Frustration

I was so beyond upset yesterday after 2 things happened: 1) I came home and there were two children in our yard climbing a guava tree. I yelled at them to get down, but before I could unlock the gate and get to them, they jumped the fence and took off running. NONE of my neighbors helped me locate these kids and their parents, even thought EVERY single neighbor I have saw what was happening. 2) Two little boys were yelling and throwing rocks at Amenduim from my neighbor’s house and their mother was just sitting watching them, laughing, even after I told them to stop.

One thing I still can't come to grips with here is the apparent lack of parental guidance. Culturally, child rearing here is VERY different than I'm used to, and I recognize that, but still the fact that parents (let's be honest, mothers, because fathers are virtually non-existent here) don't seem to play much of a role in disciplining their children is difficult for me to get. After speaking to all of the women who live around our house, they all understand that we don’t appreciate their kids throwing rocks at our house and jumping into our yard when we’re not home. For the record, when it comes to school, many parents don’t see the importance of school so they do not monitor their child’s schooling- if s/he does their homework, passes each grade level, or even goes to school.) For me, it seems like a small thing to set boundaries, ie “go to school”, or “don’t throw rocks at the neighbor’s house/dog”. Instead the mothers act like they don’t see it. The 11pm screaming games they play just outside our house, the constant “Mulungo! Mulungo!” after I say “my name is not Mulungo, it’s Tia Ana”, turning off our water. They act like it’s not their job to control their kids, but isn’t it? At least to an extent? Then again, I don’t have kids…

Again, I understand that things are different here, and I’m sure the mothers care deeply for their kids, but I still can’t seem to get how often they turn the other way and act ignorant when I know they’re not. Is it because we’re the foreigners? Do they get away with all this with other people in the community?