Karen Coleman

"Not My Child": a Handbook for Parents with Troubled Children Karen Coleman

"Not My Child" Have anyone ever told you something negative about your son or daughter? Was the first words from your lips "not my child?" Well, yes, as a matter of fact, plenty of parents have made that same statement, so have I. Because what we see is the surface of our children's lives. Well, if you've ever wondered why your child only wears a certain color? Why does your child carry a cigarette lighter but don't smoke? Why would your child want to be dropped at the mall but has no money? Why is my child spending so much time on the computer? Why is my child dressing so different? You ask the same questions that many other parents ask but don't want to really know the answer. Bobby is a sixteen year old student who's parents were notified concerning his behavior and interest in the gang element. Bobby's parents were unsupportive of the school and also denied that any of these allegations were possible. Bobby's mother first response to the call was, "not my child." "Bobby is a good kid, he never goes anywhere, all he does is play video games at home and he's in the house all the time."It's now 4:30pm and Bobby has not made it home from school. Bobby's mother took a trip up to the school house looking for him. She sees a large crowd with police cars and ambulances near the building. There had been a gang fight between two rival gangs in the area and some of the actors were injured. Bobby's mother searched through the crowd and was relieved she didn't see him. As she looked away to leave, she caught a glimpse of a snow white sheet with deep red blood stains covering only one area of the ground. Her heart began to beat against the wall of her chest as if it would break through. She ran as fast as she could, before the officer could stop her she pulled at the sheet uncovering what was underneath. There lay Bobby, her first born and only son, dead. She let out a scream that could be heard for miles and scared the ears of all who heard it. The only words she could let es