AARGH or Our Tax Dollars at Work
Sleepy Mommy Pansy Moss relates a distressing tale of of receiving an offer of governmental parenting help quite obviously based on her surname. This included the amazing offer of a ‘home visit.’ How tacky. Nobody wants people barging in on them when they have a newborn - unless it is an understanding friend, toting a casserole and ready to entertain some bored toddlers.

She turned them down. (And it sounds as though she was much more polite than I would have been. I’m afraid I would have been a bit testy at that point.)
So she received an insulting brochure instead:

I received a pamphlet in the mail in case I changed my mind. It said their rep will answer questions like:
"What do I do when all these kids make me stressed, and I have a baby"
"Proper baby care and nutrition"
"Changing and feeding a baby"

For crying out loud. Who can escape a hospital or birthing center without this info? I spent my second and third hospitalizations after childbirth trying to avoid the incessant invitations to this class and that class. In fact, that was one of the reasons I was willing to have drive-thru births for 4 & 5 and deliver #6 at home.

The worst part of Pansy’s story is that she has a bi-racial friend with a very Gaelic surname who did not receive the same offer of ‘services.’ Is there some cold comfort in thinking that a hundred years ago the Irish would have been the ones singled out for ‘help?’ I don’t know.

PS - So, what do I do when all these kids still make me stressed? And the baby is nine years old? I don’t think the county health department has the answers. And I don’t want them looking around my home - even 9 years post partum!