Food Stamps

As a parental figure that doesn't receive food stamps

I find it very disheartening

to compete with another household that receives them.

When we buy things

we point out to the children

that their mother had to spend a half hour

or an hour away from them

so they could have the meager meal

that we serve them

Its hard to get that across to the children

Adam already said that when he gets older

he probably isn’t going to have a job

I got the impression that it was because

he wanted to be able to get the food that he wanted

instead of the cheap stuff that we have to buy

We’ve made it clear to him

That just because food stamp recipients

get the food for free

Doesn’t mean that it didn’t cost money

We pointed out that someone else’s mom or dad

had to spend time away from their family

so the people that receive food stamps

could get the better things

than the person

that’s actually working for the money.

I grew up on food stamps,

I understand how nice it is

Whenever we wanted something

My mom would just whip out that little book

And someone else would buy us anything that we wanted

I think that we got the point across to Adam

But it really is hard to help a child

to understand that it’s better to earn our own food

when we can’t buy the brand name stuff

because we don’t receive food stamps

and the people that receive food stamps

can buy whatever they want.

I think that it makes it worse

with me being a full time college student

He doesn’t see me leave every day to earn money.

I’ve taken him to the jewelry shop and the scrap yard

To show him that I do earn money

But I don’t know if he really understands.

He watches me work on our stock investments for hours a day

But I still wonder if he understands.

We went out for Chinese the other day

And we told the kids

that their mom had to be away from them

or about 5 hours so we could eat that meal

I think they are getting it

But it’s still hard to compete

with someone that can get them

whatever delicious food that they want

and it’s hard to get them to eat what we feed them

after they haven’t had to settle for the cheap stuff.

The first few days after they get back home is the hardest

Both with the food

And with the behaviors

It’s hard to get them to appreciate bed time

When bedtime doesn’t mean anything somewhere else.

I guess I’m just a bit down today

It’s hard to pit responsibility against fun

and have responsibility come out the victor.