I used to volunteer at a group called 'Parentline' which is kind of like the Samaritans - but for parents. People phone you with problems regarding their children and you are trained to offer help and advice. I used to volunteer for 4 evenings per week. When I started there I thought people would phone up to ask how to get their kids to do their homework or how to make them go to bed on time, things like that.
In reality people would phone when they were at their wits end. Their child was stealing everything they had and selling it to pay for drugs. They had had a major bust up with the child (a teenager) and now just wanted them out of the house as they just couldn't cope any more and didn't know where to turn.
Or a young mums new boyfriend was slapping her tiny child every time it cried.
Or an entire family was on drugs and a step-mum wanted to know how to protect a young child from the other members of the family, all of whom were druggies.
The list was shocking and endless. I used to go home to my young family and be grateful for normality.
There were 7 Parentline offices around the country, all with the same telephone number, so that when you phone the number you could end up talking to any operator around the country. Ours was the smallest office in the country and, sadly, lack of finances meant that our office had to be closed. I had worked there for a few years but now the nearest office is 100 miles away in London and so volunteering there is not an option.
Now I teach and mark books and plan work and simply don't have any spare time left for anything else. If I get an hour or two free in the evenings I come here to relax or I read.
Jazzy said:
Wish I could do more but my free time just doesn't allow it.
Me too.
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