A Delta mother took to the Delta Community Message Board on Facebook recently to share a frustrating experience at Cleland Park, asking parents of two boys to have a serious conversation with their children about respect and basic manners.
Jessica Lamön posted about an incident that happened a couple of days prior, describing how two boys who had two black puppies and were riding bikes at the park behaved in a way that left her young daughters upset.
According to Jessica, the boys were using heavy profanity within earshot of her 2 and 4-year-old children, as well as other young kids playing nearby.
Just wanted to make a post, to the 2 little boys that were playing at Cleland Park a couple days ago, they had two black puppies and also on their bikes, if these are your children, please teach them respect and manners. They were cursing hard core around my 2 and 4 year old, (& other kiddos) and also stole my 4 year olds chicken nuggets when she went to play on the equipment. She was very sad someone did that to her. So if these 2 boys are your sons, please have a talk with them. Thank you.
Jessica Lamon
As if that was not enough, things took a sadder turn when one of the boys reportedly took her 4-year-old’s chicken nuggets while the little girl had stepped away to play on the park equipment.
“She was very sad someone did that to her,” Jessica wrote, clearly hurt on behalf of her daughter. Her post was not written out of anger but more as a plea to the parents, asking them to sit their sons down and talk to them about how to treat others.
She kept her message respectful and direct, simply saying, “Please teach them respect and manners.”
The post quickly drew responses from fellow Delta residents, many of whom shared their own frustrations about the state of the community and the park itself.
Austin Crawford did not hold back in his comment, writing, “Delta is just a trashy town nowadays, too many homeless and crack heads, no one disciplines their kids anymore.”
Jessica responded to him, agreeing that parents should step up, and added that she was raised old school and that her own daughters, aged 2 and 4, already say please and thank you.
Addi Clark chimed in with a broader message, saying, “Gosh bullying has really got outta hand! Spread kindness not hate! Delta needs to do better!!!”
Missy Ann Barrde offered what may be a clue about who the boys are, writing,
“These sound like the kids grandma had at the park the other day and yelled for them to get into the car. Grandma looked stressed out.”
Missy Ann Barrde
Missy also took the moment to point out the sad condition of the park itself, noting that kids were playing with pipes, that the equipment was broken, and that the whole place was dirty.
“It was once such a good clean park,” she added, expressing disappointment over what the space has become.
Jessica replied to Missy, agreeing wholeheartedly, saying she rarely takes her children to the park anymore for exactly this reason, and that when she does, something like this ends up happening.
The incident has touched a nerve among locals who feel that Delta has been struggling with neglect, both in terms of its public spaces and the values being passed down to younger generations.
For a mother who just wanted to take her toddlers out for a simple afternoon at the park, the experience was a reminder of how much the community has changed. Her message was clear. It does not take much to raise kind children, and Delta deserves better than what it has been getting.
