If a kid injures my daughter on the school playground, are his parents liable for any medical charges incurred?

I agree that “time-out only” is bullshit. On the other hand…she really doesn’t need to see a doctor.

I’d be at the school tomorrow talking to the principal. Save the pictures.

Administrators can do the dummest F-ing things sometimes….But that’s a different story.

@Dutchess_III I’m just worried about the swelling of the ear. It’s pretty intense. The only reason I didn’t take her in to the doc today is because she said it’s not hurting, and her hearing hasn’t been affected and there’s no drainage.

If the swelling hasn’t gone down by morning, I plan to take her in. It’s super fat and sticking out, looks red and is warm to the touch. It’s got me concerned. I’m giving it overnight.

I would have shown up in person and demanded to know why they did not notify you as soon as they saw the swelling. There could be inner ear damage. I would call the parents, tell them what happened, tell them I would be sending them the bills. I hope you have taken your daughter to the doctor or ER. The longer you wait, the less it will look like you considered it a “real” injury if you ever need to take this to court.
I would also want to see the written policy at the school as to what they are supposed to do when this type of bullying occurs. If I didn’t get satisfaction from the principal, I would take it to the school board. This bully should not be allowed to continue torturing other kids.

I would understand if it was a more serious injury, but the ear is just swelling. Some things only need time and some hot and cold to make it go away. But I’m not a parent, although I understand your frustration, but it also is a playground. Maybe I don’t understand, being hurt in someway was an expectation “back in my day” lol.

Oh my. That ear does look really swollen.

I don’t know about this first hand..but our next door neighbors have a brutal little boy who physically attacks other children and last year on the school bus he injured another boy so badly that the other child needed stitches.
My neighbor mentioned (in a very nasty, angry way..which by the way, explains a lot about why her kid is such a little monster) that the other family expected her to pay their co-pay for having to take him for stitches at the ER.
I don’t know if they paid it (knowing them, probably not) but I do know that the bus company refused to transport him until she made arrangements with the school district to have him taken on a supervised bus (the bus for SPECIAL children).

So, it’s worth asking. I’d want to pass along any costs I incurred (insurance co-pay of $25 for instance)...as you wouldn’t have had to take her to the doctor if the other kid hadn’t attacked her, right?

Did you not know until she come home with that injury and told you about it herself!?

Yes, the parents should pay the medical bill. Why should the victim’s parents be the one to incur the fee? And they should have called you, but it could that they thought the swelling would go down, and didn’t want to alarm you, maybe.

That’s what it sounds like @bkcunningham. Not surprising. I’m sure they were hoping it was nothing…also, the ear probably didn’t start swelling until 10, 15 minutes after it happened. They may not have noticed. They can’t call home for every little thing that happens on the playground. But they SURE as hell can’t be allowed to over look bullying.

I’d be storming the office tomorrow.

Oh, I would too, @Dutchess_III. I would be in the principal’s office first thing with my daughter in tow. Then, I’d go to the school superintendent’s office with information about what had happened up to that point with instructions that I want to be notified IMMEDIATELY if ANYTHING physical ever happens to my daughter again (you idiots). Sorry, it makes me furious to look at her ear and to think someone didn’t notify her guardian.

@bkcunningham No I didn’t know until she got off the bus. There was NO notification of any kind from the school. Pisses me the hell off.

@Dutchess_III and @bkcunningham I’ve already sent an email to her teacher and copied the principal on it, letting them know that I was “displeased” that 1. the bully only received time-out, and that 2. I was not notified of it. I’m awaiting either an email or a phone call tomorrow. You can bet your ass if I’m not satisfied that I’ll be taking it up with the school board.

After I went to the principal’s office, I would take her to her class and talk to her teacher. I’d get her to point out the little boy who injured her and tell him, in front of the teacher if he touched her again, I’d personally kick his ass.

I love @bkcunningham‘s answer. I want you on my side if I’m ever bullied!

@chyna I considered taking her in, but she says it’s not hurting, there’s no drainage, and her hearing is normal. I had her hold an ice pack on it off and on for a few hours. Since she’s had a previous head injury (I posted about it last year), I’ll be monitoring her in my bed through the night. Trust me, if it’s no better by morning, we’ll be going in to the doctor.

The school’s liability varies by state, @WillWorkForChocolate. I’d definitely notify the little boy’s parents about what happened. Give her a kiss from me and tell her that it wasn’t her fault you are angry. GGgrrrr. Sorry, it really pisses me off that they didn’t tell you when it happened. That was some force to cause her little ear to swell like that.

http://www.personalinjurylawyer.com/legal-advice/personal-injury/accident-injuries/my-child-injured-under-improper-supervision-s

Oh, poor baby.
Oh, I would demand more than just a time out. That child is abusive. I would go to the office and demand to know what they plan to do to keep my child protected and away from that child. And if they suggest my child being removed from that class, they will catch hell. The other child should be removed if that is their solution. That would be punishing the victim.
As for your question, I really don’t know who pays for the doctor visit. I would ask them. I think some schools have insurance for accidents on the school play ground. Even though this was not an accident, I think it still falls under it. I know when I was over seas and my son got injured during a basketball game, they had to fill out an accident report. It was on a military base and he was a dependent so we didn’t have a bill, but I think the school had to submit some sort of payment.

Good point @Pandora. Was there an accident report filled out?

Well, if your daughter was not complaining of any pain, the teacher might have thought the ear was ok. The swelling sets in a little after the fact. But still, she had other bumps and bruises, I think they should have called you.

Something has to be done about the child who roughed her up. I would go to the school tomorrow and ask what is being done? And, by that I mean I expect the other parent to be notified. I also think that other kid should have to apologize to your daughter in front of you and his parent. I know the collective has argued about forcing an apology, I come down on the side of making children face the person they hurt.

About an accident report, sometimes they need to be filled out within 24 hours.

@Pandora and @chyna I don’t think an accident report was filed, because the school didn’t notify me of anything. I didn’t get a call, an email or a piece of paper in her backback about an injury. A friend of mine whose kids go to the same school received an “accident report” paper one day when their daughter fell off the school slide and hit her face.

I’m pretty pissed that the school didn’t do shit about this. Especially since it wasn’t an accident; the kid jumped on her on purpose.

@JLeslie I’ll be asking about the kid, believe me. I want his parents notified of his actions and I want him to apologize to my daughter. And if I’m forced to take her to the doctor tomorrow, I want that little brat’s parents to pay for it.

Sorry that I seem to be ranting like a madwoman. The more I think about it and the more I see her ear, the more pissed off I get.

@bkcunningham I wouldn’t take my daughter in tow. I was careful to to allow the kids see me, or hear me, questioning authority in an angry, confrontational manner. There could have been exceptions, of course, but, IMO, not in this case. And not in any case that I came across involving my kids. There was one situation with a teacher where I was so angry I pulled my oldest out of public schools and put her in a private school. I let the school board know about it. I had ripped into the teacher, but not in my daughter’s presence. She was in 3rd grade, and she knew why I pulled her (as we discussed a little later….when she was 28) but I didn’t involve her in my angry confrontation.

They are liable. Good luck collecting though. If they have homeowners insurance that might cover it.

@WillWorkForChocolate First of all, I’m really sorry this happened, I have kids that were picked on too one for being smart and one for being heavy and I know how it feels… If I were there I would have hurled a rock at his mothers damn head and showed her what it feels like. but that’s my way of dealing with things and I can be an idiot with my temper so do not do that

Second of all the ear is one of the most sensitive places on the body, any injury sustained on the ear will swell drastically, bleed profusely and look like the child needs surgery… It does go down, it will get better I promise. Because the ear is cartlidge, switch with warm and cold compresses both until it goes down then just cold. warm get’s the fluid build up to settle down and cold eases the pain

Third of all I belive you have to file an incident report and I do not know what state you are in so I can’t be really specific as to the laws concerning who is liable. You have to look into that on a Google specifically in your state.

Good luck! And Im sorry she is hurting…

Here… I hope this makes you smile and feel a little better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZCUJEWuyow

I seriously would have hit his mother with a rock

@Dutchess_III I don’t think it will come down to any sort of confrontation with the teachers, unless they get belligerent with me. Despite my attitude problems, I’m typically quite polite in public, unless I really feel pushed to do something more. Even the email I sent tonight was polite. It was straightforward in that I was upset and displeased that no one notified me, but it was still polite.

@GabrielsLamb LOL, I don’t want to hit the mother, I want permission to spank that child’s butt. I know I’ll never get it, but a pissed off mommy can dream, right? :P

That is terrible. I would be ripshit too.
Ask to see the school policy about notification of injury. Most require incident report and notification when certain conditions exist.
Where this involved treatment and cost, I would certainly push to pass the costs along to the parent of the offending child. Even if the policy is to not divulge the offender, have the school act as proxy to seek payback. Not only will it put the parents on guard for their childs actions and needed consequences, but the school also should be on guard.
While there are different requirements based on where you live, you don’t have to know them to get your point of frustration and need to have someone stand at attention for you request.
Make your request in writing and attach copies of the photo’s and any med reports to add weight to the importance that this is.

I pray it gets better for her soon.

@blueiiznh Thanks, hon. =0) I’m expecting an email or phone call tomorrow. We’ll see what they say and if it’s acceptable.

Yeah, I know, @Dutchess_III. It really makes my blood boil though. I’m polite in public and social situations. It just felt good to type that. It is a true shame it happened. I hope your daughter gets a good nights sleep. But if you need somebody to have a talk to the little boy, WWFC…well, you know what I mean.

@bkcunningham LMFAO

Whatever happened to zero tolerance for violence? Check the school’s policy. And please file a report, you may need it for future reference.
Seriously, the boy’s parents need some talkin to. If he’s hitting girls now, what kind of adult male is he destined to become?

Oh, do I personally need to file a report? With the school or cops or who? I’ve never had anything like this happen since I was in high school and I was big enough to kick the girl’s ass myself.

@WillWorkForChocolate

I would suggest trying the police and the school.

Okay, here’s the email I sent I edited out the names except for my daughter’s, just for the whole “confidentiality” thing. Give me your opinions if it’s enough or if I need to be more aggressive tomorrow:

” Mrs. ****, I’ve copied Mrs. **** on this, but I’m not sure if it will go through to her.

Grace was injured on the playground today, by a boy named ***** *****. She says he jumped on her on purpose, and Mrs. ***** put him in time-out. The result was a small contusion on the right of her forehead, a minor scrape on her right arm, and a severely swollen right ear.

I’m assuming perhaps it took some time for the swelling to really be noticeable, but it happened during morning recess, so there would have been plenty of time to see it by lunch or early afternoon. I noticed it as soon as she got off the bus.

I’m attaching pictures, comparing her left ear (its normal size) to her swollen right ear. It’s quite a difference. I have not taken her to the doctor, only because she says it’s not hurting, and because her hearing doesn’t seem to be affected and there’s no drainage.

I’m not pleased that the boy only received a time-out, and I’m also displeased that I didn’t receive a call from the nurse’s office, or any sort of accident report. I’m honestly not trying to cause trouble, or be rude, but her ear looks awful. That boy could have seriously hurt her.

Please let me know if she has any trouble with her ear tomorrow. I’ll check it over in the morning before making the final decision to send her to school. If the swelling has not gone down, I will have to take her to the doctor. ”

@WillWorkForChocolate, In this day and age I would say definitely file a report with the school and the school board. If you feel it’s serious enough, file one with the police too.
I also think a doctor’s visit is in order, just to confirm any concerns you may have.

I think the school should write the incident up. You can ask for a copy. I doubt they wrote the incident up at the time, but now hopefully they will. I personally would not go to the police, but that is not advice, just what I think I would do.

@AmWiser Okay, I’ll check into filing with the school tomorrow. I think I’ll keep the police out of it for now, since the boy is so young, but I may change my mind if it happens again.

The question in my mind is if the boy already has a file thick with write ups?

I think the email is perfect. And polite. Let the email set the tone for tomorrow and play it by ear before taking a tougher stance. But, please, (and I’m sure you will – I just have to say it like a mom to you to make sure) let them know you are to be informed if anything like this happens again. How old is your daughter and the spawn of satan who hurt her? Six? So little. So adorable, btw.

@WillWorkForChocolate Every time you say the word “contusion” I wanna smack his mom!

@WillWorkForChocolate Your letter is well written and carries the right tone. A similar thing happened to my daughter at age 4 and it was unsettling for days. I hope she gets better and you both find peace in this sooner than later.

Let us know what happens.

She’s staying home from school today. The ear is still swollen, red and warm to the touch. We may try to get a doctor’s appointment, just to check things out. I do understand that ears swell easily, but I’m still concerned. She’s also got a headache, which worries me since she had that major head trauma last year. Sometimes it sucks being a paranoid mom.

Sometimes it seems like the fates are conspiring against my poor baby girl.

@WillWorkForChocolate I’m sorry that happened to your daughter.

Please forgive me if I am repeating anyone as I have only skimmed the responses, but I wanted to let you know that when my son was injured (mildly) in gym class, the nurse called me immediately and when I picked him up from school he gave me a form from his nurse with the school’s insurance policy information.

I actually think the school is liable, and should have an insurance policy to cover medical costs due to an injury that occurred on their premises during routine school hours/activity.

In addition, I would have a meeting with the principal, teacher, other child and parent, you and your child, to discuss the injury and means for future prevention, as well as parent notification policies. I’m a big fan of including all people involved and putting everything out on the table.

Good luck.

We ended up taking her in to get checked out, just in case. The CT came back clear, but the doc wants her to be on restricted activity for the weekend.

Her teacher actually called me when we were admitting her to the ER this morning and told me they didn’t send her to the nurse because “they” asked if she felt like she needed to see the nurse or go to the doctor and she said no. Since when do we leave decisions about medical care in the hands of five year olds?

She also told me that the swelling wasn’t that noticeable because my daughter wears her hair down and her ear was covered up, and the swelling she saw wasn’t all that bad. Bullshit. I could see it immediately when she got off the bus. It was so big that it was sticking out of her hair.

I just received an “apology” via email from the principal, telling me she was sorry that my daughter wasn’t sent to the nurse and that I wasn’t called, but that my daughter is in good hands with one of their best teachers. Really? The teacher who thought my daughter was capable of deciding whether or not she needed medical attention? The teacher who thought the swelling wasn’t all that bad and that it was “covered up” by her hair?

I think it’s a bullshit apology and a lame attempt at covering their asses.

@Cupcake My sister-in-law thinks I should email the school and request their insurance information to file with the hospital. After the crap apology I got from the principal, I don’t know if they’ll respect that request, or if this is going to make me “one of those moms” who teachers whisper about.

Let them whisper. If the shoe was on the other foot, or the ear was on their child…well, you know what I mean. I’d email back a nice thank you to the principal for her concern along with a request for a copy of the insurance information and a hardcopy of the policy for an injury of a child on school property.

How is she feeling now, @WillWorkForChocolate. Is it all over as far as your daughter is concerned? She is back to normal emotionally? I thought about you and her today and hoped it all turned out better than you expected.

The same teacher who thought giving a bully a simple time out was appropriate?!! (Maybe not…teachers take turns on the playground, and they have aids.)

@Dutchess_III No, it wasn’t her class teacher that was on the playground, so I despise the fact that her teacher tried to tell me exactly what happened, even though she wasn’t there.

And the teacher didn’t even put the kid in time out. I was told that another child told the “offender” to go to time out, lol.

@bkcunningham She seems okay, except being a little tired and she still has a headache. And yes, I’m considering exactly how to word an email, requesting their insurance info.

My brother is married to a teacher who apparently walks on water, and he thinks I’m just a teacher-bashing wanker who wants to destroy other people’s faith in the school system. Freaking moron.

@WillWorkForChocolate ; Their insurance should pay for it. My son had an accident in PE where the weight bar pinched him between his thumb and index finger and I didn’t even have to ask for their insurance info, they just sent it with me when I took him in to get stitches.

@WillWorkForChocolate Send a request for the insurance information and don’t worry about being one of those moms. My mother always stood up for me, and that’s one of the reasons she was so great. There’s nothing wrong with teachers knowing that someone is going to hold them accountable.

What about the other kid?

@JLeslie The other kid? Nary a scratch from what I’m told, the little buttwad.

No, I mean was he additionally reprimanded in any way?

Oh, no. He wasn’t.

There is a school administrator in my family. I just asked this question to him, and he told me that if it’s clear that the boy bullied and struck the girl, his parents are responsible to pay. In addition, there can be multiple nuances of who is responsible to pay the bills if there is a question of whether the school is partly responsible for the injury.

He said it’s best to start by talking to the other parent, and try to work it out from there.

@WillWorkForChocolate I wonder if this bullies everywhere watch a lot of South Park etc.?

@snowberry Parents will probably beat her up. The kid gets it from somewhere.

@flo – I so agree with @Dutchess_III ..the kid in our neighborhood I know who is a bully is mistreated by his parents. Everyone around has called Social Services on the parents..but he’s still being physically (and perhaps mentally) mistreated and has been since he was a baby. He now attacks ALL people..even adults.

@geeky_mama parents who mistreat their children are modeling bullying behaviour for their children. I wonder if they allow the kids to be exposed to shows that glamorize bullying/name calling like South Park? “Entertainment”.

But if parents don’t go after the school for incidents even less serious than things, things won’t change.

@flo – Is it the school’s fault that children who’ve learned (at home) to be violent attack other children?

The bully we know has a “Para” (short for “para-professional” a paid teacher’s helper that is with him the entire day at school keeping him from hurting other children)..but guess who is paying the salary of the para who has to mind him all day long each day (at Public School)? We (tax payers) are.
And if the para needs to use the restroom or have a brief lunch break and leaves the bully on the playground under the supervision of the playground Para (who now has 100 or more children to supervise as they run around and play)...do you blame the school? Truly, they can only do so much with the staff, funding and resources that they have.

For the bully we know (TBWK) – the family doesn’t let the children watch inappropriate TV programs..no South Park as far as I’ve ever heard. The problem there is neglect and abuse—not TV shows glorifying violence.

@geeky_mama all I’m saying is it has to be everyone’s job to not let anything pass saying “kids being kids” kind of thing.
And a person can be a teacher, a para, and also a bad parent, right? Like every group there are bad apples.

And as to ”..not TV shows glorifying violence.” Why not? I’m sure you don’t mean shows that glorify bullying are part of the solution and that they should stay. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It can be neglect and abuse by parents, and something else, and something else.

And “For the bully we know (TBWK) – the family doesn’t let the children watch inappropriate TV programs..no South Park as far as I’ve ever heard” Why would they people know that they let them watch that?

@geeky_mama No, it’s not the school’s fault, but it is the school’s responsibility to not let it go unaddressed.

I just wish to hell we could just throw some kids out of school, and back on their parents. I bet their parents would get them back into shape real quick, so they wouldn’t have to deal with them all day.

I was watching Dr. Phil yesterday, a show on bullying, and it featured a girl, teenager, who is a bully. The show demonstrated how her family life likely caused this horrible behavior. At the end she accepted help to get better, she began to tear up as she agreed. Not sure if she was crying because she felt pressured to agree there on national television or if she was afraid of what would happen next, or started to feel badly about her behavior or what? But, what I overwhelmingly felt was if she gets healthy if she becomes keenly aware of how horrific and antisocial her behavior is, how devastating for her. Maybe that is why it is so hard to treat these people, then they have to live with themselves. And, somehow accept their parents sucked. I would think the younger it is caught the better.

@Dutchess_III Sometimes, depending on the school system the kids wind up moved to a school for kids who are out of control. Sometimes that finally gets the kid some real help, but by the time they have gotten to that last stop school they are pretty screwed up.

@JLeslie Oh, I know. The absolute WORST classroom I was ever in was a kindergarten room. With two kindergarteners in it. They had been shipped out of their neighborhood schools to this BD school. It was just horrific.

My main point is, if it was the parents had some sort of consequence, I think things just might get fixed. If no school, no daycare, no one would accept this kid….and it was all back on the parents, I think we’d see some changes.

@Dutchess_III I don’t know. Those parents are ill equipped to parent well. They probably need help more than they need to be stuck with their kids if the goal is to help the kids. I do several charity events with Youth Villages and know the CEO and one of the biggest changes he made over the years was when the children are released back into the home there is follow up and help for the family, in home services. These troubled kids come from troubled homes and the parents need help too. An interview with the CEO Pat Lawler is here. The article starts on page 36 with photos, the copy begins page 38 I think. It relates kind of to our discussion, because some of the young bully’s wind up in the system, and in programs like this. I think on Dr. Phil they said 25% of bully’s wind up in jail.

I have always loved kindergarten classrooms. I was a volunteer reader for years. I started when my children were small and continuted after they went into high school. I would read to any of the classes, but the teachers knew that my favorites were the K-3 children.

I have to say, in all honesty, I have never met a 5 year old that I couldn’t control (even if it meant a tag team effort with another stronger person). But, if you can’t handle a 5 year old, you might want to consider changing professions. Just saying.

But that isn’t to say that I wouldn’t pursue getting to know the little boy’s parents before the Thanksgiving break. Invite them over for a nice glass of vino and get to know them better. Explain what happened to your beautiful daughter. I’m sure any decent human would be happy to get to the bottom of the situation and pay their charge of the ER bill if their son was at fault.

And in all fairness, my son was at fault a few times in his elementary school years. Sometimes he wasn’t. But if he was, and he usually was, I’d do the right thing.

@bkcunningham In your case, you weren’t even the one keeping the kids under control during your 15 minutes reading stints, so of course you never met a five year old you couldn’t handle.

I subbed full time, professionally, for three years. I was in hundreds of different class rooms, not as a helper or as an aide. As a teacher. By myself. No one to tag team with me. One day I might teach kindergarten, and the next advanced HS Biology. The next day I might find myself in a non-English speaking classroom. The next in a SMR (Severely Mentally Retarded) class room. I fielded hundreds of different situations, including breaking up violent fights between high school boys, a kid standing on his desk defying my instructions to sit down, and THEN getting in my face. He sat down a few seconds after that, however. Maybe something in my eyes. I’ve taught in class rooms that had 30+ kids in it..where there weren’t enough desks and some were standing along the wall. I’ve seen and handled things you wouldn’t believe.
A teacher once called the sub office for a long term sub position. He said he wanted the best. They gave him my name.
I now teach minimum to max security prisoners. All male. Ten at a time in my room.

When I tell you that those two kindergarten boys were the absolute worst that is telling you something major. I dodged a chair thrown by one as I was trying to stop the other from tearing up the room. I stopped another from trying to punch me in the stomach. I tried taking ‘nap’ with them and damn near got sexually assaulted. There was no teaching, no learning, no reading. Just wild animal control. It was the longest fucking 6 hours of my life.

It is arrogant to assume your minimal, gentle, protected experiences are the norm and that you have the knowledge and experience to offer sage advice to someone whom you don’t even know.

It is funny to think your experience with public schools got you a job in a state prison. LOL Just saying, Darling. I hope you know I am being silly and absolutely respect what you’ve done in your teaching career. My little stint volunteer reading doesn’t compare in any way shape or form to a fulltime school teacher. I’ve known many, many good teachers, @Dutchess_III. That is the key here I think. Good teachers.

I’ve been taughter by them. I’ve had children taught by them. I’ve worshiped with them and loved them through life experiences as friends. I’ve had a parent and grandparents taught by good teachers. My grandfather, who was born in the late-1800s, was a school teacher in a one room school house. I wish he was alive so you guys could swap stories. I guess everything old is really new again, so to speak.

Actually, it’s in a county jail. But the county contracted with the state DOC prisons to house some of their prisoners so that’s how I ended up with them. In March of 2010 I was offered a position with a high school completion program. It is NOT at GED program. I teach all high school classes at the high school level. It can take months, or even years for a student to get the credits that they missed, but the goal is for those students who dropped out of HS for whatever reason, to finally have an actual diploma issued by a local high school.

Well, the job I accepted initially was actually as more of an assistant to the senior teacher there. There were only the two of us in the ‘lab.’ Then a year later the budget cuts hit and they planned to cut that office down to one person, which obviously would not be me…I was looking at being out of a job at the end of the summer (as of right now.) Then the teacher at the jail quit…it was my only option. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was NOT thrilled! I was kind of scared actually. If there was anything else I could have done, I would have done it! I didn’t want to teach at the jail! I could be shanked and hanked and kilt and murdered and stuff! But…I also had no choice, really. So…I did what I do best. Stepped into a totally unknown situation, fielded it…and to my surprise, I LOVE it! Love love love it. Although I’m kind of pissed right now because one of them stole the last box of Crunch n Munch that I keep to award when a student gets a .5 credit. Gonna have a Come to Jesus meetin’ next week with those damn convicts!

Yeah. All those years, all that work and I wind up in jail!

Just curious….was your grandfather allowed to be married? : ) Really. Up until the 1930’s or so, female teachers weren’t allowed to be married because….well, because, you know. SEX and BABIES and stuff!!

My grandfather was boarding with a family. He married the oldest daughter, Mary. He feel in love with, and married the oldest daughter of the family he boarded with. She was the oldest of the 11 children Smith children he was living amongst. They got married and he taught for awhile. It was during the Baldwin-Felts days, if you are familiar with that era. If not, I’d suggest you read upon those days. It was amazing and a real part of history, which I know you love.

My grandfather went on to be a merchant. lol That is what his profession, a grocery store owner, was called in the day.

EDIT: Poor sentence structure. Not sure it did any good.