I work a lot of shows with children and have had brief shoulder rubbings with Child Protective Services, an agency that sends shivers up my spine but shouldn’t because they help protect innocent children from evil adults. I think the reason they make me shiver is because I homeschool and a neighbour who decides my children are a little bit too noisy, or run around too scantily clad in the winter, or have more broken bones or cuts or scratches than they deem appropriate, or who generally make a nuisance of themselves during the day when they should be in school, can report me to CPS who in turn could come knocking on my door this afternoon.
Some friends of mine went through this nightmare while their daughter was in a show I was stage managing. All of sudden their child wasn’t theirs any more and you know, people aren’t kind…they take the side of CPS everytime. The little girl was allowed to continue with the show but not allowed to live with her parents and they were helpless.
Enter Dean Tong, my guest this week, who will outline for us the strategies we can use when we are falsely accused of child abuse because we homeschool and our neighbours think we’re weird.
On a good note the little girl is back with her parents and auditioning for another show. The family had loving help and support from friends and social workers, but I know that every time I talked to the Mum all those years ago while she was going through her nightmare, the tears flowed freely. Will she ever recover from the fear of betrayal? How careful is too careful?
Tune in today at 4pm CT on Toginet.com to hear my natter with Mr. Dean Tong, expert witness for homeschooling parents who are falsely accused of child abuse.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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