WOES

 Last night Ethan says that his friend Shawn has agreed to do the Marine PT with him every Tuesday and Thursday at the recruiter office. He is super excited, and he is asking me to give him and Shawn rides every week to these PT sessions. I work a second job, I can’t do that! I already tell my second job to not schedule me Mondays. Now Ethan wants me to be free two additional nights for him to go to PT? Also, even if I do that, its not just Ethan that wants a ride, it’s Shawn too. He doesn’t live far, he lives in Camp Taylor, but Ethan is asking too much. He expects me to come home from work, drive to Camp Taylor to get Shawn, drive them to the Marine office, then at 7 go pick them up, and take Shawn home as well. Where the hell are this kids parents? I love Ethan and want to be there for him, but here I am again, finding myself being asked to provide support in some way to another child, and I can barely be available to my own at this point. Shawns parents have only given Ethan a ride over there and back twice in the history of their friendship. They took him out to eat one time and paid. I have given Shawn and Ethan rides numerous times, I have gone out of my way to take them to the mall, Woodrow and I have given Shawn and Ethan rides to paintball and paid for both boys more than one or two times I am sure, and not just paying for the games, but the rental equipment and everything, and then treating to the boys to eating out afterwards, all expenses paid. I have paid for Shawn to go to the movies with us, buying him treats and stuff. Then last week Shawn is begging Ethan for money to play paintball, trying to talk him in to asking Woodrow for the money, me for the money, they also assume I am their ride. I mean, geez! Enough is enough. I will always try to accommodate for Ethan and his friends, but only for so much. And how about Ethan approach others for support with rides, money, and plans? Where are Shawns parents? Why is it that he never gets money, or rides, or any sort of support? I have one kid, and I can only be responsible for one child. I can’t afford right now to donate my time or money to a child that isn’t mine. I would love to see Shawn do something positive in his life for once, because he is an at risk teen, and he is doing bad choices, but I simply can’t be his parent. I appreciate it when Shawns parents do things, but it is so rare. And I can’t have a kid begging money from my kid and from me and my ex-husband. That is insane.