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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> Stupid Parents!!
        
(Message started by: purpleydog on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 8:05pm)

Title: Stupid Parents!!
Post by purpleydog on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 8:05pm

OMG! I was driving home, and was on a fairly busy street, a few blocks from my house, when a toddler, about 2 years old or less, (was wearing diapers) was standing at the end of a driveway. I slowed way down, and went by him. The car behind me did the same. I kept going very slow, then stopped, watching the child in my rear view mirror. He started walking back up the driveway, I had seen no adults, or anyone nearby, then he turned and walked right into traffic! Jesus!!

He walked across the street, cars were swerving, one stopped. I had stopped in the road, then did a U turn, pulled my cell phone, and called 911, while driving back to the child. The child made it back to the side he came from. I was immediately connected with the Logan county emergency. I explained what was going on, there was NO ONE around to get this kid. I gave them the location, and my info, when finally, a woman comes walking down the side street, grabbed the kid, and walked him back to a house one block away!! And the house was surrounded by chain link fence, and there were other small children in the yard (all about the same age). I had followed her, to get the address for the police, who were, thankfully, on their way to check it out.

Now, really, WTF was this woman doing? Not watching the children, that's for damn sure. What if that child got hit by a car, if those cars hadn't swerved, and stopped, that child would be dead. Certainly, if she can't watch the kids in the yard, and has the illusion of them being safe, because of a chain link fence, which anyone tall enough to reach the latch can get open, she shouldn't leave them.

This really freaked me out, especially after watching the other cars swerve. It was cloudy and dark, even though it was about 6pm. Thank goodness this child is alive and ok. I hope the cops got there and talked to her. I just can't believe it. >:( [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Redd on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 8:21pm

Some parents are very lax at watching their kids. Some are just plain stupid as you mention. There is a woman who works in our information center, that 2 weeks ago during the storm, she had to leave the office and get home to her 6 year old son, who she said was left home alone. WHAT? No 6 year old should be left home alone, and definately NOT for an 8 hour long shift!

It's a wonder sometimes what parents are thinking.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Maffumatt on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 8:48pm

I pulled a 3 year old out the medium of a busy 4 lane highway once in front of my dads business. His mom was living in motel across the street. Some people shouldn't be allowed to have kids.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by George_J on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 9:01pm

From your description, it sounds like the place may be a possibly unlicensed, ad-hoc daycare. The places that some people will drop their kids to save a few bucks over a licensed, regulated daycare.... What are they thinking?

Not that licensing is any guarantee of quality childcare, but....

I was once in an unlicensed daycare where the wife was taking care of eight kids during the day, while the live-in boyfriend was dealing cocaine out of the house. Lots of traffic in and out of the place--parents dropping off their kids and picking them up, and low-life's stopping by to buy an eightball or a teener. All mixed together. The kids took their naps in the same room with a dozen loaded handguns and a couple of SKS assault rifles. It was unbelievable.

Tell me--if your child was spending eight hours a day in a place, wouldn't you check it out a little bit to see what went on there? Some of these folks didn't care, after the fact--they were just cranked off that they had to pick their kids up unexpectedly, and that the Happy Blowcandy Daycare wouldn't be open the next day.

So if the place you describe is another unlicensed kiddy-dump where the kids are allowed to wonder unsupervised into the street, it wouldn't surprise me.

Nothing surprises me.

George

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by midwestbeth on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 10:30pm

Some people shouldn't be allowed to breed >:(

Beth

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by ClusterChris on Jun 23^rd, 2007, 11:16pm

on 06/23/07 at 21:01:44, George_J wrote:

I will have to disagree with you on that one. I believe it's the total opposite. Daycares have to many kids and they don't pay much attention to them on a one on one basis. As long as you've done your research with whom your getting to watch your kids (not too many kids, police background checks, word of mouth etc) then they are definately the way to go.

just my opinion!

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by purpleydog on Jun 24^th, 2007, 1:03am

on 06/23/07 at 23:16:04, ClusterChris wrote:

But, if you left your child with this woman, who has these kids, and doesn't realize they can open the gate on a chain link fence, and your child wanders away, a block away, (this kid hadn't been walking long, age-wise, I could tell), into traffic on a busy street, gets hit by a car, would you feel different?

I do not have children, but I would make sure the gates would have some sort of locking device that the kids couldn't open, but adults could get into. Never underestimate the ingenuity of children.

My neighbor ran a daycare off the books. She kept the place clean, she didn't have more than 6 kids, from 6 months to 10 years old. She had a driveway gate she kept closed when they were outside, and it was set up so the small children couldn't open it. The older kid could, but he wasn't going to wander off anywhere. She stayed with the kids when they were outside, and if she went in, so did the baby.

Then there was a guy I knew, who had his son over the summer. He was telling me he could drop off his son at some folks house he knew, and pay them $10.00 a week to watch his son. This was about 20 years ago. He wasn't concerned about the care, just how much he had to shell out, and as I'm sure a lot of you know, even back then, $10.00 a week was not enough.

Maybe she does have a daycare. I wouldn't leave a child of mine there.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Rosybabe on Jun 24^th, 2007, 10:48am

That is the reason why I am a stay home mom, I would not put my precious and only little girl through any of that S.., yeah I am an overprotective mother but at least I can sleep at night with peace of mind.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by JenniferD on Jun 24^th, 2007, 12:04pm

There are times however, shit happens.

I was one of those "stupid parents".

My kids and I were at a neighbor's, all of our kids were in the basement. Julie and I went upstairs to get a cup of coffee and come back downstairs, not gone more than 5 mins. We had nothing to fear- the kids were in the basement with a LOCKED DOOR. Wrong.

Kids climb. One of the older ones unlocked the door, (latched at the top of the sliding glass door) and all but one child was there: my then 18 month old son Harry.

Julie lived at the end of a row of townhouses, 2 sides adjacent to the woods. We IMMEDIATELY and FRANTICALLY started looking for him, all the neighbors, everyone. I don't remember much because I was out of my mind with panic.

A woman found my son on the side of a very busy road at the other end of the townhouses and brought him back to us. I guess she saw all the commotion of everyone looking for him and came over. Apparently she had several choice words for me - something about being an unfit mother. I barely heard her. My neighbors who were all with me DID hear her and let her have it! They all knew how overprotective I am of my kids (still am, as you all know!) and they were quick to tell her that she was running her mouth when she had no clue what had actually happened.

I wrote and the newspaper published my thank you to that woman for bringing him back. To this day I think of her and ask God to keep her and her family safe.

Was I at fault for Harry's disappearance? Hell no. And I'm not so quick to judge when I see a kid running around. There could be an frantic mother who turned her head for a split second or just got a cup of coffee.

Still hurting from that day.
Jen

edit to add: no I don't take offense at anyone's reactions to seeing the same situation and I am not condemning anyone for feeling as they do. I just wore the other shoe.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Charlie on Jun 24^th, 2007, 7:11pm

One of my bus routes runs up a nice residential street where a mother sits in her front yard or on her porch watching her toddlers playing on the OTHER SIDE of the street. So far, fortunately, they haven't run out in the street to say hello to the bus driver.

It's a puzzlement.

Charlie

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by cutekev on Jun 25^th, 2007, 9:58am

Kids are such a problem these days............Erm no..........it's the parents that need a good hard slap !

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Buzz on Jun 25^th, 2007, 10:06am

My ex and I both used to work and left our young kids in the care of a child minder at home... we both decided that this wasn't working when we had reports of the two kids running up and down the fence with the dogs, barking at passers by!!!

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Brewcrew on Jun 25^th, 2007, 10:47am

on 06/25/07 at 10:06:27, Buzz wrote:

As long as they weren't rabid...

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by George_J on Jun 25^th, 2007, 10:54am

on 06/25/07 at 10:06:27, Buzz wrote:

Can't see any harm in learning a foreign language at an early age. Do you know anyone else who speaks dog? I don't. ;;D

Best,

George

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by aubmari on Jun 25^th, 2007, 11:43am

Occasionally kids will slip away in a split second.... it happens. But if it is gross neglect than something should be done. >:( Purp~ I am glad that you called 911 it definately was the right thing to do. I live in a pretty tight nit group of apartment buildings and still wont let my 4 year old outside by herself. It only takes two seconds for something to go wrong. Either they wander off or god forbid someone take her!

Just my two cents

Aubmari

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by JenniferD on Jun 25^th, 2007, 12:08pm

I absolutely agree with you aubmari- Purpleydog, you sure did do the right thing and you should be commended for looking out for the safety of that child!

hugs,
Jen

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by TomM on Jun 25^th, 2007, 2:28pm

on 06/23/07 at 20:21:17, Redd wrote:

It's a wonder sometimes what parents are thinking.

It does not take ANY brains to get knocked up! It takes patience, understanding, love, and compassion [to name a few] to be a parent.
MHO.
TomM

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Ray on Jun 25^th, 2007, 4:42pm

It takes ~~village~~ a family to raise a child!

Ray

edited for typo

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Jonny on Jun 25^th, 2007, 5:30pm

on 06/25/07 at 10:54:06, George_J wrote:

Do you know anyone else who speaks dog?

http://cdn-86.liveleak.com/liveleak/12/media12/2007/Jun/25/LiveLeak-dot-com-65132-elwood.jpeg

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Paul98 on Jun 25^th, 2007, 6:16pm

on 06/25/07 at 17:30:36, Jonny wrote:

http://cdn-86.liveleak.com/liveleak/12/media12/2007/Jun/25/LiveLeak-dot-com-65132-elwood.jpeg

Man, even that dog's tongue is ugly! Poor ba$tard!

-P.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Buzz on Jun 25^th, 2007, 6:42pm

on 06/25/07 at 18:16:17, Paul98 wrote:

Man, even that dog's tongue is ugly! Poor ba$tard!

-P.

Man! I WANT one of those dawgs!!!!

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by Rosybabe on Jun 25^th, 2007, 8:01pm

on 06/25/07 at 17:30:36, Jonny wrote:

http://cdn-86.liveleak.com/liveleak/12/media12/2007/Jun/25/LiveLeak-dot-com-65132-elwood.jpeg

[smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]My daughter thinks is a gremlin!! [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by George_J on Jun 26^th, 2007, 1:15am

on 06/25/07 at 17:30:36, Jonny wrote:

http://cdn-86.liveleak.com/liveleak/12/media12/2007/Jun/25/LiveLeak-dot-com-65132-elwood.jpeg

Day--Yum. :P

First photo I've seen of John Sckorohod.

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by purpleydog on Jun 26^th, 2007, 2:41am

A little hair of the dog?

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by BarbaraD on Jun 26^th, 2007, 8:17am

Jen, I'm with you. I was "over-protective" with mine also, and we lived in a 'rural' community with very little traffic and all the neighbors watched everyone's kids, etc, but....

Buddy was playing in the backyard while I was cooking dinner (I was watching him out the window) when a neighbor called and asked where he was. I told her outside in the back yard. She laughed and said there was a cute little boy on her patio asking what was for dinner. 5 minutes! Of course I had a panic attack and dinner burned, but that's how fast it can happen. He just decided to go play with her kids.

And that was back in safer times and a safer place. Daycare scares the hell out of me. Schools scare me today and cities scare the hell out of me. But I've got a grandson growing up in that envioroment today.

I just wish we could flip a switch and get back to raising kids with some common sense. But ..... guess it's too late for that one.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Stupid Parents!!
Post by deltadarlin on Jun 26^th, 2007, 10:07am

I ran into something similar a few weeks ago. On my way to work, driving on one of the busiest highways in this parish. Saw what I thought was a kid standing on the shoulder of the highway (since numerous people had already passed by, thought my eyes were playing tricks on me). Looked again, and noticed it was a little kid. Hit the shoulder of the road, threw car into park, and got out (a motorcycle rider had stopped in front of me). Walked/ran (didn't want to scare the kid) back to the kid, all the while praying that she didn't bolt and run toward the highway (about that time, a car stopped in front of her, blocking her from the highway).

It was a little girl, just about two or so with her dog and a little puppy. She let me pick her up and I took her back to the house at the end of the driveway (several hundred yards long and it ran beside a pond). Knocked on the door. A young girl answered and I asked her if this was her daughter. I could tell that it didn't register for a minute or so. Then the girl started asking where her mother was because the little girl had been with her mother.

Anyway, to make a long story short, one thought the other had the baby. I didn't try to make either of them feel *guilty* (although I did have to wonder, because it took that little girl at least 10 minutes to make it up to the end of that driveway). The girl was in absolute hysterics when she realized what *could* have happened. I did stop back by there later on that day when I was going home from work to make sure that everyone was okay. I really don't think this will happen again.

'darlin