The Language Barrier – A Disasterous Visit to the Playpark

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It’s not been a good few days in the Scottish world. One high (hmmm) point stands out. For yesterdays plummet to the depths of ridiculousness, you had to be watching my twitter stream.

A couple of nights ago, eldest and littler decided they wanted to go to the park with some of the older children in the campsite. Being the suspicious, non trusting mum that I am, I said that they could only go if I was there as well.

Getting the “blind” dog suited and booted, we all began to head off for the park. There were 5 older children (between 13 – 15), two of my ADHD boys and the blind dog. I had to pass some of the older childrens’ mum on the way out of the campsite, and she told me that my boys would have been ok, as there are two 13 year olds and a 15 year old with them. I smiled, nodded and kept going.

Spotting a flash behind me, I then heard another boy. He was pedalling for all his might to catch up with us. My heart sinks at seeing another ADHD child from the campsite, whose medicine must wear off at tea time, as his behaviour ramps up significantly after that. I struggled with the fact that his mother agreed to let him go to the park with a stranger, but had no choice but go with it. He caught up with the group well in front of me and heading through the woods. I resigned myself to playing peace keeper.

Keeping the main group in sight, I slowly caught up with them when we were almost at the park. I was horrified to see a boy about 6 or 7 in front that I didn’t recognise. As if in slow motion, he left that group and began to walk toward me. My eldest suddenly decided to join me and tell me he was German, spoke no English, and had tagged along with us. We had walked through two fields, across densely bushed tracks and there was absolutely NO way he would find his way back alone (let alone for it to be safe for him). The teenagers didn’t blink, nor notice he was slipping off.

He began to leg it in totally the opposite direction to the campsite.

Towards a fast-moving river.

The group in front, including littler, kept going. A split second choice told me that the German boy was in much more danger than littler, so I chose which way to go. I wouldn’t have caught him at the speed he was going, and with a blind dog to top it all off, I did begin to worry about how it was all going to end. Yay me for having such an inconvenient package.

Thankfully eldest was still beside me and I sent him off to catch the German boy. They both disappeared and I was furious that I had to leave littler with the older kids, while I raced around after someone else’s child.

The ADHD on the bike took that moment to decide to head off in a completely different direction, and I just about busted a gut shouting at him to get back to where I was “NOW.” Thankfully my voice must have sounded like “don’t mess with me,” as he came right back.

After shouting for my eldest, and getting no answer, I went as fast as I could to try to catch up. At that point, my eldest stuck his foot out, just as the German boy was running away from his grasp and down the hill.

German boy was obviously absolutely terrified, and nobody could tell him what was wrong, or why. He fell over when eldest tripped him up, and eldest managed to pull him away from the edge of the river. He was about three steps away from heading over the edge.

Terrified by now at being chased and shouted at, the German boy punched my eldest in the face, and eldest retaliated by dragging German boy kicking and screaming by his clothes. We then began the walk towards littler and the blissfully unfazed teenagers.

I was furious, relieved and irritated at the same time.

On the walk to get littler, the German boy tried to leg it again – twice. Both times, eldest chased, got him by the collar and brought him back. Eventually, the German boy clicked, and stopped trying to run in the opposite direction. Finding my youngest, we headed back to the campsite and deposited German boy in sight of his van, before seeing ADHD on bike to his.

I couldn’t face German boy’s parents, or I’d have torn a strip off them for not even bothering to go looking for him.

By the time we got up the next morning, said German family had shipped on out, probably blissfully unaware of how close they came to losing their child.

I will NEVER take anyone else’s children to the park again.

Be still my beating heart !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!