*twitches*

[meganbmoore]

So, is it now the in thing for parents/guardians/caretakers/whatever of both sexes to stand 5-10 feet away from their child's stroller while they chat with someone, with neither adult paying any attention to the child?  Because I saw about 10 people doing that today when I went to the mall for lunch with my parents.

Comments

[shelled-avenger.livejournal.com]

Gahh! I'm not even a big kid person, but this still freaks me out. I suppose you could fake kidnap the kid to teach them a lesson...wait, that's what we call a BAD idea.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yes, very very bad idea.

[apoorvajuneja.livejournal.com]

It's da trends now-a-days. :D

Yeah, that's irritating. It shouldn't be that hard just to hold on the stroller with one hand or something...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY! Because a hand on the handlebar? Even if you aren't actually looking, it'll prevent most dangers...

[seven-trees.livejournal.com]

Today I was at the bookstore with my mom. We were on the second floor and this kid, barely five, was trying to keep one foot on the floor while trying to touch one of the moving steps with the other. You cannot believe how much my mom and I shouted in horror. The kid's mom was nowhere in sight and we'd obviously thought the boy had gotten lost. But no, his mom and grandma were just around the corner looking at something that I can only guess was more important than the kid's safety. AND SHE DIDN"T EVEN LOOK WORRIED OR ANYTHING WHEN WE TOLD HER WHAT HER KID HAD BEEN DOING. How do you not panic over than! I don't think I was overreacting. A fall down the escalators and a broken neck is something to worry about.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Also at the mall today I saw a kid running towards the stairs and trip on the top stair (he was heading to the stairs to go down them) and barely catch himself from falling down the stairs and itting his head. No parent in sight.

[seven-trees.livejournal.com]

It makes me want to shake the parents by the shoulders and shout "WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE DOING THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KEEPING YOUR KID FROM KILLING HIMSELF? WHAT?"

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

SOMETHING THAT HAS THEIR KIDS RUNNING UP AND DOWN STAIRS WHILE THEY'RE APPARENTLY OFF IN A STORE!

[laura-holt-pi.livejournal.com]

Would you believe people actually leave kids two or three years old in our shop and then go off down the road? They come back eventually, but often, by then, the kids have wrecked the shop and are getting dangerously out of hand.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Having worked in a bookstore and heard parents tell their kids they'll be back in a bit? Yes, yes I do believe that.

[lotuseyes.livejournal.com]

at the center where I worked parents would often walk out with their kids but then rush back into the room without their kid and start rifling through their cubbys for something. meanwhile their kid was halfway down out of the center and many yards away.

my favorite is when a kid just tears out of the classroom and goes running down the hallway. the parent is still chatting with us and when I say 'let me go grab so and so' they're like 'don't worry someone will bring him back' x.x

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Assuming you're working in a childcare center, that's not quite as bad. Still irresponsible, but at least in a place where they could be reasonably certain the child was safe, as opposed to a large public place with lots of traffic.

[lotuseyes.livejournal.com]

I do, rather did. It just gets me because the Admin up front don't watch very well when kids are leaving. Normally after 5pm there are parents in and out in groups so seeing a kid running in front of a parent isn't unusual. Its when the kid is running in front of an adult who isn't their parent and makes it out of the double doors leading to the front (before the street doors) that makes me twitch.

I haven't noticed an increase in neglect from parents though. It has always been so. As a kid I remember being jealous 'cause other kids mother's didn't make them hold onto the cart or stay next to them while they shopped. Hell we had to stand in front of the changing room door so she could see our feet when she want to try on clothes!