to see a mum leave her 2 young children at park alone?

[Blondeshavemorefun]

went to the park this afternoon with my temp job

its a quite large one, and we were the only ones there.

about 5mins later a lady comes with maybe a 10mth who was crawling and a 3yr

we didnt speak to each other as at other end of park, then after about 10mins she goes out of gate leaving her 2 children on their own

baby started to cry, and after a few seconds i went over and picked him up - 3yr was happily playing

she was gone 8mins (and yes i timed it) and returned with a take out coffee from starbucks [hmmm]

she stormed over to me and SNATCHED her crying baby from me and then started to have a go at me at picking her child up!!

I replied that she was an unfit mother and didnt deserve to have children if she LEAVES them ALONE

and i then walked off

wibu to say that?

[2Eliza2]

'I saw a woman get a warning from a police officer for leaving her two dc's (about age 5/6) outside Boots the other day for about 5 mins.'



This doesn't seem like such a terrible thing to do: depending on where the Boots is and how busy the road is.

[booyhoo]

2eliza2 are you for real? i would never leave a 5/6 year old outside a shop for any length of time let alone 5 minutes. my boys are the most precious things in my life and i would far rather listen to them moan and whinge for 5 minutes about having being dragged into boots than risk never hearing or seeing them again. and i know there arent child molesters round every corner but i'm not willing to take the risk that there isnt one there at that particular moment in time.

OP YAtotallyNBU!! thank heavens you were there to settle the baby otherwise the 3 yo might have tried to get mum his/herself.

[duchesse]

re 5/6 yr olds; on the one hand they are routinely walking to school by themselves in Japan.

On the other hand I know of a fair few people in their 50s and 60s who were abused/ attacked/ raped at that sort of age while out and about on their own.

[SerendipitousHarlot]

This is shocking!

And Gmac, your friend leaves a baby in the house alone? Why haven't you done something about that?

[scottishmummy]

shopping with tired toddler is irksome jesus wept doesn't merit abandonment

incomprehensible that you wouldn't want your precious loved child with you.not stood alone neglected on pavement

[Fillyjonk]

well

it seem shocking and suprising. it might even be worth reporting-the 3 yo played well while she was away, possibly suggesting she knew the park well.

I suppose my only caveat is not to judge her. I can't imagiane leaving my younger kids in the park for 10 minutes. I can just about see myself leaving my 5 yo, though I don't think I could. It seems like a possiblity, though a really bad call, iyswim. but to leave the younger two (16 months and 3) seems impossible.

I suppose i am saying i can't imagine how anyone could think this is ok, so perhaps there is something more going on. I think she probably needs help, tbh.

[Fillyjonk]

god my spelling has hit rock bottom tonite, apologies

[Rhubarb]

2Eliza2, I agree, that is not so shocking. dd regularly went, aged 6, to the boulangerie in France with her friend, also aged 6, to get us our daily bread (no pun intended!). It was all perfectly normal in France, and perfectly safe. If my kids weren't prone to running off and I could see them outside the shop window, not a problem.

But the OP scenario, where she actually went out of sight for a full 10mins - not on at all.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

2 children aged 5/6 outside boots for 5 mins totally different to crawling baby and 3yo left for 10.

You donn't leave babies and toddlers like that. They don't have a clue.

Other situation totally different, 2 5/6 yo up to parent if they are OK to be left by themselves outside shop on high street for a few mins. Not comparable.

[MaLopez]

Leaving children out of sight for any period of time is a no no.

A cousin left one daughter asleep at home when she went to pick up her other daughter from school. Daughter woke up, decided to open the window and fell to her death from the block of flats. Happened so long ago now but she is still not over it.

[jarbelle]

YANBU

Ridiculous

How the hell can she have the cheek to give off to you whe she is the one who has abandoned her child?

I know what my own ds is like, it only takes a second for him to do something that might endandger his life, because he's a baby and don't know any better

[scottishmummy]

oh hell i judge leaving a baby and child alone.damn right.jesus christ people get harder time before MN jury for using nursery,that is meet with derision and squawks.yet leave em alone in park- lets not judge.behave

3yo and baby are vulnerable and don't have adequate coping skills.bloody hell they are portable easy lifted easy taken in 8 mins

[hester]

I'm judging.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Looks like we all have our judgey pants on tonight

[Fillyjonk]

I think she actually needs serious help

I cannot imagine that these are the actions of a sane mother who is coping. Leaving a 10 month old baby in the park? Either she doesn't get that this is not ok, or so is so seriously overwelmed that she needed that break, or she doesn't care. Whatever, she needs help. her kids need help.

I suppose the only other possiblity is that she was a nanny or CM?

OP, I'd get hold of the police or social services.

[Fillyjonk]

and I think, yes, judge away, but its a no-brainer really isn't it? Of course you don't do this. Everyone knows that. Thats why this is so worrying.

[scottishmummy]

why does every daft action=mental health?some folk arent mad just fuck witted and stoopid

[LyraSilvertongue]

The very idea of leaving a 10-month-old baby alone (apart from slightly older sibling) for 10 minutes makes me feel faint. The woman is nuts to think this is ok. Well done for looking out for those poor children.

[Casserole]

I'd be inclined to try and take it further. I'd possibly even deliberately walk past the park a few times, and next time I'd call the police.

She's clearly not thinking clearly, and she's endangering those chidren. I think they all need help (not necc punishment, but help). Police would have the rapid response capacity to get there and actually see it and then enlist SS or whoever else was needed.

I know you'd probably feel awful for doing it. I would, too. But it's a mark of a civilised society to look out for its most vulnerable (as you did today). Perhaps no-one else except you has seen quite how desperate a situation they're in.

[FairLadyRantALot]

on op...yes yanbu...that mother was stupid and out of order....wht she did could have had very serious consequences...i.e. the Baby could have really hurt itself...

on leaving 5/6 year old outside boots....depends on the location of the boots...ours is on the edge of a market square, in a pedestrian only zone...so, pretty safe...however on a busy highstreet next to a road, different story....

those that get hysterical at the thought of leaving latter agegroup out of sight....honestly...that is why childrens development is hampered...they do not need constant close supervision at that age, they need to start to learn about freedom ...

[Fillyjonk]

I think very very few mothers are fuck witted enough or evil enough to leave a 10 month old baby unsupervised in a playpark in the middle of a city. It is very odd behaviour. I do seriously wonder if she could have been a nanny.

I think anyone who thinks it is ok to leave a 10 month old baby in a park unsupervised is really not thinking straight.

Regardless of whether she is fuck witted, evil or stressed beyond any level of belief, those kids need help.

don't get the point in being smug and judgemental about it. No one in their right minds would leave their young baby in the park because they fancied a latte.

[FairLadyRantALot]

exactly totally agree with filly...it seems incomprehensable..even to me who is all for freedom at a slightly later stage...

[scottishmummy]

FJ you prevaricate between Nanny or mental health oh must be unhinged

i have no probs exploration of motives i do have prob with assumption there is an underlying mh issue or errant nanny.

is it so incomprehensible a mum could do this?

[LyraSilvertongue]

It's incomprehensible that that mother in Birmingham (?) could starve her daughter to death, but it appears that that's exactly what might have happened.

[scottishmummy]

proceeding through criminal justice not MH pathway

what irks is the assumption of heinous act= mental health