I read this post just now and I felt it was important to post the link. There are times I am driving and see children clearly too young (in my opinion) to be playing on their own, out riding their bikes, playing in the street, etc. No apparent supervision whatsoever. Is this right? Is it my responsibility to do something about it before something bad happens? Because I have never done anything about it...I shake my head and swear I will never allow that to happen in my family...I will never leave my children out in the open for someone to take...for something bad to happen. But if I were to do something, would that be overstepping boundaries? Thoughts?
The link I posted shared 2 different experiences where children were left alone. My 2 stories didn't happen to me but were relayed to me and happened within the past month.
1. At the neighborhood splash park, a child about 3 or 4 was found wandering alone in the parking lot, crying. My friend asked her if she needed help finding her mom and she replied yes. She walked the child back over to the splash park (which was at least 100 feet away, behind a building) and it turned out the child belonged to a group of children with 1 adult supervising all of them...a dayhome. When my friend confronted the woman, she replied nastily, "well, what do you expect, how can I watch 7 kids all at once?"
- okay, is that not disgusting? People have trusted this woman with their children. AND are paying her to watch them.
- if she can't handle that many kids, shouldn't she think about cutting back? Or if she can only handle them in a controlled environment (her home), should she not just stay there? Which, by the way, she is over the legal limit for Alberta anyhow...do the parents know this? Do they care? Are they turning a blind eye for a cheaper rate?
- my friend ended up doing nothing. Was that right? What could she have done? What comes to my mind is asking the woman what dayhome she ran and then attempt to get it shut down. Is that even possible if it's not regulated in the first place?
2. Another friend was at the lake. She noticed a commotion in the water and saw a lady running into the water where a child was practically drowning. The child was MAYBE 2. She pulls the kid out of the water and while the kid doesn't need mouth to mouth, he is clearly coughing up water and gasping for air. Then the woman starts yelling, "WHOSE CHILD IS THIS?" Over and over...and gets no responses whatsoever. Her husband joins her and they start racing around the beach trying to find this child's parents. Finally, a woman (who doesn't even stand up or look worried in the slightest) says, "oh, it's probably mine." WOW. I guess the lady who had rescued the child lost it at this point and started yelling at the woman and threatening to call the police. In the end, nothing was done. No one was called because the husband calmed down the lady and said it wasn't their business. Do you agree?
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3 comments:
OMG i could tell hours of unsupervised children stories from the pool. it makes me SO angry! i wish more people would say something to these people that choose to ignore/abandon their children in public places.
we've even started to choose adult only resorts to vacation at because i have had to grab a drowning kid from the pool at least a couple times each vacation. i don't enjoy it.
Through my personal experience: We take Simon's boys to an indoor play ground/jungle gym thing. I can't even tell you how many times I've scolded other people children because their parents are NO WHERE to be found and they're beating on other kids. Now, there isn't really a chance these kids will get stolen or drown, but where are the parents when there kid is either 1. being beaten up or 2. beating up other kids or 3. just plain crying because they can't find their parent!
Great post Tash, if I ever found a parent I think I would want to say something. At least let them know the danger they're causing, if they do nothing else at least I've made my voice heard.
Ugh...this is the kind of thing that makes me crazy. I also think the story of the woman watching 7 kids is crazy. The home daycare we use has that many kids, but she also has 2 assistants and is licensed by the state, with random inspections and has been in business for 20 years. She does not take the kids anywhere off her property (she has a play area outside), nor would I ever want her to. Are there cheaper places? Yep. And there are reasons we don't use them.
There's a show here called "What Would You Do?" and it's all about moral issues like this. SO thought provoking.
As a teacher I'm put in a position a lot where I have to deal with parents not supervising their children (going home alone at 6 years old...not good). It is awful and illegal. Outside of school I'd like to think I'd say something...but it's hard!
Fabulous post! :)
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