Vent Warning! My husband and I just got back from taking our 2 kids to the park. We went to a large one with rodeo grounds soccer fields and 5 softball fields-in other words it is HUGE! We noticed immediately that a little boy was there all by himself. We kinda hung out for 20 minutes or so thinking his parents were at softball practice. When everyone left we got concerned and I ended up walking all over the park trying to find an older sibling or parent since he had told us he was only 6 and said he didn't know where his mom or dad were. Didn't find anyone-after an hour and a half after I got back from trying to find someone we called the police since it was getting dark and was super windy and getting cold(he had no jacket and a terrible cough). Finally as we were on the phone a car pulls up and hinks the horn and he scampers off into it! We still made a report and I am still flabbergasted that someone would leave a 6 year old at a park with no supervision for hours at a time! I'm pissed and I feel so sorry for this poor kid! He was hungry(said he hadn't eaten since luch time at school and it was after 7 when he was picked up). Don't people read the news? If someone had wanted to take this poor kid they could have and no one would have been the wiser for at least 1.5 hours! Good greif! We live in a small town but that doesn't always equal safe!
I feel a bit better now::)
We did manage to get the plate number, make and model on the car. I tried yelling at the woman driving by lying and saying her tire was flat but I don't think she heard me because of the wind. Hubby tried chasing her down but he was across the park when we saw her pull up and I'm 28 weeks pregnant and not in running shape. We talked to some of the older kids there and they said he is there fairly often almost always by himself. I want to cry thinking how sad that he apparently has no one who cares enough for him.
Kids are raised by wolves every day.
We all have to watch out for them and try to pick up slack when we can.
I think I would have tried, with out physical restraint, maybe by saying "Hang on a sec" and then having my kid show him something, or have my kid go down the slide with the boy one more time or something.
Maybe the "parent" would have actually gotten out of the car.
I then would have introduced myself, gotten a name, walked close enough to the car to get a license plate number and then I would have given the description, name, and number tot he cops.
That is ridiculous, and I hope what you were able to give them was enough to get an investigation started.
You are right, some people should not have kids. Amazing we need a license to drive a car, but not to have kids...
oh sweet mother of God!! I would NOT have let that child get INTO the car!!! i would have waited until the police arrived. That child would be better off in the system than with irresponsible parents like that!!!
People read the news!! maybe they were hoping to become the news! I don't know. I have trouble mustering sympathy for people like that.
Did you get their license plate number?
What did the police say?
Again - i would NOT have let that child get into that car. I would've dialed 911 when he told me he didn't know where his parents were. PERIOD.
I'll bet the family is homeless and living out of their car. There are tons of stories like this out there. The family probably wasn't as far away as you think either...I'll bet he gets alot of food this way.
CPS might investigate and you might have saved his life.
Kudos!
There was a child near Dallas a few years ago who got kidnapped while his M. sat making out in the car with her loser boyfriend.
I'm sorry you had this event in your day, but thankful too, because maybe if you follow up CPS will actually do an investigation. That's neglect. Wow, I know how angry I'd be if I were in your shoes...and needing to vent. I get it. Sorry I don't have much for advice, other than just try to breathe deep and know you did the right thing. Follow up if you can!
You should have held back the boy, called out to his parents/guardians and given them a piece of your mind...heights of irresponsibility!
Anyways, good for you and hopefully good for the poor child that you did report to the police. Hopefully CPS gets a notice and they investigate.. :(
--------ETA--------
Good you got the license and make. CPS should really pay them a visit! Have a happy pregnancy yourself! :)
Well...you can feel better by knowing you were aware and you were in the right and really seemed to care more than his own parents! Poor little guy. The thing that gets me the most is after all that time by himself with no supervision etc. they honk the horn. What the HELL? That's when I would have lost it I think. Sometimes I can overlook things with parents and children because no one is perfect but this is NOT one of those things. It's NEVER ok to leave a young child in a public park w/no one with him; even an older sibling 12+ yrs might have been ok, but by himself for that long of a time, absolutely NOT. Plus, hungry and cold to boot. Glad you still reported it. I'm sure it was kind of rushed at the end as I'm sure he was so glad to see a familiar car pull up. I'm with a lot of these Mamas, it might have made you feel even better to give them a piece of your mind but I truly hope CPS or the police looks into this. Innocent kids get captured or something happens in their own house and neighborhoods these days, let alone a public place...I hope they change their ways or that other family members can step in and help care for that little boy.
What the... Are you kidding me? Did you get a license plate number so CPS could follow up? I just cannot fathom doing this with one of my boys. They play in our yard (we have a big one) a lot . The 2 yo always has us out there or at least in eye sight. The 5 yo can go out for short periods of time by himself but i do get nervous when he is out of eyesight for 10 minutes or so and check on him. The other day he ran across our field to the nighbors to ask the boy there to play. He was gone for about 5 or so minutes and i couldnt see the front door of our neighbors house. I actually got a little nervous then, and we live in the COUNTRY!
Geeezzz. Good for you for trying to help the poor thing out.
Some people just don't seem to get that your children are the greatest gift that we will ever receive in life. It is up to you as a Parent to protect and nuture that gift. I feel so sad for that little boy....
I was parking in a grocery store parking lot when I saw a VW bug pull in with an infant being held on the lap of the male front seat passenger. They all got out of the car and entered the store. I called the police from the parking lot giving a description and location of the parked car. Police arrived and waited for them to return to the car. Upon their return, it was obvious that they were nervous when the spotted the cops parked across from their car. Even though the cops where there, they attempted to conceal the baby and slip him into the car. The cops approached them and began questioning couple. They did not allow the baby to travel in the car without a proper car seat. The male passenger who was carrying the baby started walking. They left with only a verbal warning. No citation. I only wish the cops saw them driving with the baby in the front seat.
That is sick. God forbid next time a predator is lurking at the park and this little boy is his perfect victim. You have to wonder do they actually think he's safe at the park by himself or do they just not really care?? I hope you got the license plate number and gave it to the police, but I would've given those sorry excuse for parents a peice of my mind too.
Some people are just gross!!!!! My son is 5.5, we live in a small gated neighborhood, and I would never let him play outside by himself.. Forget about a park, I won't even do it in my own "safe" neighborhood..
It's heartbreaking what that boys life must be at home :(
unbelievable! that is SO sad..i just read your story to my boyfriend and he told a similar story about a kid they met at the park ..he was 9 or 10..who told him that his parents always drop him off at the park..my boyfriend said he would just walk up to people who were eating food and just sit down and start talking to them and then try to eat some food ..just reaching in and grabbing stuff. I hope you call CPS and give them the license plate number and tell them the story..tell them the boy is at the park often..next time if you see him ask him if he knows his last name and address. Just appalling behavior on his parents part..i have never even hired a babysitter for my son..only family and our family is small so he's always with me..can't even imagine leaving him alone at a park for even 5 minutes.
Glad you were there for him..maybe next time take him to police station and tell them he's always at the park alone.
xo
D.
I don't see how people can do this... we have actually ran into a lot of this where we live though. We have kids 3 & under running the street sometime till close to 11 pm... not sure where they live or how isn't watching out for them.
About 5 yrs ago we got a bad snow/ice storm & the schools closed... I left almost an hour late for work cause I couldn't get into my car. As I was leaving the neighborhood I saw a few kids waiting for the bus... I told them the schools were closed - they responded we can't go home, mom will beat us if we wake her up... I called hubby when I got to work - he keep looking down the road and the kids stood on that corner till the cops sent them home nearly 4 hours later.
I also know of parents that leave their babies home alone to walk their older kids to school (babies meaning 2 & under). Which I metioned to the school... some of the kids are now picked up by vans now so that the parents don't need to leave the babies anymore other parents have moved out of the neighborhood.
I just started letting my 6 & 8 yr olds play with the kids across the street... and I only do that because their dad keeps an eye on the kids & has basicly the same rules as we do. A month ago they went for icecream with them & I was a reck till I saw them again. Guess I'm a bit over protective, but I do read the papers or at least listen to the news.... and it scared me to death!!!
Good for you for calling the cops & making a report... kids need protected - and saddly sometime they need protected from the ones that should be protecting them!
Please call the police right away next time you see something like this....don't wait. These kind of parents use parks or any kid-friendly place as "automatic babysitters" because their kid won't be noticed immediately and they will have time to do whatever they want. This kid, in particular, is a victim of neglect as others here mentioned. He is sick and probably will receive no medical care and is hungry and will probably receive very little food. It is possible they are homeless like one person mentioned but most likely he is a helpless sufferer born to a careless, irresponsible, monster of a human being who call themselves a parent and who probably doesn't want to be one.
If it hadn't been for you and your husband watching out for this child, something seriously wrong could have happened. Kudos for being a kind, concerned adult. Obviously the parents of this child do not care, or were not properly parented themselves. I have 9 and 3 year old boys and my 9 year old still now isn't out of my sight most places we go. The only place he is ever dropped off is baseball practice with his team or cub scouts, etc. I would never, I mean NEVER leave my kids at a park all alone. My mom watched us like a hawk, knew where we were at all times. When my friends were allowed to go to the mall at 13 alone, guess who wasn't allowed without an adult? ME. I couldn't go to the mall with friends until I was 16 and driving. Back then I thought it wasn't fair, but as a parent now, I knew it was because my parents wanted to keep me safe. It helped me grow into a responsible, cautious adult. The world today is definitely not a safe as it was even when we were kids. I am the same way with my kids. Growing up they may think it's "not fair" but they will thank me later in life.
Considering the pick up, you are probably right, and I agree some people have no sense! However, things may not have been as they appeared. When I was 5 my mother took me with her to the grocery and then forgot she had brought me. In those days kids scampered off to browse the toy section on their own. She went home for quite awhile before she realized her mistake. She had four kids and a loud house. My mother raced back and got me in a panic.
My Mom is one of the best protective and most careful Moms that has every lived! I'm just saying....... things can happen.
just last night, I saw a beautiful 3-4yo girl walking in the parking lot. It was her headful of blonde curls which caught my eye. I looked for her family....& found them visiting with friends.
They allowed this girl to walk into WalMart without supervision....they walked, not ran, into the store a good 25' behind her. OMG.
The greeter stopped the family & talked to them. All spectators were horrified. Still haunts me.
