate pizza together. I offered to pay my share and they insisted I not. Ok. Whatever.

At the end of the nighthis daughter started asking if my daughter could sleep over. Of course, I am in no way going to do this but she was egging on my daughter to ask me. Even when I said no. The dad's girlfriend started chiming in and saying that the little girl even had a flat screen tv in her room and how fun will that be? I was getting irritated. Not only were they seeming to try to bribe her but they should have told the girl to stop asking me and putting me on the spot so many times when I already said No. Finally, after about the 20th time the Dad told her to stop asking and then she wanted to know why I wouldn't let my daughter stay over. It was bizarre and I just proceeded to pack up and leave.

Said little girl visits our house twice. Dad has no problem leaving her with us. Fine with me. His perogative. I know I am not a child predator. But he doesn't. Dumb ass.

A few days ago the Dad called to invite my daughter over for another Friday after school visit. He spoke with my husband. Ole' husband turned the conversation around smoothly and got him to bring his daughter over to our house instead. After he hung up he explained to me that the Dad kept asking for us to just drop her off at his place and they would get pizza. Of course my husband is privvy to my weird feelings of the first visit.

When the dad arrives to pick up his daughter after that visit he lingers a bit and chit chats. He asks if my daughter can come over the next day during the day to play. He was just going to be cutting grass and would make the kids hot dogs for lunch. I said, "Sure, give us a call in the morning and I will come over with her. If not me, my husband will." He got uncomfortable again. He said, "You can just drop her off. My girlfriend will be there to watch the girls while I cut the grass." My husband chimed in that our daughter doesn't like to be left alone at other people's houses. His response was "Still?"

So we ended with him saying he would call in the morning and we promised one of us would stop by with our daughter.

Guess what? He never called.

Just me or does this story seem weird?