And the Nominees for Idiot Parent of the Month Are...

[AmbrosiaWriter]

If we did catch them leaving the kids, we'd stop them/remind them that the mall had an arcade/etc...

I'd probably just threaten to call the police for child abandonment, child neglect, or child endangerment. Not the employees' jobs to keep the kiddies safe so if the kids wander out of the store on their own who knows what could happen.

[AnaKhouri]

I have no problem with teaching kids to be independent. But not when a store is busy and your kid's lesson is holding up everyone else (and if I saw my kid was having trouble carrying everything, I would come help). Dad sounds like a douchebag,

[Hyndis]

Isn't it wise to be standing right next to your child when they're learning so guidance can be offered if need be rather than outright abandoning them?

When I was little my parents would let me buy things on my own, such as ice cream or other small things like that. They would give me money for and let me conduct the entire transaction on my own, but they were standing 2 feet away from me at the time. And this was only done when the store wasn't busy or crowded.

[KatherineB]

I'd probably just threaten to call the police for child abandonment, child neglect, or child endangerment. Not the employees' jobs to keep the kiddies safe so if the kids wander out of the store on their own who knows what could happen.

I'd just call them. No warning. And I'd put up a sign in the window saying that I'd done it once and would do it again should circumstances present themselves.

And in case anyone thinks I wouldn't, I used to work at a football stadium. In my hearing, a father told his kids (who looked about four) to go and kick a ball outside while he went in a watched the game. Cops came around on patrol just as dad started to walk away. Sadly dad heard me telling the cops that I was concerned about the two children who weren't being supervised properly, raced back and took off with his kids. I really hope he missed the game!

[Kristev]

I remember back when we lived in Riverside, C. A., I would go on grocery runs for my mother, or I'd go to the Christian bookstore and the video store. See, the apartments we lived in at the time were just a few blocks away from an outdoor shopping plaza, and a rather big one at that.

But that was in 1988-90. And I was 9-11. Today, if I had children, I'd never feel safe letting my kids go that far out, unless they were teenagers with cell phones. Then I'd feel safer.

[Andara Bledin]

It's no dangerous now than it was then. We're just inundated with reports of everything that happens today.

Regardless, there's no excuse for abandoning your kids in some shop just so you can shop somewhere else in peace.

^-.-^

[skeptic53]

It's no dangerous now than it was then. We're just inundated with reports of everything that happens today.

Regardless, there's no excuse for abandoning your kids in some shop just so you can shop somewhere else in peace.

^-.-^

This is so true. The summer that Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped in Utah, and a little girl raped & murdered in San Diego while her parents were at a swinger's party, is when the media started distributing stranger-abducts-child stories nationwide. An analysis of case reports showed that the rate of stranger abductions has not changed substantially for decades. People fear letting their younger kids play outside, fear letting their older kids have independence to explore and play. Instead they enroll them in supervised activities. The irony is that the majority of kids who are molested are molested by someone they know, often a sports coach, scout leader etc who has taken that position BECAUSE they are a pedophile. There is no way to danger-proof the world, every decision is a choice, if you choose to drive your kid to school rather than let them walk or bike they won't get abducted on the way to/from school but they may suffer in other, unforeseen ways, not just increased risk of obesity. But no one makes all their decisions rationally or we'd all be robots.

[Tithera]

This comes from my older sister who is a social worker for our county. She just told me this story a few days ago and I still can't fathom the stupidity of this woman.

My sister is talking this woman who we'll call "Scarface" for a soon to be obvious reason. She has requested her county allotted bus passes and she is being very confrontational the whole time my sister is asking her mandatory questions, such as how far she is going (to know how much money to put on said pass), where she is going specifically, and why.

MS: My sister
SF: Scarface

MS: Well to know how much money to put on the passes, we need to know where exactly you are going.
SF: It's none of your damn business where I'm goin'!
MS: Well then, I can not give you the bus pass since I don't know how much to put on there.
SF: *long ass sigh* Fine, I'm going to a friend's house.
MS: And where is this friend's house located?
SF: A few blocks over.
MS: A few blocks really doesn't help me since the city blocks and suburban blocks are different sizes and different distances apart, several of them don't even have bus stops.
SF: *another long sigh* He's on *randomly named* Street.
MS: Alright and what are you planning to do at your friend's house?
SF: Ain't none of your goddamn business what I'm gonna do bitch. Just give my bus passes!
MS: Please ma'am, refrain from cursing at me. And, again, I am sorry, but due to county regulations, I need to know what you are planning on doing once you are there, to make sure you are within the bounds of you probation period (meaning one more bad call and the kids are taken) as well as to make sure you are not breaking your probation from the court.
SF: Look I'm going to go buy drugs alright bitch! Now gimme my bus passes!
MS: *is so stunned at this point, he co-worker came over to see what was up* Did...did you just tell me you are going to go buy drugs/
SF: That's what I said, what are you fucking deaf? I'M. GOING. TO. BUY. DRUGS.
MS: What kind of drugs?
SF: all kinds of drugs!
MS: All kinds? As in every drug on the street?
SF: Just about.
MS: Well then, I am going to have to put this in your report, as well as have you come in for a drug test tomorrow morning.
SF: Bitch, I ain't got time for drug tests!
MS: I'm sorry ma'am, but since you just told me you were planning on using our bus passes to go and purchase drugs while on probation with the county as well as state for felonious charges, you are required to show up for a drug test, or face jail time and your children permanently removed from your custody.
SF: Fuck you bitch! I'll go get my drugs myself.

She hung up after this and my sister explained to her supervisor what just happened.

MS: So, I guess I get to go do my first removal tomorrow.
CW: I'll go start the paperwork.

Haven't heard anything else about this, but I'm sure I'll hear about it soon. Should be interesting.

[EricKei]

Yeek. The scary thing, I think Scarface was 100% serious.

GameStore kids: We sent our fastest available staffer out to chase the parent down (if possible) and bring them back if the usual "HEY! MA'AM! Hang on a second!", etc, didn't work. If we couldn't find them, we called Security -- they were able to get there faster than the cops (plus half of the Guards loved us, so that meant FAST responses) -- they took the kids to the mall office where the wee ones could be watched properly, paged the parents, and, if there was no response, they called the cops.

One way or another, the parent would get an earful.

[BroSCFischer]

Story reminds me of when I was little, my paternal grandfather took me to a department store. While we were in the toy aisle, I suddenly looked around, and he was gone. I was 6 years old and scared, after looking up and down the aisle for him, I went to the courtesy counter to have him paged.

When he came to get me, he said he was just playing "Hide & Seek" with me. Uh, thanks for letting me know.

SC