News, Mom Arrested for Leaving Daughter at Park While She Was Working (attorney, boys)
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What about all the fools who send their children to the library all day while they are at work?
As a former librarian I can tell you absolutely that is not safe at all. Libraries are full of mentally unstable people, even in small towns. Librarians aren't child care workers; they have a million other things to do and can't always keep an eye on every single child that is in the library.
Working parents now do have it hard, and I think every situation is different.
But in most communities it's wise to not leave your kids in the park or library alone.
Not that it should be an arrestable offense - which ends up costing communities money. Communities would be better off spending money on summer childcare options.
Just because there is no specific age, that doesn't mean there is no law in a at all in any given state about child abandonment or neglect. Note that the link for latchkey kids shows that only three states have a specific age.
Links from South Carolina specifically GOOD QUESTION: What does SC law say about leaving your kid home alone? - SCNow: Archives
**There actually isn’t any state law regarding when a child can be left alone. However, there are “regulations,” which say no child under the age of nine should be left alone. . . . The Department of Social Services said officers and judges decide on a case-by-case basis if there should be any punishment or legal action taken when a child (or children) is left home alone."
Guidelines for Leaving Your Child Home Alone
**It is safe to say that a child younger than eight years old should not be left home alone, even for a short period of time. Between the ages of eight and 10, a child who is very responsible may be left for 30 minutes, but not longer than one hour. During this time, the child should be able to keep in close contact with a parent.**
No! You don't understand. We ventured far from our neighborhood, often further than we had agreed with our parents. We played in creeks full of poisoned ivy and snakes. We found secret places to play. I understand what you're saying, yes, we were usually with friends (though sometimes I did venture off on my own), but even a 9 year old is much more capable than we give them credit for. And this is coming from a parent who tried not to helicopter parent, but failed many times. I might wonder about a child being left at a park often, but I'd never call the cops unless something scary was happening. IMO, we've (and I include myself) raised a generation of kids who are scared of their own shadows.
Just because you did that and lived to talk about it doesn't make it right for all children. What if that girl was abducted from the park by an evildoer? What if she harmed another child in a desperate attempt to get attention? Should the mother be held responsible then? I have empathy for the mother because she probably believed she had no choice. There is something wrong with society that leaves mothers with inadequate resources out to dry. But that doesn't leave the mother blameless of bad behavior.
What about all the fools who send their children to the library all day while they are at work?
As a former librarian I can tell you absolutely that is not safe at all. Libraries are full of mentally unstable people, even in small towns. Librarians aren't child care workers; they have a million other things to do and can't always keep an eye on every single child that is in the library.
Working parents now do have it hard, and I think every situation is different.
But in most communities it's wise to not leave your kids in the park or library alone.
Not that it should be an arrestable offense - which ends up costing communities money. Communities would be better off spending money on summer childcare options.
I've heard of people doing the same thing at public pools. Thinking, "Yeah, the kid will have fun spending all day at the pool while I'm at work." Well, yeah, maybe for the first day. After that, the poor kids are bored out of their minds, and can get hurt or worse.
People need to pay for childcare or use public resources available.
Without reading all the posts, the mother's arrest just shows how much we as a society have descended into mutual distrust. I remember as a kid in 60s my mother would work at the mall for Abraham and Strauss and she allowed me and my younger sister to walk the mall while she worked. I was eight! I never felt any threat.
I will concede that we now live in a new world where all our neighbors must be viewed as potential murderers and molesters. It truly is a pathetic state of affairs.
What about all the fools who send their children to the library all day while they are at work?
As a former librarian I can tell you absolutely that is not safe at all. Libraries are full of mentally unstable people, even in small towns. Librarians aren't child care workers; they have a million other things to do and can't always keep an eye on every single child that is in the library.
Working parents now do have it hard, and I think every situation is different.
But in most communities it's wise to not leave your kids in the park or library alone.
Not that it should be an arrestable offense - which ends up costing communities money. Communities would be better off spending money on summer childcare options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaseMan
I've heard of people doing the same thing at public pools. Thinking, "Yeah, the kid will have fun spending all day at the pool while I'm at work." Well, yeah, maybe for the first day. After that, the poor kids are bored out of their minds, and can get hurt or worse.
People need to pay for childcare or use public resources available.
I agree. Libraries and pools are not daycare providers. Librarians and lifeguards are not focused on keeping your children safe. Sure, if a child needs CPR, they'll jump in. But if an older kid tries to talk them into some nonsense or a pedophile offers to treat them to a hamburger...
One resources that many take advantage of is family and friends in keeping an eye on the kids.
There are Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA summer programs and all sorts of activities.
Every once in awhile I read about a child who disappeared after being left alone in a hotel room or while walking to a friend's house several blocks away or ... and I wonder what were their parents thinking?
My heart goes out to this mother and child. But regardless of all the freedom people had as children and it turned out all right for them, leaving a child to wander a park all day by herself is not a safe choice. It just is not.
When I was 9 my we'd have family trips to the casino. My parents would give my sister, who was 6, and I money, tell us to go to the arcade, and find them when we were out of money. We would have room keys and instructions in meeting for dinner. Hours of unsupervised time. We turned out fine.
Should sending your kid to play alone at a local park land you in jail? Because that's what happened to Debra Harrell. The 46-year-old South Carolina mom repeatedly sent her 9-year-old daughter to a well-trafficked park while she went to work at McDonald's. When the parents of other children at the park found out, they called police, who arrested Harrell and charged her with unlawful conduct toward a child. The daughter has been placed in state custody.
There aren't enough details in this article to really decide how I feel about it. My gut tells me she couldn't afford day care, if she's working at McDonald's, and may have had no other options (no dad or family to help). I read a story a while back about a woman who left her kids in the car while she went on a job interview. She was already living in a shelter.
It's hard to know what these people are going through, what their reality is and how it leads them to make these choices. Go to work and leave your child at the park across the street or lose your job, then your home and watch your kids go hungry. Go to a job interview and leave your kids in the car or don't go and live in a shelter even longer with all kinds of unsavories around your children. Tough choices. But as a mom, I understand.
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