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Anyway, since I run into bizarre stuff quite a lot, this could well be "Good Parenting" Mark 2
I returned to my apartment, they have storeyed parking lots with 6 levels and I found a car mercilessly parked across 3 spaces, including mine.
That's when I saw a dude running around with a kid. I got off the car and I found out he is the good samaritan who found a 2 year old running around in the ground level parking lot around 8:30 pm in this chilly weather.
He told me he just picked him up before he was about to be run over by some cars which were accelerating down the lot.
We spent quite a few minutes trying to get the boy to tell us about his mom and his house. He was just like the happiest kid in the world and he was pointing to my shoes and was giggling. Then he ran around and pointed to every SUV and laughed happily. He loved the cars.
So, I tell him we should call 911 before someone thinks we kidnapped some kid. The other dude said that would separate the kid from the mother, coz that's what the police will first do, for it's blatant neglect. And that made sense, yet it was putting us in a fix. Two men and a baby situation
We knocked around every house and many never answered. Some were very indifferent like, uh we don't know, you should be calling 911. The worst thing was we stopped some cars coming in to help us out. They rolled their windows down, simply said they didn't know and disappeared. I mean, what's up with that? (very socially responsible, actually) Then me and the other guy took turns in screaming around the building, "Hello? Anyone's lost a child?"
After 45 minutes, some people are panicking on the third floor and we found them for a family re-union.
Apart from the million hugs we got from this couple, it suddenly became an argument between the guy and the woman as to whose fault it was for having been inattentive. I also got the vibe that the couple was divorced and one of them holds custody, and they won't divulge much details. I'm just venting because not only did I lose time, I was scared to $hit the whole time coz the last thing I want is to be wrongfully accused of kidnapping (besides, what if the other guy actually kidnapped the kid and was trying to embroil me in the situation?) But he was a great guy. I think he saved the boy tonight.
Besides, I can't even imagine what would have happened if some car ran over the boy. I am sitting and thinking I should have indeed called 911. I know where they live now. Perhaps I should??
I am sitting and thinking I should have indeed called 911. I know where they live now. Perhaps I should??
Nah, it's over and done. Calling the cops won't do anything but create problems for the family, and it sounds like they've learned their lesson. It doesn't take long for a toddler to slip out of sight and they can be half a block away in a heartbeat. If the parents had been unaware and totally unconcerned it would be a different story though.
Sounds like you had quite an eventful evening. Has your heart rate settled back down yet?
Gotta applaud you for being concerned and taking the time to look out for the boy.
I think if social services would have come and gotten the child the parents might actually learn their lesson, or at the very least not be able to neglect a child like this. I am sorry for those that think a 2 yr old can just slip out....maybe if he were a big boy of 8 or 9 I might agree, but a "child" this age is still a baby and if they are just slipping out, somebody (or everybody) is not watching.
You can't let this guilt you in anyway, you did what you thought was the right thing. Hopefully these parents will get a clue.
Glad it all turned out well....next time, I would call the police, to protect all involved (including yourself for the very reasons you mentioned). Kids can sneak off even with attentive parents but the fact that he was gone for quite some time and no one seemed to be out looking for him would concern me....
I was in a similar situation a few months ago. Our family was driving somewhere and we saw a little boy, maybe three years old, playing in a grassy area next to a church all by himself. Nobody was at the church, and then we noticed a house across the street with an open garage and an abandoned toy car. I went to the door and knocked and knocked. I knew people were there; I could hear them talking. The doorbell didn't work, so I pounded on the door and called, "Hello? Hello!" Another boy came to the door, older than the one across the street but still too small to really talk to. I asked him to get his parents. He wandered back into the house. After what seemed like several minutes, a man emerged from the garage. I don't remember the man's exact response, but it was pretty unconcerned, like it happened from time to time. I think he said thank you. Like you, I just didn't know what to do afterwards. Call the cops? I didn't want to make trouble for that family ... I just wanted them to keep a better eye on their kid.
I believe the arguing you witnessed was just a normal reaction of relief and fear.
I don't think I'd call 911 or social services now, but if there is a next time, I think I'd check the immediate area for the kid's parents, then call the police if I couldn't find them.
FYI calling 911 does not necessarily mean the child will be taken from the parents. Unless the police determine it definitely is blatant neglect (ex. mom & dad are passed out from drinking), the child will not be taken away. If the police are concerned, they might request a check-in visit from family services. But sometimes kids just slip out or away despite good parenting, and the police know that...many parents can vouch for that.
One time when I was single and living in a house the next-door neighbor (male, also single) called me at 4:30 a.m. because a little girl had knocked on his door and he was afraid to take her inside while he called the police, but didn't want to leave her alone (pre-cell phone days). I got dressed and sat with her while we waited for the police. Turns out her parents had a party and passed out from drinking and she woke up and wandered out (she was about 4). The police banged on the door and finally woke the dad up and turned her back over to them. I never understood why the police didn't do more, but the dad's family ran a restaurant where lots of officers ate and I thought maybe they knew him.
The little girl lived with her mom but was staying with her dad, which is why we didn't recognize her.
Anyway, to the OP, you did the right thing. Hopefully it was a wakeup call for the parents.
Back in FL there were some renters across the street that would let their toddler wander the neighborhood...he had to be 3-4 years old, did not speak that I heard so am going by size and agility. He would cross the road, mosey in the yards...the parent (Mother-Sister) would open the door every 45 minutes and yell at him...but she never stepped foot out to check on him unless after barking several times he didn't answer. The most annoying part of this is that they had a fenced-in back yard where the kid could have played and been monitored. :I Next door neighbor said she called Children's Services one day but nothing seemed to come from that.
Then we had new neighbors move in right before we left town...they let their kids do whatever, without supervision...and I took the chance of being bold and warned them that the roads were unsafe, many did not yield at the 4-way stop at our corner, instead flying through...that unknown dogs ran freely despite the leash law. That we had some criminally-inclined youth loitering about. You know, trying to give them a heads-up that this wasn't Mayberry despite the white picket fence. Also not trying to tell them how to be parents...walking that fine line.
The daughter was 5. She would get on her bike or just walk...and one day she disappeared. The parents freaked and searched the neighborhood. If I recall, the police were called. After a couple hours they finally found her several blocks away.
Wasn't there that day, so missed all this. They told me afterward. The look on my face must have said it all.
Personally I would have called 911 when it happened, but now that it's over and done it's too late. The police would have located the parents (the parents would have hopefully called the police once they discovered their son was missing and they couldn't find him) and yes there would have been a home visit but chances are if the home passed muster and both parents were deemed passable they would not have taken the kid away permanently. It takes A LOT to take kids away from their bio parents especially these days because there aren't enough foster families or resources to take care of the kids they already have. I have personal experience with family members being taken away and investigated, so I think I can safely say this. People make it seem that they will just take a kid away for any little bit of negligence, but in reality that's just not the case. Even in extreme cases where the kids should be taken away (IMO) it often doesn't happen.
Anyway - you did a good thing, what you did. Pat yourself on the back.
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