Sparkling Adventures in Child Neglect: Now with Rats!

[lilith]

What is the hell she doing for 2 weeks anyway?

Apparently going to France (sans enfants)

[Blahblah]

My 9 year old just went to school camp for 2 nights, an hour away from home, under the supervision of several responsible adults and I worried the entire time about how she would cope. And the sparkly one plans to leave four girls, all under 8, in the "presence" of strangers for a fortnight? To travel half way around the world?

Wonder who she's going with / who is paying for this.

[ILoveJellybeans]

She is leaving 4 kids under 8 alone for 2 weeks???? Shes a horrible parent.

[Jinderella]

OMG, independent not yet 4 year old child looks for unknown babysitter? I have no words...

OK, I do have some words. If you don't want them, I will take them. Forever.

[sadie673]

Sweet baby jesus...those poor girls. :(

[Phoebe]

OMG, independent not yet 4 year old child looks for unknown babysitter? I have no words...

OK, I do have some words. If you don't want them, I will take them. Forever.

Me too. Hell, I'll come to Oz, pick them up, and SparkleMonster can caravan wherever the fuck she likes sans enfants.

Those poor babies.

[ladyaudley]

Seriously. Any FJingerites in Queensland? this is just beyond words.

[pastaswife]

I actually imagined what I would do if I met Sparkles when she was in my area. Like maybe befriend her and convince her to leave the kids behind when she left. When I read this today I actually wish I had done.

Seriously, if she doesn't want them *this* bad why doesn't she just leave them with their grandparents?? They aren't "authentic" unschoolers or anything but if she cares this little what does it matter??

[ladyaudley]

She had a facebook post up a couple of days asking whether people preferred smooth relationships or the sharing of authentic viewpoints. I just commented on it thusly:

"Lauren, here's an authentic viewpoint: Please don't look for strangers to look after your daughters for two weeks. None of your daughters are even 10 yet. They are reasonably independent, but it is irresponsible to leave them in the care of people you do not know and only expect to be "present". Please consider your daughters needs, many of which they are not old enough to articulate to themselves or you. "

That'll probably get me banned, but hey ho. It's all I could do.

[August]

Holy fucking fuck.

Do you have to be in Queensland to call CPS?

ETA: OK, so in practical terms I bet her family would be there in a hot second to look after those girls if they knew her plan. They need to know. I would want to know if I were an aunt or grandmother. I know she's estranged from the fundy sister, Renee, but her blog (nesting in skyscrapers) has a google+ link on it. She could let the doctor sister in NSW know and the mother in Perth and the father in Sydney. Anyone game to email Renee with the link to that facebook post?

[pastaswife]

She's in NSW, so wouldn't you ring NSW docs? I think its just a hotline so maybe its nation-wide??

[ladyaudley]

hey, she *did* reply to me!

Thanks, *myname*. Please be assured that I am not looking for strangers to look after my daughters for two weeks. Love to you and thank you for caring. <3

While I'm fairly sure it's just a "you've got it all wrong" answer, it was much sweeter than I expected. Weird!

[pastaswife]

The woman who sells thermomix products "flew down for the gathering" so I guess that's how she can claim it isn't strangers. Or that "everyone with the same belief as me is family" thing she does.

I still don't see much of her new economy personally, a friend flying across the country to help a woman she knows online watch her four kids while she has fun in France for two weeks. The only person receiving in that economy is Lauren.

[So Many Lies]

The woman who sells thermomix products "flew down for the gathering" so I guess that's how she can claim it isn't strangers. Or that "everyone with the same belief as me is family" thing she does.

I still don't see much of her new economy personally, a friend flying across the country to help a woman she knows online watch her four kids while she has fun in France for two weeks. The only person receiving in that economy is Lauren.

Ha. The last thing I saw her contribute to the "new economy" was renting her house out for free. I don't think Thermomix Buddy is a believer in the NE; those things are like $2000. (!)

[So Many Lies]

She's in NSW, so wouldn't you ring NSW docs? I think its just a hotline so maybe its nation-wide??

They won't take action. They will regard all this as lifestyle choices. Also they really only act on the say so of a teacher, doctor or immediate relative. They won't do much on the word of even a grandmother.

Also the poor resources mean this kind of thing will go to the very bottom of the pile as they have some pretty intense cases to follow up which are toe curlingly disgusting. They don't do much "prevention" type work. And they don't have the resources for no fixed address types. They don't follow anyone around for example.

Not enough funding. It's a shame but that's how it is.

[So Many Lies]

^ PS Pastaswife that came out a lot more curtly than I meant...so please don't take it as my being rude. I had a job briefly involving certain elements family law which was a (depressingly) eye opening experience as far as the court system and NSW DOCS were concerned.

I do believe though that Lauren has family keeping an eye on things somehow. Well ok that's partly wishful thinking...

[So Many Lies]

hey, she *did* reply to me!

While I'm fairly sure it's just a "you've got it all wrong" answer, it was much sweeter than I expected. Weird!

I reckon she warmed to you because you used the magic word "authentic". You were kindred spirits, kind of as if you had verbal dreads...

[pastaswife]

^ PS Pastaswife that came out a lot more curtly than I meant...so please don't take it as my being rude. I had a job briefly involving certain elements family law which was a (depressingly) eye opening experience as far as the court system and NSW DOCS were concerned.

I do believe though that Lauren has family keeping an eye on things somehow. Well ok that's partly wishful thinking...

I get it, government run institutions are way too under-funded. I still wonder if maybe it'd be good to ring in, just so they have a record if something does go wrong with her *brilliant* plan (eyeroll)

[ladyaudley]

I reckon she warmed to you because you used the magic word "authentic". You were kindred spirits, kind of as if you had verbal dreads...

oh yes. I tried my best to make it palatable without being a lie.

[So Many Lies]

I'm reading her blog archives, and just happen to come across where she stated that neither she nor David have university degrees, but are self-taught in their respective fields.

Also, I've got to say that so far, David seems like a pretty wonderful guy, dedicated to her and the kids. It makes me so much more curious what it was that really happened with him.

Sorry to go back in time so far but I had to do a bit of a catch up. I agree, there are times David seems pretty cool. He likes to meet people, have fun. He had a vision for their family and he was quite

entrepreneurial plus he did kid wrangle during Lauren's PPD which went on for some time. I can forgive the church outburst as he had a doctrinal disagreement and the pastors and head honchos just wanted to hush him up. He devoted his life to god and in fact that's all he's known, he had a passionate outburst bourne of frustration. Those large pentecostal churches often have a security guard around, mainly for censure if you ask me. Yes at times I thought I really liked david and I wondered if she was gaslighting him.

But on the other hand, he had an affair in NZ which made me feel for lauren immensely. And he was open about her fridgidity which pissed me off. And even his dragging his brother and I think a friend into

the ward moments after lauren gave birth gufflawing and chowing down on takeaway made me think he was a selfish turd. There are also some posts with him standing by rushing water expressing a desire to go with the current in a creepy prophetic way. It's all very confusing to me. Was he mentally ill at the time of the apocalypse planning or was that just a thing he was trying out?

The David part is the most complex element to this for sure. It is interesting isn't it? And of course devastating but I don't like to think about it too much.

[church_of_dog]

Sorry to go back in time so far but I had to do a bit of a catch up. I agree, there are times David seems pretty cool. He likes to meet people, have fun. He had a vision for their family and he was quite

entrepreneurial plus he did kid wrangle during Lauren's PPD which went on for some time. I can forgive the church outburst as he had a doctrinal disagreement and the pastors and head honchos just wanted to hush him up. He devoted his life to god and in fact that's all he's known, he had a passionate outburst bourne of frustration. Those large pentecostal churches often have a security guard around, mainly for censure if you ask me. Yes at times I thought I really liked david and I wondered if she was gaslighting him.

But on the other hand, he had an affair in NZ which made me feel for lauren immensely. And he was open about her fridgidity which pissed me off. And even his dragging his brother and I think a friend into

the ward moments after lauren gave birth gufflawing and chowing down on takeaway made me think he was a selfish turd. There are also some posts with him standing by rushing water expressing a desire to go with the current in a creepy prophetic way. It's all very confusing to me. Was he mentally ill at the time of the apocalypse planning or was that just a thing he was trying out?

The David part is the most complex element to this for sure. It is interesting isn't it? And of course devastating but I don't like to think about it too much.

Yeah I was making my way through the earlier parts of the blog when I wrote that, and as I got to the last year or so before Elijah died, I did start to get an odd feel about him -- not sure how much that was because I knew what was approaching, or whether it was really there, but -- I definitely felt a different vibe about him later. I don't know why but I find these guys fascinating -- I find myself hoping that as David's case gets dealt with, either Lauren will post about it or perhaps the news media will -- I'm so curious if it's perceived as mental illness (as opposed to basic criminal intent).

You also could be right that the whole apocalypse planning was driven by him, as she certainly doesn't seem to be thinking along those lines anymore -- aimless travel is pretty much the opposite of settling in to a life of self-reliance... I think she is clearly struggling mentally as well, at a minimum with processing the tragedy and quite possibly with some inherent/pre-existing issues on top of that.

[church_of_dog]

verbal dreads...

:lol: :lol:

[longskirtlotsakids]

she also just joined the group "we want a polyamorous relationship status" on fb.

Oh fuck me sideways. That probably means someone interested in the girls too.

[pastaswife]

She's now basically taunting people who are more concerned about her children than she is. How authentic.

[lilith]

She's off....

I wonder where the kids are?