Can somebody help me write a letter of complaint?

[PurpleOne]

To cut a long story very short, there was an organised 'activity' youth thingy going on yesterday. Supply a packed lunch and the kids were being taken to Romford kidspace. They were due back at the park at 1.30 for a football match and cricket match.

DD2 got annoyed at something and stormed off out the park. (dd2 is 10). The leaders of the activity group just let her go, and NOBODY came after her. DD1 didn't even see her go as she was playing footie at the time. DD1 got back at 3pm and no sign of DD2 anywhere. (local park and she knows her way home but beside the point)
At 4.30pm I got a call from my estate agent saying that DD2 was in there so went to get her.
I've found out the leaders name and address and want to write her a strongly worded letter...also maybe cc my MP and local council in this too?

You just don't let a child walk off like that. It'd be like me sitting a mates kid and leaving the front door open...

I am furious!

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

What made your DD so confident as to strop, and continue stropping. ?

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

She sounds like a piece of baggage....spoilt

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

DD2 got annoyed at something and stormed off out the park.

[PurpleOne]

Strop or no strop, she shouldn't have been able to walk off like that....

[PurpleOne]

Spoilt baggage? Beg your pardon?

[TheFallenMadonna]

Who was organising it?

[soapbox]

I think your strongly worded letter would be far better addressed towards your DD. What outrageous behaviour!

In your shoes I would be too embarrassed to raise the issue with the activity leader. I'd be mortified!

[PurpleOne]

A local sports shop and a youth organisation organised a week of half term activities.
Agree LL, my point exactly!

[TheFallenMadonna]

You need to check exactly what their duty of care was. I'm very surprised you weren't contacted at the very least.

[PurpleOne]

I wouldn't be embarrassed about raising the issues at all. More upset about the fact that DD2 was left to wander the streets in the pissing rain for an hour and a half..anything could've happened to her.

Only wanted to write a letter. Oh well [hmmm]
Behaviour or not, I do actually give a toss about my dd's welfare, strop or no strop.

[PurpleOne]

TFM, no I wasn't contacted at all, yet they had a mobile and landline number for me.

I am furious enough, let alone being told that my DD is spoilt baggage. [hmmm]

[soapbox]

Oh well - if you think this is acceptable behaviour

No doubt if they'd tried to stop her you'd be complaining that they manhandled her.

I think you need to start looking a lot closer to home quite frankly!

[TheFallenMadonna]

Well, I would have pretty stern words with dd(who is old enough to know that wandering off by herself is not accpetable to you) and I would also ask the group organising the activity whether they had followed their own gudelines on what to do in this situation.

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

Cheap childcare.....

[stuffitllama]

My child did this once. It was extremely difficult for the organisers as they had many other children in their care. They raised it with ME afterwards as they'd been worried sick. And quite frankly, I was very cross with him.

I have to agree with purple -- they are in loco parentis.
But think carefully about what the solution could be if you write. That all the organisers keep all the mobile phone numbers of the parents? That an extra person is there, one more than is needed on an adult to child basis, to deal with this situation? Try to be constructive.

[PurpleOne]

Would you want your dc roaming the streets in the pouring rain then? I guess not.

I'd much prefer they manhandled her of course. In my book, a child's safety is paramount.

[stuffitllama]

I think the organisers of an activity for 10 year olds should be able to be confident the children will not leave, and they won't staff it as they would for 5-7 year olds. Also, 10 year olds are often allowed out on their own. Perhaps they assumed she went home.

[WallOfSilence]

I think it would be a letter of apology for my child's behaviour that I would be writing.

I would be affronted that a child of mine got stroppy & walked off!

She does actually sound spoiled, and petulant and possibly over confident if she thinks she can stride away from adults...

[Aero]

Storming off not great, I agree, but someone should have gone after her/noticed her missing etc.
I would have something to say to my dd, but I would also be upset that no-one thought it their duty to bring her back and for that, I would have to say something. I'd go along the lines of understanding that running off is unacceptable behaviour, but that they have a duty of care towards your dd and you would not have expected a 10yr old to be wandering the streets alone when no-one knew her whereabouts.

[jasper]

I would not direct my energies towards the organisers but at my daughter.

[soapbox]

My 10 yo DD would never have stormed off in the first place - so would not be roaming the streets!

Your DD could have gone back - she chose not to - so she piled poor behaviour on top of poor behaviour!

What sanctions have you imposed on her to make sure that she never does this again?

That is where you need to focus your attention - to stop her ever thinking that she can just flounce off and put herself in danger!

[TheFallenMadonna]

I'm not having a go. I would have words with my 6 year old if he went AWOL.