After school my daughter’s classmate comes straight to our place, she doesn’t even bring her bag home. She stays up late. I can’t kick her out, even though we’re all tired and want to rest. Victoria says she’s bored at home because her parents are at work until the evening. That’s why she comes to our house to learn lessons and have fun with my daughter.
The girl eats at our place. I’ve even gotten used to cooking more, but it still stresses me out. I have to buy more goodies, fruit, sweets, and our family budget is not rubbery. We’re not wealthy people.
Of course, many people will reproach me, but it’s not about greed, it’s about the parents’ attitude to the child. Yes, in Soviet times they invited everyone home for dinner or a visit, but these are different times.
I myself grew up under the Soviet Union. We could call any apartment and ask for water. Sometimes neighbors would treat us with kvass, compote, or lemonade. We all went to visit, but our parents taught us certain rules. Even children knew not to visit other people unannounced and for a long time.
My mother would often feed a whole bunch of kids and then we all cleaned the table together. This situation was the norm rather than the exception. However, no one took advantage of it, because we knew we were making it difficult for our parents.
We were brought up differently. My brother and I would always run home if we wanted to eat. And we also understood that it was not culturally acceptable to stay out late at night. When the adults came home from work, we would go our separate ways, because we knew that they wanted to rest in silence, to do their homework, and to talk with the family.
The impudence was then and is now. Coming to visit on a daily basis was considered bad form even under the Soviet Union.
That’s why I think the girl’s parents should be ashamed. I would explain to my child that they shouldn’t do that. Don’t they care what their daughter does, what she eats, and whether she gets hurt? They put me in charge, a complete stranger, and relaxed. Is this the norm?
