Am I Overprotective? or Am I Just Attentive and Being a Good Parent?
I have a 14 year old foster son. His mother was one of my good friends but died of cancer not to long ago. My foster son’s father is a drug addict and has over doesed twice in the last 2 months, once on prescription medications and this last time it was a heart attack from smoking too much crack while also shooting crystal meth and ice.
Suprisingly “Marcus”, my foster son is doing good. Recently, on of his friends called me an “over protective psycho” because I refused to allow Marcus to go to a local park alone with several friends. Instead of letting him go by himself I gave him and his friends a ride tot he park and hung out in the parking lot across the street where I could have a full view of them and read my book. I personally thought it was supervision not craziness.
His friend’s also complained that I don’t allow him to stay home alone. I don’t believe in allowing any child to be at home alone, if he is going to be at home and I am not there I hire a babysitter, his friends think this is stupid.
But I do have to point out, When Marcus cam to live with me he had a D-grade average now he has a 3.5gpa (he’s been with me for 15 months total) He used to have anger issues and hated everyone and everything (including god) now he has been in therapy and communicates his feelings of fear better instead of just being angry alll the time. He has also found religion and faith in something (he became a Buddhist)
All of this being said am I a crazy over protective freak or am I just doing my job as a parent to him?