the new kid I tutor burns down buildings with her brain
I got my new student at the family center. Her name is B and she's 11. She has a snaggle tooth and she had all of her hair cut off because she had lice. My new student is definitely going to be difficult, but she really likes me which makes everything easier. Plus I like being liked
She is a troubled little girl. Did I tell you about this father I met at the family center who was a plumber? Anyway, he comes with the kids and I was talking to him one day. He is raising his kids because the mom was drunk and on drugs. Well, it's his little girl. She pretty much has never had a woman around and is really disheveled and a little out of control. She's really creative, but has some learning and behavior problems. She talks non-stop and told me everything about her life. I think that she might have some pretty severe psychiatric problems, but I'm hoping they are just creative stories. Things like she thinks she made a house burn down by thinking about it. I think she's dealing with these huge concepts like her mother being lost to drugs and thinks it is her fault, and she also thinks she can move things with her mind and stuff, which is a childlike fantasy, maybe about having control about her surroundings.
I found out that her father finally really got that woman out of their lives when he found out that one of the days that she was in custody of the kids, my little B got sexually abused by her step father. (when her drugged up mom was in the room, being touched too. That shit is so fucked up I couldn't get over it. She was about 8 then. What the hell is wrong with our whole world?) Now, they have a restraining order against her and him. B was so open with all of this, and told me right away, with all of the details. Apparently it's common knowledge among the family center adults. They know all about her past history. (of course, I was nervous that it might have been her father, or it was still going on, but I don't think that's the case at all.) Her father does have some messed up concepts of what's important -- like a lot of parents in Hampden. He bought new rims for his car and a new stereo, but B's bedroom leaks rain through the roof. She has all the CD's she could ever want, but doesn't get new clothes. Stuff like that. A lot of the parents are like that in Hampden -- like the people across the street from me: new bikes, but no rent.
Anyway, she will definitely be a challenge, but she's willing to go on it with me and it feels a lot better than before. She might have ADD or something, because of how "all over the place" she is, But I find that if I give her my total attention she's fine or almost fine.
It makes me really wish I could get her some new things, to make her fit in better at school. Some new clothes and stuff. She says that no one likes her and everyone thinks she's weird. ....And she is weird. But, luckily, I can't really bring her stuff like that to the family center. If I started to I might get a little too close and too involved. She begged me to stay late and keep talking to her. I told her I'd see her on Wednesday and we could talk then. I have to be careful not to get sucked in too close to the family.
She asked if I could be her mom.
It's all so sad.
I got my new student at the family center. Her name is B and she's 11. She has a snaggle tooth and she had all of her hair cut off because she had lice. My new student is definitely going to be difficult, but she really likes me which makes everything easier. Plus I like being liked
She is a troubled little girl. Did I tell you about this father I met at the family center who was a plumber? Anyway, he comes with the kids and I was talking to him one day. He is raising his kids because the mom was drunk and on drugs. Well, it's his little girl. She pretty much has never had a woman around and is really disheveled and a little out of control. She's really creative, but has some learning and behavior problems. She talks non-stop and told me everything about her life. I think that she might have some pretty severe psychiatric problems, but I'm hoping they are just creative stories. Things like she thinks she made a house burn down by thinking about it. I think she's dealing with these huge concepts like her mother being lost to drugs and thinks it is her fault, and she also thinks she can move things with her mind and stuff, which is a childlike fantasy, maybe about having control about her surroundings.
I found out that her father finally really got that woman out of their lives when he found out that one of the days that she was in custody of the kids, my little B got sexually abused by her step father. (when her drugged up mom was in the room, being touched too. That shit is so fucked up I couldn't get over it. She was about 8 then. What the hell is wrong with our whole world?) Now, they have a restraining order against her and him. B was so open with all of this, and told me right away, with all of the details. Apparently it's common knowledge among the family center adults. They know all about her past history. (of course, I was nervous that it might have been her father, or it was still going on, but I don't think that's the case at all.) Her father does have some messed up concepts of what's important -- like a lot of parents in Hampden. He bought new rims for his car and a new stereo, but B's bedroom leaks rain through the roof. She has all the CD's she could ever want, but doesn't get new clothes. Stuff like that. A lot of the parents are like that in Hampden -- like the people across the street from me: new bikes, but no rent.
Anyway, she will definitely be a challenge, but she's willing to go on it with me and it feels a lot better than before. She might have ADD or something, because of how "all over the place" she is, But I find that if I give her my total attention she's fine or almost fine.
It makes me really wish I could get her some new things, to make her fit in better at school. Some new clothes and stuff. She says that no one likes her and everyone thinks she's weird. ....And she is weird. But, luckily, I can't really bring her stuff like that to the family center. If I started to I might get a little too close and too involved. She begged me to stay late and keep talking to her. I told her I'd see her on Wednesday and we could talk then. I have to be careful not to get sucked in too close to the family.
She asked if I could be her mom.
It's all so sad.
posted by j-e-s-s-i-c-a at 3:34 PM
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