Other than the formality of court, it would appear that this nightmare is almost finished.

We’ve all heard about the “system”, both good and bad. The “system” exists to protect kids. That’s a good thing. It also, however, does the complete opposite in many cases.

Right here, in this country, a kid can say whatever he wants and make any claims he chooses – someone will believe him. Someone will take a kid who has had every advantage, every opportunity, and decide that it’s best for him to live elsewhere; even if that kid has simply refused to follow the rules and wants to be all grown up and on his own.

Some people think that’s okay – but it’s complete undermining of the parental role, complete hogwash, and utter stupidity. What’s next, the California bill that makes spanking a crime? More hotline calls for parents who dare to reprimand a child in public? Why not just create huge camps for all children who whine about wanting something but whose parents decide that it’s not best for them?

Let’s just ignore the welfare moms who keep having babies for whom they can’t provide, wait until another meth lab blows up a child, or allow kids to stay in homes on streets in which gunfire is a regular occurrence.

Instead, we’ll remove kids who complain about not being allowed to spend the night with a friend, or go to the mall, or get a drivers’ license. Kids who have been able to go to Scouts, and summer camp, play sports and travel to visit family, kids who have taken vacations and live in nice homes and spend time with their families, and have been sent to private schools and are planning on college – let’s yank them out of “harm’s way”.

By all means, listen to the “innocent children” and validate their complaints and feed into even more entitlement. That’s the new way of doing things, right? Certainly don’t hold kids accountable or give them responsibility or expect respect.

As long as those who profess to be child advocates insist on removing kids and catering to their demands, and leaving parents with false accusations and broken families – this will continue.

There is no help. My son lied about his family, and about and to himself, and his reward will be foster care; he’s fine with that. Meanwhile, he has devastated his own family.

And he doesn’t care. He got what he wanted, what he set out to accomplish. I suppose this is what he meant on his Facebook page when he said he “had a solution”.

Oddly enough, that was my FB status this morning. Another weekend of hearing/knowing nothing. Maybe things will change this week. Ha.

I talked to my son on Saturday. He sounded very manic, again, and angry. He said I was the reason he spent time in detention; he just doesn’t understand that HIS actions for the last year-and-a-half were the reason for detention. I wonder if he will ever understand that.

He plays the victim very well; he’s managed to convince many friends and family members of this. He takes no responsibility for actions. Well, okay, right before he was released from detention, right before the hearing, he admitted that he needs to make changes. But he didn’t make them.

We agreed on the rules together, we agreed on the way things would be when he got home. He didn’t follow through.

I want him home. I want him to behave.

He won’t tell me if he wants to come home. I’ve asked. Several times.

The state thinks he’s better off in their custody. I can’t figure this out. No one appears to be supervising him, or checking his work schedule; no one has taken him (yet) to see the court therapist – and that was ordered on March 23, we had an appointment on April 13. He’s been consistently breaking his court-ordered curfew. He hasn’t been to church, or Sunday school, or youth group. He hasn’t taken his GED.

Apparently, “protective custody” means no contact with his family at all – not even his little brother. I was told that my son doesn’t want a visit. So, it’s in his best interest to call the shots and make all the decisions? Is this what the state deems “better”?

There’s a reason kids have parents – it’s because they are KIDS and do not have the experience or maturity to make all their own decisions. So if the state wishes to assume the parental role, they had best be prepared to effectively parent the kids.

And, according to my son, he is living in a “homeless shelter”.