Just Simply Jen

I knew it was too good to be true. Maybe I'm getting too upset too soon but I'm annoyed.
The retreat childcare is being provided by Child and Youth School Services on post as STACC care. It stands for something like Short Term Additional child care or something like that. Anyway. Usually your child has to be enrolled in CYSS to be able to take advantage of this care. I have been telling my husband for weeks that he needs to enroll my son but he has been too busy to do so or always forgot. Before I get blasted for not doing it myself, I do not live on post and have no transportation to post. Even if I did drive, my husband has to have his car for work and there is no way around that one. There is no way I could have done it myself short of him bringing me up there and dropping me off. That falls into the "he's too busy" department.
So anyway, he goes today, finally, to sign up our son and is told that it won't be finalized until we have a sit down meeting with CYS, a doctor, and someone from the Exceptional Family Members Program so that they, not us, can tell them how to care for our child. That is what they told my husband today. WTH?!?! Then my husband, who never asks questions and just goes along with everything which makes him a good soldier I guess, tries to convince me that they do this with everyone. Um no sweetheart. There is no way that EFMP is involved in every single child that is registered with them. They don't get involved unless there is something "different" about your child. That isn't even what gets me the most. It's the whole thing that they have to be the ones to tell them how to take care of MY child so that they can be able to meet his needs. Like they know better than I do! Come on people. This is ridiculous. Especially since the only reason they need to do this is because my son has peach allergies listed on his medical record as well as the one time he had a cold and was prescribed an inhaler. My husband just called and told me that part. So here's how deal with it people. Don't give the kid peaches. If you are stupid and do, get him to the bathroom when he says he has to go or his stomach hurts. Seriously. that's about the extent of it. It makes him puke, have the runs and be in pain but it's not going to kill him. Oh and the inhaler, if he is sick enough that he's using that, he's so not going to be with y ou. He's going to be at home so he doesn't give his snots to everyone else. But of course they need a doctor to tell them this so they can give him the care he needs in case any of this unlikeliness happens.
I can step back and see where this might be necessary in some situations but for our situation it's ridiculous. He doesn't use an inhaler daily. He doesn't use one unless he is very sick and that is a very rare thing. He isn't going to die from his peach allergy, it's not even a really dangerous one. It usually takes a little while for it to even take effect in him. That's the problem though. The military very rarely knows how to deal with things on a situational basis. They just see what they want to see and waste everyones time and money doing unecessary things like this meeting. Normally I would let my husband go and not deal with it but you can bet your ass I will be there telling them how stupid and just how much of a waste of everyones time it is.
My husband is calling to see if CYSS registration is needed because when we go to Chapel all we have to have is our son's shot records for him to participate in the childcare and it is the same type of thing they are using for the retreat. I really hope so because, if not, I am not sure if I will be able to go this weekend. I'm not sure I can figure out how to entertain a kid for four hours when he is going to be wanting to play with the other kids, but can't. When he is going to want to play on the mini golf course or swim, but can't because we haven't officially been allowed to check into the hotel yet (things start at 9am but check in isn't until 3pm and early usually isn't until 1pm.) The ones in Hawaii didn't have child care but we had a beach to play at and that was just fine with him. Selfishly I also want the childcare so I can actually relax, not that I even really know how.
Crazy thing is I blame myself. I knew better than to get excited about something. Especially something the military might be involved in. Stupid me!