Is it normal for friend to freak when i told her i volunteer

I volunteer for an after school program.We give the kids free art and music lessons. We take the kids on little outings and give them backpacks full of food and different items they might like/need, because alot of them are very poor .Sometimes the kids confide in me and occasionally I give advice. But mostly I listen. My friend freaked out and said I better be careful no parent sues me or comes after me thinking I am a pedophile or I am trying to poison their kids against me because no good deed goes unpunished.I explain to her most of their parents either aren't in the picture or really appreciate the help. She also said I am not qualified to be a shrink and what if the kids sue me because they smell money.I tried to explain what I do more clearly and she just kept going on how kids have all these rights and all it takes is for them to make up a story about me and I will be in jail.Then she went on a tangent about how I should stay away from children as much as possible with my personality even though I am good at what I do. Also without a degree how can I possible help them? I changed the subject because I was feeling very insulted and she left in a hurry. It made me wonder about a lot of things, the chief one being why I agreed to have lunch with her.

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Based on 12 votes (4 yes)
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Comments ( 6 )
  • Ellenna

    PS: Did you need to get a police clearance to work with kids? In Australia this has been mandatory for some time, including for volunteers, even parents helping out at school camps and so on.

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  • Ellenna

    That's a friend" Keep doing what you're doing and if you're doing nothing wrong don't worry about her views.

    You don't need a degree to help people, but I assume you've been given some sort of training about what NOT to say and do and about boundaries?

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  • NeuroNeptunian

    There is an element of truth to her warning.

    Sometimes things can get taken the wrong way when working with kids, sometimes you will have the overly paranoid school staff member who sees almost everything as possible abuse and is watching you hella closely. Then you have the psychotic parents who you won't see hide nor tail of for fucking ever and suddenly they decide to be super parent and fuck everyone's day up.

    This is coming from someone who works with low demographic teenagers for a living.

    Watch your ass. That said, the rest of what your friend said is total garbage. Constructive criticism is always good to pay attention to but it sounds like she didn't even give you that. Working with kids doesn't require a certain personality type, just that you care about those kids, you are qualified to provide the help you're providing and you are able to maintain closeness at a professional distance. And of course... lots of patience...

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  • Terence_the_viking

    Maybe she's jealous.

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  • RoseIsabella

    Wow, some friend you've got there.

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    • shuggy-chan

      Glad i don't live in her "world"

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