Should have we have let her go?

[MerkinFitter]

I recently helped my friend hold a birthday part for her DS who turned 6. It was held at a local sports centre (bouncy castle type thing)

Anyway, one little girl was dropped off by her older sister (who i know is 8 or 9) and had no gift or card for the birthday boy (though I know she didnt have to bring one.

When the paryt was over, all the mums & dads turned up to collect their children, apart from this wee girl. I saw her try to leave by herself, so i brought her back inside. She was crying, and said she was to walk home by herself (she is 6, and the sports centre is on a busy main road). I really felt like i couldnt let her go by herself, so took her indoors even though she was visably upset. The other mum agreed with me, that we should hold onto her until someone arrived to collect her.

Half an hour after the party, and still no-one arrived, so the other mum agreed to take the girl home herself, even though it was totally out of her way.

now, should we have let her go? Were we unreasonable to keep hold of her, even when she was upset & adamant she was to walk home by herself?

No, you weren't unreasonable. You can't just let a small child off like that. If ANYTHING had happened to her, you can bet you'd have been blamed for it.

YANBU. I think you were quite right to take her home.

NO, you did the right thing, what kind of nutter would allow a 6 yr old walk home on a busy road?

YANBU.
What were the parents thinking of? Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Well done you.

YANBU

I just keep thinking about how upset the wee girl was, and how we forced her to stay with us I know deep down though, it was probably the best thing to do.

YANBU

You did absolutely the right thing in not letting her go on her own but I'd have taken her home immediately, not waited half an hour. If she'd been told to walk by herself, obviously no-one was going to come and collect her. Don't feel bad, though. Heaven knows what might have happened if you'd let her go off on her own.

YANBU

You did the right thing in not letting her go off on her own.
Poor girl.

YANBU. She said she had to walk home by herself??

Absolutely disgusting - what are the parents thinking?

Have you spoken to the other Mum since? What did the parents say? I would have made my feeling perfectly clear to them.

I wonder was the older sis supposed to collect her but told her to walk home?

YANBU, I'd have wanted to report the parents to Social Services for even thinking it was a good idea!

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I would have done the exact same thing.

Its the school holidays here now, so havent seen anyone (my friend or mother of the child)

In fact, none of us know what the wee girls mum looks like, as she walks to & from school by herself.

We waited half an hour to make sure the parents were not just running late, as my friend would have to take her home by car, and may miss the parents who may have walked from a different direction, IYSWIM?

bloss- would i not be accused of poking my nose in? I know the girl walks quite a distance to school by herself, a few times ive helped her cross a busy road. And she appeared to have what looked like a burn (perhaps ciggerette, but id wouldnt like to say for sure) on her cheek. I asked her about it, but she refused to talk about it. Thinking about it, maybe there is more going on than i first thought, im only now piecing it altogether.

carmeneere - you would think the parents would notice though, that she hadnt come home?

defiitely not unreasonable

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Even 8 or 9 hardly seems that old.

I'd mention some of your concerns perhaps to the school, the teacher may also have noticed odd things and if there are other reasons to be worried they can maybe take this up wiht Social Services.

YANBU