Mom Gets CPS Called On Her After Her 'Mama Medicine' Accidentally Falls Into Her Kid's Lunchbox
“I am completely terrified of what is to come.”
Gpoint Studio / Canva Pro A mom was in such a rush as she gathered her child’s things one morning that she didn’t notice her medicinal vape accidentally slip into her child’s lunchbox.
Needless to say, her child’s school was legally required to contact Child Protective Services (CPS) upon discovering the pen, and just like that, a simple mistake escalated into a much larger issue that may not be easy to alleviate.
The school contacted the mom to let her know they called CPS after discovering her ‘medicine’ in her child’s lunchbox.
The mom took to Reddit to make a post in the r/parenting thread, which has since been deleted, asking parents for advice about their experiences with CPS following the jarring incident.
She explained that she has a medical marijuana card she uses to purchase medications that help with her severe stomach condition, which she said she keeps in a box on a high shelf in the kitchen that her preschooler can’t reach.
One of the medications she uses is a vape pen, which she mindlessly dropped into her child’s lunchbox instead of her bag.
Reddit
That day, while she was at work, she received a call from the school’s principal informing her of what they found and that they contacted CPS. They explained that her child noticed it in their lunchbox and, knowing that they were not supposed to touch it, handed it to their teacher’s aid.
“I had to pick my jaw off the floor. Completely mortified and embarrassed,” the mom wrote. “This is obviously an idiotic mistake that I didn’t notice it fell in there … I was in complete tears.”
Despite the severity of the issue, the principal offered sympathy to the mom, explaining they understood it was a mistake and weren’t casting judgment on her, but the law required them to report the issue.
She had to leave work early out of the extreme anxiety the situation induced.
The mom provided details of the environment in which she and her husband are raising their child.
She explained that she never uses her medicine in front of her child, and the child understands they aren’t allowed to touch “mama’s medicine.”
She offered some context about the environment her child is growing up in, asserting they’re in a “loving, safe, stable, clean house.” She stated that both of the child’s grandmas live with them, the child participates in swimming and dancing activities, and their family goes on various adventures, trips, bike rides, and playdates. She also expressed her and her husband’s strong focus on their careers and active involvement in their kid’s school and education, wanting to ensure they give them “the best life.”
Regardless of the various ways the mom and her family are providing a safe and healthy environment for their kid, it doesn’t negate the accidental exposure to an inappropriate substance that she was responsible for, mistake or not.
While there are much more serious matters for CPS to be concerned about, the scare of getting CPS called on you is not one to be taken lightly.
Reddit users offered useful ways for the mom to ensure CPS has nothing to be concerned about.
They suggested the mom get a lockbox or safe to store all of her medicinal items as soon as possible.
“If CPS shows up and the meds are already locked up, and the child is otherwise in a safe and stable home, the case on this will probably be closed fairly quickly,” one person wrote. “They want to see that the problem has been handled, but they don't really want to remove a child from an otherwise good situation.”
In fact, as many other Reddit users mentioned, the process of CPS interfering with reportedly troubled kids can be tedious, so as long as the mom takes cautionary action before they get involved, she should be fine.
“I use medical marijuana and have young children,” another individual shared. “My stash box has a combination lock and is kept behind two doors that have childproof doorknob covers on them. But they’re not going to remove your child or continue a record over this. They’ll tell you to buy a locking medication safe, come back in a week to check that you have, and close the case."
The mom made the wise decision to invest in a stash box and acknowledged her carelessness, which she is ashamed of.
While the mom was certainly careless in the way her pen somehow ended up in her child’s lunchbox without her noticing, being a parent is not an easy job.
Parents always have so much on their minds and will inevitably make mistakes. It’s natural to slip up and overlook minor accidents that can create much more serious problems, but based on the mom’s reaction to the situation, it’s clear she cares deeply about her child’s life and is teaching them well.
This experience will remind her to be much more attentive and cautious when it comes to how she handles her personal medications around her kids in the future. If anything, the mom’s decision to educate her child on her adult medication saved her from a much scarier outcome had the child not known and experimented with the pen.
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There are far worse cases of parents neglecting or exposing their children to inappropriate matters, and once CPS investigates the mom’s case and finds the child is in a healthy environment, everything will likely be fine.
“This is a big wake up and learning lesson,” she expressed. “My spouse is rightfully upset with me. I have bought a stash box and will be diligent in keeping it far away to where it cannot accidentally get into the wrong hands.”
At the end of the day, the mom is aware of her mindlessness. She is accepting the consequences of her wrongdoing and making sure to take necessary steps to avoid a situation like this from ever happening again.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.