Work

Hi SOTH - I just need to vent about work today and I know it's okay here....

So yesterday I had a parent call voicing her concern about her daughter who had head lice (3 times) this year and she said it's because a friend of her daughter's has lice and she wanted me to call the mom and tell her to treat her! Okay, so I listened to this mom's frustration with the reocuring lice problem she was having, however I explained I could not call another parent based on heresay...In a school of 1200, we don't do school checks for lice but I told this mom I would email the teachers and ask them to observe any unusual itching, etc. If the teacher wants me to check a class, of course I will. It's interesting that this student got head lice on Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Break and a holiday....anyway she wanted me to call the health department because she just knew this other student had lice...again, I explained the health dept is not contacted for one report of lice......what I wanted to say was, compared to menigitis, pneumonia, flu, head lice isn't a "health problem"....Okay so she wasn't happy with my answers...I ended the conversation with I will talk to the vice principal and do whatever she wants me to do - of course this mother said, I expect to be told of what the outcome is...again, I explained this is a confidentiality issue and I wouldn't be telling her the "results"....so she hung up on me....

I immediately documented the phone call, informed administration, because I just had a feeling she might take our conversation further. So today I received an email from this mother...she also emailed the principal and all of the teachers of her student....basically the email was telling me I had zero compassion for her situation, even though I told her my Jennifer had lice when she was in elementary school ( you know how that tugged @ my heart)...I wanted her to know 'I GET IT"....

Anyway, she told God and everyone, I was not compassionate to her situation. I was rude. I hung up on HER. She also said I was not willing to do anything, even though I told her I would check with Admin to see what we could do. URGH!!!!!!! How do you spell BITCH?

Because I had documented this conversation, I sent it to the principal letting him know what I had said and of course, I didn't hang up on her.....I ended up checking 2 classes targeting this friend that supposedly had lice...making sure no one is singled out...I have had parents get mad because their child has been targeted all because some other student said, they had lice...so I just don't rely on students or parents......of other students.

No head lice was found in these 2 classes...now these kids have 6 classes a day and are everywhere....so again we have 1200 kids....

So here I sit, knowing I didn't do anything wrong, but I just hate it when someone as accused me of being rude, not compassionate, non-caring, it always upsets me.....

If she only knew, I have more compassion now than I have ever had....if she only knew I lost my only child....if she only knew it takes everything in me to not REACT and scream.......if she only knew how much I care about these kids I see everyday....if she only knew my heart........if she only knew

Thanks for reading - sorry it's rambling but I just needed to vent....Tomorrow is my Friday. Jim & I going to Phoenix for the weekend meeting friends...I will try to relax, smile a little and know in my heart I did the right thing.  ((((hugs)))) Vicki