How sad (bit of an angry rant as well)

[JennH]

I went to our local shopping street today and i saw something that made me so sad/angry/upset.

This street is a very very busy road, it has lots of housing streets coming out onto it, and it is one of the main roads people use to get into town.
I was in the pharmacy when 3 girls aged about 10 walked in with a very young toddler (she was very wobbly) they did not hold her hand at all, they asked if they had any bibs and just before she answered another girl rushed in and said its ok i know where we can get one. So they all walk out, i leave almost straight after and see them walking along. Never holding the babies hand Then they stop at a crossing, and the baby starts to WALK out into the oncoming traffic, and they don't do a thing they barely even notice, someone else had to grab the baby and they picked her up and carried her across the road. The girls didn't say anything just snatched her and walked off
How could you let your baby go out with some primary school age girls who clearly cannot look after it
It made me so sad and angry to see that.

Oh poor baby! I'd be very sad to see that too, JennH. When you feel so strongly about your own babes it hard to imagine that there are people out there who really don't feel the same!

agree with ponygirl
plus some women just push their kids anywhere and with anyone
very sad

I always wonder, when I see that sort of situation and feel concerned not only for the poor baby, but the 'minders' as well. They are only children themselves and it's just so wrong to put so much responsibilty on their young shoulders. If anything did go wrong, how on earth would they feel??

My cousin does. He and his exwife let 12 and 14 year old girls childmind their three kids all under 4.
I expect to see them on Trisha any day now

Probably my stepkids. My dh's ex regularly sends her 3 year old out with her 9 and 10 year old to "mind" her. They have been known to be all sent out to buy something at the corner store at at 10pm on a school night. AND the courts think she's a better parent than my dh because she doesn't work and is at home with the kids all day. ugh.

My DS1 is 15 and I let him look after my 3m old DS2. I think he is perfectly responsible enough, though I wouldn't let him go out with the baby anywhere.

That said, we were shopping today and I had to brake suddenly in the car park cos a couple of 12 /13 year olds let a toddler walk into the road part of the car park - fortunately, I was only going at 10 mph and stopped easily. Tho it made me feel very wobbly

I used to "babysit" when I was 13!! for a woman who had 5 kids, ranging from 9 down to a 6 month old. She didn't know me at all - but a friend of mine used to be her regular babysitter - she was a year younger than me!!

As long as she got to go out on a Friday and Saturday night then she didn't care who looked after them. I didn't tell my parents where I was because they would have gone mad so I used to say I was sleeping over at my friends (which we used to do regularly anyway). This woman wouldn't say what time she would be in - quite often it was 2/3am!!

Anyway, my dad found out - went absolutely ballistic and reported her to Social Services! Don't know what happened to them after that - I wasn't allowed back there.

When I think back now, I feel sick What if there had been a fire/accident/baby choking etc etc - I wouldn't have had a clue!!!

It's unbelievable isn't it. I am not surprised that you were upset to witness this