Florida Mom arrested for letting 7 year old son walk to park alone.

[little_old_man]

We always complain that we wish things were more like they were when most of us were younger. Getting out of the house to play instead of sitting around on a computer or playing video games all the time.

 

It looks like they're trying to outlaw outdoor activities by arresting parents of 7 year old kids playing alone outside. What the fuck is the world coming to? Is this change for the better?

 

http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/mom-arrested-for-letting-son-7-go-to-park-alone

 

 

[Damage_inc-]

i have mixed feeling but the child was alone and going to a park 1/2 mile away from home.he must have been missing for awhile to make that trek.a child is still a baby at 7yrs old .wtf parents-i thinks maybe a warning ticket/fine  and if reoccurs harsher penalty

[little_old_man]

I walked to school beginning in the first grade. It was about a mile and I always walked with friends. Walking to and from school was just another fun part of the day to hang out with friends. Yes we got into shit sometimes, but our parents didn't worry about our safety nearly as much as people do today. Do we have more kidnappers/pedophiles now than 40-50 years ago? Should we make our kids shut-ins because of what "could" happen? 

[Hemps]

what's the difference if he was playing on the next street or a 1/2 a mile away. that's only 9 football(USA) fields away.  we lived in chicago at that age and we where out there playing all the time, and that was the big city!

the kid most likely knows how to cross streets safely and stay away from strangers, like he did when he ran from the life guards at the park. can't even let kids be kids these days!

theyll go after this mom for something that "might" happen. but they'll let known pedophiles and abusers,ect. out  with just a slap on the hand.  what a joke!

[PimpedOutPete]

Like Damage, I'm torn by this. As a parent, your concern about harm to your children never ends regardless if it's 100 feet or half a mile away. Some type of supervision is a must these days.

 

Your right Steve, the world seemed much more trusting when we were kids.

 

Jail seems extreme in this case, poor parenting yes, jail? Maybe not.

[Joe Canadian]

This woman is  neglecting her child. I don't know what type of neighborhood she lives in, but I much rather see her arrested, than watching the news and learning about another case of a missing child found dead in the woods

[Joe Canadian]

......

Edited August 1, 2014 by Joe Canadian

[little_old_man]

So just so I understand you correctly Joe, any parent who lets their 7 year old kid play 1/2 mile from home without adult supervision should be in jail? Wow, by the sound of things I'm glad I'm not growing up in Canada.

Edited August 1, 2014 by little_old_man

[PimpedOutPete]

Can u blame him Steve? I don't know, when it comes to your children you never stop wanting to protect them. Jail maybe an extreme but child services definitely should pay her a visit and question her parenting without a doubt...

 

Tough subject.

[Joe Canadian]

Allowing a 7 year old boy to play in a public park without adult supervision is considered a form of child neglect, at least in Canada. I am not saying they should throw this woman in jail, but she should at least get a warning, and possibly a visit from social services. It is all about protecting the child, LOM, that's why child abduction, and rape and murder cases are rare in Canada.

[MissD]

i have mixed feeling but the child was alone and going to a park 1/2 mile away from home.he must have been missing for awhile to make that trek.a child is still a baby at 7yrs old .wtf parents-i thinks maybe a warning ticket/fine  and if reoccurs harsher penalty

 I have a 7 year old daughter who is very responsible for her age. I live in a very small village, so not so many stangers here. If she likes to go to the supermarket for me because I forgot someting (also 1/2 mile away) I let her go! Childern will let you know if they are ready to do thing on there own and as a parent you decide if it is ok. My child is absolutly not a baby, but maybe other 7 year olds are.

[little_old_man]

Just curious Joe and Pete, at what age in Canada is it illegal to leave a child unsupervised, and does that include inside and outside of the home? So if my wife and I work full time, and my kids walk home from school and are home alone for 3-4 hours, should I expect a visit from CPS? If I own a 500 acre ranch and let my 7 year old son walk on our property, am I breaking the law? If my 3 pre-teen kids are playing basket ball with some other neighbor kids of the same age a few doors down from my house (but are out of my sight) am I breaking Canadian law?

 

I realize you guys think the US is a hell hole with gun toting perverts lurking behind every bush, but toss these numbers around in your head for a few minutes. in 2012 there were almost 800,000 missing person reports filed in the US. Out of that huge number, 112 were stranger abductions. The rest were runaways, parent abductions and a ton of kids that forgot to tell their parents they were spending the night at a friends house. In that same period of time, around 12,000 kids were killed in car accidents. My question to you guys is this. Should people keep their kids locked up inside eating junk food and sitting in front of a computer to become adults that don't know how to function in public, or should they go outside, get excercise, learn how to interract with their peers (in person rather than by text or or Facebook) in order to become more independent and well rounded adults? Should I never take them in a car for fear of them getting killed in a car accident?

 

Where do you draw the line in order to keep your kids safe? Life is full of risk for all of us from the moment we are born.  Would any of us be the adults we are today if we hadn't learned to become independent and a few hard lessons growing up?

Edited August 1, 2014 by little_old_man

[Leadfinger]

I'm getting that warm fuzzy feeling @@PimpedOutPete agrees with @@little_old_man . . . . . .

 

Jail time for this is absurd.

Like others I walked / rode my bike to school in 3rd grade with other kids but sometimes alone and those times when I was alone I was feeling grown up and responsible. Kids are smarter than we give them credit and trusting a young kid to remember what he/she was taught (providing the parents did their job) helps to develop skills needed as they get older. Sure it's hard for the parent to go thru this stage of their child's development but no harder than it was 40 years ago.

 

The reason folks nowadays are so "freaked out" over stories like these is when something bad happens the whole country knows about it and to some . . . it feels like it happened down the street from them.

 

Did bad things happen to kids 40 years ago  . . .yes but it didn't get plastered all over the news Nationwide.

 

Too much news reporting can make  people paranoid or irrational  . . .I think jail time for this (non)offense falls into the category of Irrational

[JohnnyDos]

When I was 6(1957) I always went to the parks and fields around my city.Not only me either.No one had their parents supervising.My 2 boys also went to parks at around that age.But now that one of them has kids they always make sure that a parent  or adults that they know are there to supervise.I live in Canada.Like Leadfinger describes it is the reason mainly.(The reason folks nowadays are so "freaked out" over stories like these is when something bad happens the whole country knows about it and to some . . . it feels like it happened down the street from them.)

[Sonovabich]

It's a different world nowadays, i know there were perverts around 30-40-50 years ago but they seem to be everywhere now, i blame the law, they are too soft on them, they can molest and murder children with fairly lenient consequences nowadays and they can access all this child porn with the click of a button too.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Sonovabich

[JohnnyDos]

It's a different world nowadays, i know there were perverts around 30-40-50 years ago but they seem to be everywhere now, i blame the law, they are to soft on them, they can molest and murder children with fairly lenient consequences nowadays and they can access all this child porn with the click of a button too.

But don't get caught smokin' a joint.What you say is true SOB.The law is way to soft on these perverts.

[Damage_inc-]

ns lom "when i was a child that age i walked to school  with freinds and that was ok".

no shit we all did with friends but that child was alone

and times are different .

I live in a small town of 28k  but i dont know who lives 6 houses down from me and most people dont-now do one of those internet searches on sexual predators and flags pop up all over the map.anyone do that search then see how warm an fuzzy you feel about times nowadays.sure there were perverts. years ago but now they exchange there perversions online and are protected by some laws and always have some clinical justification because somehow they were at one time or another a victim.the world has changed.in the old days if someone thought uncle benny was a perv and was making waves he met mr baseballbat and disapeared or became a priest apparently

[Joe Canadian]

Just curious Joe and Pete, at what age in Canada is it illegal to leave a child unsupervised, and does that include inside and outside of the home? So if my wife and I work full time, and my kids walk home from school and are home alone for 3-4 hours, should I expect a visit from CPS? If I own a 500 acre ranch and let my 7 year old son walk on our property, am I breaking the law? If my 3 pre-teen kids are playing basket ball with some other neighbor kids of the same age a few doors down from my house (but are out of my sight) am I breaking Canadian law?

 

I realize you guys think the US is a hell hole with gun toting perverts lurking behind every bush, but toss these numbers around in your head for a few minutes. in 2012 there were almost 800,000 missing person reports filed in the US. Out of that huge number, 112 were stranger abductions. The rest were runaways, parent abductions and a ton of kids that forgot to tell their parents they were spending the night at a friends house. In that same period of time, around 12,000 kids were killed in car accidents. My question to you guys is this. Should people keep their kids locked up inside eating junk food and sitting in front of a computer to become adults that don't know how to function in public, or should they go outside, get excercise, learn how to interract with their peers (in person rather than by text or or Facebook) in order to become more independent and well rounded adults? Should I never take them in a car for fear of them getting killed in a car accident?

 

Where do you draw the line in order to keep your kids safe? Life is full of risk for all of us from the moment we are born.  Would any of us be the adults we are today if we hadn't learned to become independent and a few hard lessons growing up?

 

My kids  (10 and 13) walk to school all the time. They go bike riding with friends their age and do all sorts of outdoor activities but they always bring a cell phone along and tell us exactly where they will be. They are mature enough, in our opinion, to look out for each other,  exercise relatively good judgement and use their common sense.  

 

The question you should ask yourself is if a 7 year old is mature enough to perceive accurately whats going on around him, while he plays in a public area unsupervised. What  would you base your assumptions on? Statistics, the notion that this particular place is "safe"?  How about accidents, drownings and such? How long would it take you as a parent, living "only" a 1/2 mile from the park to learn if something went wrong and to react accordingly?

 

I am not making any sort of comparisons between the USA and Canada because its irrelevant. And I don't even care what the law says either. Good parenting does not require a set of rules to be followed and enforced by the cops and social services.  

 

A 7 year old boy should always be supervised while he plays, even at home. Letting my 7 year old leave the house and go to play 1/2 mile away is a big no no, at least for me.

 

Joe

 

Ps: Check this out, some reading material bellow...

 

Child neglect means not doing enough to keep your child safe and healthy. It can include one or more of the following:

• The failure to provide adequate food and shelter
• The failure to provide basic health care
• Inadequate supervision or child care
• Inadequate protection from physical risks or danger

 

What Does "Supervised" Mean?

Supervised means that the caregiver can see the child and is close enough to protect the child from harm.

Children 0 to Four Years Old

Children in this age group must be supervised at all times!

Children Five to Seven Years Old

Children in this age group may play unsupervised for up to 30 minutes when a parent (or age-appropriate caregiver) is at home and can check-in regularly with the child or is able to see the child. Many children in this age group can be taught to walk to school by themselves, however, it is preferred that children in Kindergarten and Grades one and two are accompanied by a caregiver when walking to school or waiting for the school bus.

 

Kidnapping by strangers is very rare, accounting for less than 1% of missing children cases, according to the RCMP. Still, we should all take sensible precautions.

• Never leave a young child alone in a public place – not even for just a minute.
• Don’t put their name on their clothing. A stranger can use it to gain their trust.
• Go along when a young child uses a public washroom, even if they protest.
• Never assume there’s someone else watching out for your child. Always know where they are and who’s looking after them.
• And, in case the worst happens, keep an up-to-date photo (no more than six months old) with your child’s height, weight, eye and hair colour on the back, along with a description of any birth marks.

[PimpedOutPete]

I am not sure what the age is needed for direct supervision in Canada. I will have to direct that question to my wife for she now works for Child and Family Services for the Government of Alberta.

 

Footnote to this.

 

When I was about age 7, my older sister took me to a matinee and on the way home we came across a horrific accident at our neighbors home. Their nephew (age 6) was playing unsupervised and got into the family car and released the break and it rolled down a hill where he fell out and the front wheel ran him over. My mom was a nurse so they ran for her for help but there was nothing to be done.

 

I will always remember coming home to her literally covered in that little boys blood. Accidents do happen all the time but it takes only one moment of neglect to change lives forever.

 

There is no right answers to this.. Just makes me sigh that my two daughters made til there 20's and plus..

[7Toes]

I use to walk to school all the time when I was in elementary school that was when they let you go home for lunch.what needs to happen when they catch these pedophiles and pervs is to have them sliced open and remove there bowl slowy while there awake and in public.to show the rest of those peds what is waiting for them..im sorry I have no remorse for these asshats,  that's like our 3 strike system is full of shit the second strike and you become a organ donor.that would clear out our prisons and save a bunch of money and help all theses people on organ donors list a win win..........

[Oneill]

 

My kids  (10 and 13) walk to school all the time. They go bike riding with friends their age and do all sorts of outdoor activities but they always bring a cell phone along and tell us exactly where they will be. They are mature enough, in our opinion, to look out for each other,  exercise relatively good judgement and use their common sense.  

 

The question you should ask yourself is if a 7 year old is mature enough to perceive accurately whats going on around him, while he plays in a public area unsupervised. What  would you base your assumptions on? Statistics, the notion that this particular place is "safe"?  How about accidents, drownings and such? How long would it take you as a parent, living "only" a 1/2 mile from the park to learn if something went wrong and to react accordingly?

 

I am not making any sort of comparisons between the USA and Canada because its irrelevant. And I don't even care what the law says either. Good parenting does not require a set of rules to be followed and enforced by the cops and social services.  

 

A 7 year old boy should always be supervised while he plays, even at home. Letting my 7 year old leave the house and go to play 1/2 mile away is a big no no, at least for me.

 

 

Just a quick question, these cell phones that you give to your children are they smart phones or just simple call only phones? hopefully its the latter because It can be argued that giving a smart phone to a child can be even more dangerous and more neglectful then leaving them unsupervised. Child abusers don't roam the streets anymore looking for victims, instead they roam the internet looking at social media sites such as twitter and facebook looking for those children with smartphones that update what they are doing every 5 minutes.

 

I say as long as the child was taught to run from strangers such as he did in the story then I think hes pretty safe being on his own. I did it when I was in elementary school and Id much rather him roaming the streets then roaming the internet. Definitely not both at the same time though.

[mouselad]

to be honest I used to walk to the store about 1/2 a mile away from my house all the time when i was a kid. my dad would send me. give me money to get a candy bar and soda for me and a pack of smokes for him.... and i am still alive. shit i used to play in the woods outside my house with no parental supervision from sunup till sundown. my mom would pack me a sandwich and just tell me "make sure to be home before its dark out"

[Tron]

This is simply another example of the Nanny States of Amerika and over-reaching government run amok. There are hundreds of these examples every week, and I weep for the future of our country if we don't do something about it soon.

[little_old_man]

The only times I was ever physically injured growing up was at age 7 when I broke my leg on a trampoline at a neighbors house while they and my parents were watching, and another time when they were building a 3 story house in our neighborhood when I was 8. We were getting a tour of the construction when a board I was walking on gave away. I fell from the attic straight through (30 feet) the house to the concrete basement floor. I wound up with a triple compound fracture in my right arm and a concussion.

 

I lived through it all and did many more dangerous things in my teens. But I learned right and wrong from my parents and enough common sense being out on my own from the age of 6 to avoid getting killed.

 

Kids will always do things that are dangerous to themselves and others. Keeping them locked up in a house afraid to step outside without mommy and daddy isn't doing them any favors in the long run. All you are doing is creating young adults who aren't suited to deal with life on their own and will always look to their parents for protection and a bail out.

 

If you feel that somebody should be locked up for child neglect, go after parents who are "supervising" their kids while drunk or high, or those who keep unsecured firearms in the house, not the ones who send them out to play at the park.   

Edited August 1, 2014 by little_old_man

[Unchileno]

I walked to school beginning in the first grade. It was about a mile and I always walked with friends. Walking to and from school was just another fun part of the day to hang out with friends. Yes we got into shit sometimes, but our parents didn't worry about our safety nearly as much as people do today. Do we have more kidnappers/pedophiles now than 40-50 years ago? Should we make our kids shut-ins because of what "could" happen? 

 

I walked to school beginning in the first grade. It was about a mile and I always walked with friends. Walking to and from school was just another fun part of the day to hang out with friends. Yes we got into shit sometimes, but our parents didn't worry about our safety nearly as much as people do today. Do we have more kidnappers/pedophiles now than 40-50 years ago? Should we make our kids shut-ins because of what "could" happen?