Mom Lets Daughter's Friend Visit Without Meeting Her Parents, But Now It's Late & They’re Nowhere To Be Found
MARIIA_MALYSHEVA | ShutterstockMost kids say that their parents know how they're spending their time and who they're with. It may feel annoying when you're at the age where you can't wait to be more independent, but this kind of parental involvement has been proven to help kids make better choices and avoid risky behavior.
A lot of parents are used to keeping a close eye on their little ones, especially when they're in a new environment, but this isn't universally true. Some parents just don't consider this a priority, which is not only hurtful for their child, who feels neglected, but also for others who have to take on the responsibility these parents choose to ignore.
One mom was astonished to find that there are parents out there who don’t supervise and protect their kids as they should.
She took to the "Am I Being Unreasonable" section of the U.K. parenting forum Mumsnet to voice her concerns about the lack of care for a child who visited her home.
The mom explained that her 11-year-old went out to play earlier in the day and returned home with a girl her age, asking if they could play in her bedroom. Despite having never met the child’s parents, she agreed, reasoning that it wasn't a big deal since the girl lived just two blocks away.
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However, as the day turned into evening, the mom offered to walk the girl home soon so she could get her own daughter prepared for school the next day. To her bewilderment, the girl informed her, “Oh, my mum and dad won’t be home till 9:45. I can’t get in till then.”
By her own admission, the woman was “totally shocked.” Now the little girl would have to stay at her home until her own daughter's bedtime. To make matters worse, she realized that if the kid hadn’t come over to her house to play, she’d be outside on the street alone until well after dark.
The mom explained that "something similar happened to me once as a child," and it made her feel like a great inconvenience to her friend's parents, so she has done all she can to hide her disappointment. Still, she found the fact that these parents would leave the responsibility for their child on a complete stranger infuriating.
Readers confirmed that the mom was not being unreasonable at all.
An overwhelming 97% of those who voted on the post agreed that her anger and concern were definitely not unreasonable. They wondered how in the world anyone could leave a child that age on the streets to fend for themselves.
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An insightful reader wrote, “The thing is, it sounds like they’re not expecting any adult to take responsibility for her. They were happy for her to stay out on the street.” Another suggested the woman call emergency services because the parents "effectively abandoned their child."
A third person pointed out just how vital this mom's compassion may have been for the little girl. “It’s good that you have shown her kindness and made her feel welcome," she said. "You have no idea what her home life is like as they are clearly negligent parents.”
Calling these parents 'negligent' may sound harsh, but it's accurate.
According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, "General neglect refers to the negligent failure of a parent or caretaker to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision where no physical injury to the child has occurred."
The Society noted that neglect is not only considered child abuse, but also the most prevalent form. Interestingly, they used "parents [leaving] their children unsupervised during the hours when the children are out of school" as a specific example.
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Anything could have happened to their child, especially if she was left on the street. This mom’s story underscores the importance of nurturing a collective sense of responsibility towards children, not only as parents but as a community. She was quite possibly the only thing that stood between the girl and certain danger.
While we can't control the choices of others, we can choose to create an environment of safety and care for our children, and by extension, the children around us. Compassion and vigilance can be threads that weave a brighter and more nurturing future for the next generation.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington. She covers lifestyle, relationship, and human-interest stories that readers can relate to and that bring social issues to the forefront for discussion.
