Sparkling Adventures in Child Neglect - "Gayby" is Born!

[Blahblah]

God, I googled Chloe but couldn't bring myself to read the articles. The headlines were horrific enough and told me everything I needed to know! I'm sending up a prayer of thanks for my own sensible mum, even if we do annoy the tits off each other at times.

Probably wise not to read the details. Some things can't be unseen. Sadly this is happening in my home city and I know a couple of people professionally who were on the edges of this whole mess so I can't look away.

[Lissa1481]

My pet store rats all lived 2+ years.

WTF were they doing the the poor rats?

I was thinking the same thing. We have two rats that were "feeder" rats and were given to us by a neighbor after her snake didn't eat them. Though they don't like to be handled, they are healthy and nearly two years old now. It's not that hard!

[chaotic life]

Mama Mia, you may have missed the paralysis tick incident. She was very sketchy with details of that one and I seriously question whether she actually even got medical advice or said that because she knew she would get turned in if she didn't. I can no longer remember if it was the same child who got the bur.

And honestly, the constant lice situation falls under neglect as well. I strongly suspect she cannot get rid of those poor babies' lice because her precious dreds are likely the primary source of the infestation.

[DaffyDill]

I don't care what animal or species you choose to take on as a pet, you have a supreme responsibility for it's welfare. The appropriate food, water, exercise, socialisation, temperature controlled environment if necessary, security, medical care, and hygiene in the form of clean cage or animals like the rats and guinea pigs etc., bowls for cats and dogs, or a stall in the case of a horse, brushing/grooming, dental care, farrier or anything else your choice of critter requires. Caring properly for a pet is a total commitment that can take time and money - which if you love your pet, you do without question as you do for your kids.

Lauren cannot, or won't care for her own girls properly, so she is the last person I would give any kind of pet to. She just isn't responsible, and is likely to give all the responsibility for the animals to the girls who haven't been properly taught to care for themselves let alone a dependent creature. Lana especially, probably would need a little more help than say, Aisha as she is that much younger.

Aargh! Sorry for a post of stating the bloody obvious, but when people such as Lauren neglect their pets, show no remorse when they die as a likely result of that neglect, then just trundle off to replace them with more after having learned not a damn thing, it really sets me off and makes me want to hit something. Preferably Lauren. :angry-steamingears:

Edit: Sorry again, my dog isn't well, and we may lose her this year, so anything like this sets me off :cry:

[DaffyDill]

Mama Mia, you may have missed the paralysis tick incident. She was very sketchy with details of that one and I seriously question whether she actually even got medical advice or said that because she knew she would get turned in if she didn't. I can no longer remember if it was the same child who got the bur.

And honestly, the constant lice situation falls under neglect as well. I strongly suspect she cannot get rid of those poor babies' lice because her precious dreds are likely the primary source of the infestation.

It was Lana who had a tick. To quote Lauren

She’s been “wobbly†— unable to walk properly and even falling down sometimes. And it was all from a paralysis tick that was lodged behind one ear.

It's all in this post: sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1942

After Lauren removed the tick, poor little Lana who wasn't quite 4 at the time, counted to deteriorate. Lauren says she sought medical advice but neglects to mention if it was from a doctor, nurse, or just someone like Hellena.

Lana's legs became uncoordinated, she limped, and then developed facial tics, and looked as if she had a lazy eye. The area of the original bite was a bit painful and her lymph nodes were swollen. Poor little kid.

Can't recall who had the prickle in her eye though...

[ATC]

Can't recall who had the prickle in her eye though...

I thought it was Aisha, but checked and it was Calista (the pic was on instagram on 7th April 2014).

At the time, Lauren wrote:

"Eye-watering, much? 6yo Calista didn't want me to intervene, so I waited... several days... And she got the prickle out by herself! (Phew!)"

"This wasn't so painful that it stopped a little girl from enjoying her day... She was comfortable with its presence, and as it wasn't damaging her eye, I honoured that."

[moodygirl86]

I don't care what animal or species you choose to take on as a pet, you have a supreme responsibility for it's welfare. The appropriate food, water, exercise, socialisation, temperature controlled environment if necessary, security, medical care, and hygiene in the form of clean cage or animals like the rats and guinea pigs etc., bowls for cats and dogs, or a stall in the case of a horse, brushing/grooming, dental care, farrier or anything else your choice of critter requires. Caring properly for a pet is a total commitment that can take time and money - which if you love your pet, you do without question as you do for your kids.

Lauren cannot, or won't care for her own girls properly, so she is the last person I would give any kind of pet to. She just isn't responsible, and is likely to give all the responsibility for the animals to the girls who haven't been properly taught to care for themselves let alone a dependent creature. Lana especially, probably would need a little more help than say, Aisha as she is that much younger.

Aargh! Sorry for a post of stating the bloody obvious, but when people such as Lauren neglect their pets, show no remorse when they die as a likely result of that neglect, then just trundle off to replace them with more after having learned not a damn thing, it really sets me off and makes me want to hit something. Preferably Lauren. :angry-steamingears:

Edit: Sorry again, my dog isn't well, and we may lose her this year, so anything like this sets me off :cry:

Awww Daffy, I'm sorry about your dog. Whatever happens, at least she has an owner like you to make her days as comfortable as possible and to generally do the right thing by her. You are both in my thoughts.

[ATC]

I agree with the previous posters about the pets. It is upsetting if they aren't being cared for properly and/or not surviving being left with others, particularly as Brioni seems to love animals and really care about her pets.

Lauren appears to have quite fixed views about formal school vs unschooling, but I sometimes wonder if she considered alternative schools when she made the decision to unschool. The Village School is one of the alternative schools in VIC and has goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, lizards etc and horse riding as part of the curriculum and I imagine Brioni (and the other girls) would love a school like that. The school's philosophy seems to fit in with Lauren's ideas more than mainstream schools do, and it would mean that the girls would get to care for a wide range of animals each day but Lauren wouldn't have the responsibility of the animal care.

I suspect Lauren has ruled out all formal schooling though.

----

One thing I did notice though, was that Lauren wrote in one of the travel posts that she had an awareness of the fact the girls haven't started learning a second language and mentioned that she wasn't going to leave it too long before they started learning one.

Initially, it made me think that if her girls had've been attending school or were being homeschooled following a curriculum, Aisha, for example would possibly already have 4-5 years of learning a second language behind her (the schools near us start languages in prep, so age 4-5).

Or if Lauren had've started teaching them some French a few years ago (which would make sense as she's familiar with the language) it would have enhanced their experience in Europe. The trip would have provided a fantastic and unique opportunity to practise conversing with the locals in French, reading signs written in French etc and they may have felt more involved, rather than just observing Lauren speaking with people in French.

But I think it's good that she's aware of this and, by the sounds of it, intending to support them in learning a second language.

[Paperplate]

I think Lauren really wasted an awesome opportunity. She's fluent in French, right? She could have totally been "teaching" French to the girls for years, by just talking to them. I'm sure there are lots of apps for their iPads out there that could supplement the conversations with their mum travel companion Lauren.

Maybe she didn't do it because she didn't think her French is good enough? Maybe she was too lazy? Maybe she doesn't realise that learning languages gets exponentially harder the older you become? But Lauren should know about that stuff. She grew up with different languages.

Aisha is almost ten now, right? Of course, she can still learn French (or whatever other language), but Lauren (and, back then, David) could have raised her bilingually, or at least started to teach her when she was much younger. There are so many benefits of learning languages.

Also, Lauren wrote that she enjoys speaking French. She could do that all the time -- with her girls.

[busdrivingmom]

I think Lauren really wasted an awesome opportunity. She's fluent in French, right? She could have totally been "teaching" French to the girls for years, by just talking to them. I'm sure there are lots of apps for their iPads out there that could supplement the conversations with their mum travel companion Lauren.

Maybe she didn't do it because she didn't think her French is good enough? Maybe she was too lazy? Maybe she doesn't realise that learning languages gets exponentially harder the older you become? But Lauren should know about that stuff. She grew up with different languages.

Aisha is almost ten now, right? Of course, she can still learn French (or whatever other language), but Lauren (and, back then, David) could have raised her bilingually, or at least started to teach her when she was much younger. There are so many benefits of learning languages.

Also, Lauren wrote that she enjoys speaking French. She could do that all the time -- with her girls.

Some people just cannot teach their kids certain things. Case in point, my mom. Love the woman, but when it comes to languages? Forget it.

My mom speaks four languages (English, French, Italian and Spanish) and wanted to be a French teacher. When I was in high school, she wanted to practice her Spanish while I was taking it so she offered to help me study. I ended up more confused because she would use Italian words instead. Plus it annoys her to no end when we try to pronounce any French word, she doesn't think we are saying it right. If other people do it, she might correct them, she might not. She doesn't usually get upset.

I am teaching my kids American Sign Language. But I don't shove it down their throats. They may ask what a certain sign is, we practice signs on occasion, or they will see their dad and I signing and ask what we are saying. My husband is not deaf, his brother is, but if we are not near each other, it can be easier to sign than shout.

[docmom]

I get the impression that Lauren is fundamentally too lazy to actually sit down and teach the girls anything. The girls in turn have never (expcet Aisha for a couple of years) been expected to sit down and work at something. Learning a language takes time and practice unless you learn it by growing up in a bilingual household and they've missed the boat on that one. Yes, you can get good on-line language programs but you have to willing to work at them. Pointing out the names of a few objects and reading the occasional road sign just won't cut it.

[shedemei]

I think Lauren really wasted an awesome opportunity. She's fluent in French, right? She could have totally been "teaching" French to the girls for years, by just talking to them. I'm sure there are lots of apps for their iPads out there that could supplement the conversations with their mum travel companion Lauren.

…

Also, Lauren wrote that she enjoys speaking French. She could do that all the time -- with her girls.

She'd probably wind up with girls that spoke only Lauren's version of French, with limited ability to communicate with the English speakers around them.

[Wenny]

I thought it was Aisha, but checked and it was Calista (the pic was on instagram on 7th April 2014).

At the time, Lauren wrote:

"Eye-watering, much? 6yo Calista didn't want me to intervene, so I waited... several days... And she got the prickle out by herself! (Phew!)"

"This wasn't so painful that it stopped a little girl from enjoying her day... She was comfortable with its presence, and as it wasn't damaging her eye, I honoured that."

Holy....I can't even think of a word. This women is not sane if she honored a prickle in her eye.

[Mama Mia]

Mama Mia, you may have missed the paralysis tick incident. She was very sketchy with details of that one and I seriously question whether she actually even got medical advice or said that because she knew she would get turned in if she didn't. I can no longer remember if it was the same child who got the bur.

And honestly, the constant lice situation falls under neglect as well. I strongly suspect she cannot get rid of those poor babies' lice because her precious dreds are likely the primary source of the infestation.

I did miss the tick incident :shock: yikes. What strikes me about the burr is that she not only didn't make an attempt to justify it, she a actually, in writing, and with a photo, stated it as a GOOD thing she let that poor little girl suffer. It's like she was doing a mandated report on herself!

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

I completely agree about the lice. But found out from CPS that ( at least in my county, it's not neglectful enough to initiate anything. I had a family member whose kids had them for, literally, years. Because the mom would never completely erradicate them. It was awful for those poor kids.

[August]

Lice are a common problem. Especially, interestingly enough, in otherwise involved and caring families. People just don't want to be bothered actually doing the work involved in really getting rid of them or are too lazy to figure out why they keep coming back so they just use the insecticide shampoo a couple of times and leave it at that. I actually had a parent bitching to me about who they suspected was the class louse carrier... turns out they themselves had never touched the comb that came with their shampoo :angry-banghead:

[Mama Mia]

Lice are a common problem. Especially, interestingly enough, in otherwise involved and caring families. People just don't want to be bothered actually doing the work involved in really getting rid of them or are too lazy to figure out why they keep coming back so they just use the insecticide shampoo a couple of times and leave it at that. I actually had a parent bitching to me about who they suspected was the class louse carrier... turns out they themselves had never touched the comb that came with their shampoo :angry-banghead:

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

Oh, I know they are common. Virtually everyone I know had them at least once or twice. These kids though...OMG...I don't want to go into too much detail, but it was a problem, non-stop, for 10 years. It was a matter of one parent taking care of it, them going back to alternate parent - who would do a token shampoo, pick out a nit or two, and possibly wash the sheets, maybe, nothing to the house and that's it. So by the time they came back a month later --- complete infestation. Horrible. After thousands of dollars and thousands of hours of shampooing, combing, spraying, bagging, washing ---Mayonnaise slathered on under a shower cap overnight is what ended up working best. Complete embarrassing toxic nightmare for the kids.b

[SoybeanQueen]

The Village School is one of the alternative schools in VIC and has goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, lizards etc and horse riding as part of the curriculum and I imagine Brioni (and the other girls) would love a school like that.

I was skimming and at first thought this said the school offered lizard riding. :think:

[browncoatslytherin]

I was skimming and at first thought this said the school offered lizard riding. :think:

like joanna, from rescuers down under!

[Miggy]

Lauren came to Bathurst and I missed her. :( I've been keeping an eye out for her in my home town as well as Bathurst (where I work) as I knew it was a possibility she would pass through on her way south. I'm so sad now.

[Cheetah]

Lots of new posts up... I wish we'd hear more about the Europe trip but she's moved on back to random playgrounds across NSW and VIC on the way to Tasmania. Kids are still looking tidier and better-groomed than pre-trip, though, although of course one of them is barefoot in a formal garden.

[August]

That playground in Leeton (no, not Leeton. The dino one) is awesome. If I ever started a blog it would be about playground tourism. We travel a lot and my kids love playgrounds. I scope them out as much as I do museums and hotels.

[haras1972]

So Lauren's Instagram from Macksville has a comment from elora_16, who I've worked is Lauren's 15/16 yo niece.

Lauren's reply about C not taking last years "honest sharing" well, that's low. I presume C is Lauren's sister Clara - so to drag your young niece publicly into issues between Lauren and sister, her mother, well that's hardly going to help anything.

Pathetic.

[August]

I disagree. I have a complicated family, and it's extraordinarily helpful to know the basis of issues between people, especially since the parents (even as adults) are the touchpointfor cousins keeping in touch. So for this niece to know that her mother and Lauren aren't talking and why will help her stay in touch with Lauren's kids as she gets older.

[ViolaSebastian]

So Lauren's Instagram from Macksville has a comment from elora_16, who I've worked is Lauren's 15/16 yo niece.

Lauren's reply about C not taking last years "honest sharing" well, that's low. I presume C is Lauren's sister Clara - so to drag your young niece publicly into issues between Lauren and sister, her mother, well that's hardly going to help anything.

Pathetic.

How much you want to bet that last years 'honest sharing' involved Lauren's sister not being thrilled about the surrogacy?

[ATC]

How much you want to bet that last years 'honest sharing' involved Lauren's sister not being thrilled about the surrogacy?

I was thinking about this. I haven't been in a similar situation, but I can imagine it would have been tough for Lauren's relatives, particularly her sisters and mother, to have a new nephew/grandson, but be unable to have the same relationship with them as they do (or did have) with the others.

I wonder if it feels like a loss of a biological relative to them?

It's interesting there aren't any blog posts mentioning the birth or the weeks following, but Lauren seems to have recovered well from the birth. I actually thought the surrogacy would probably turn out ok for Lauren as she seems to love pregnancy, but from her previous posts it sounds as though she doesn't enjoy caring for a newborn baby and having a baby dependent on her 24/7, and the post-natal depression seemed to be linked to this (IMO).

Lauren's reply about C not taking last years "honest sharing" well, that's low. I presume C is Lauren's sister Clara - so to drag your young niece publicly into issues between Lauren and sister, her mother, well that's hardly going to help anything.

I'm not on Instagram, but can you send private messages? If so, then yep - a PM would have been a more discreet option.