Unsupervised Child

[LemonDrop22]

What would your opinion be on parents leaving a 6 year old child playing outside for 40 + mins (while they went to collect cinema tickets)?

The child may have been playing with other children when they left, but was alone by the time they came back.

I'm unaware of any solid arrangement (set up or checked by the parents) with the other children and/or their parents that he could go into their home with them if they left the street.

They had locked the door of their own home.

Just to add re the location; it's a cul de sac with lots of houses, mixed residents.

It's near several large social housing estates from which some crime had previously been linked (theft of bikes, bullying/violence etc.).

Very, very low.

Very, very low

This.

I would never do this.

Between the female parent accusing me of "calling her a shit parent" (which I didn't do, I asked her it had transpired and expressed pretty strong perturbation) ..... And family members staying "diplomatically" silent, evasive etc on it ..... I return to questioning myself on it, questioning my judgement is sound.

(asked her how it transpired)

Unless they've asked the parent/s of the other child if they can mind their child whilst gone then it's an absolute no;why would anyone do that?;it's so dangerous;anything could have happened;April Jones was playing out with a group of friends when she was taken.

It's pure and utter neglect;and you know what;she is a shit parent to do that.How hard would it have been to put her child in the car to take with her?

I just don't know if they spoke to other parents; whatever transpired he either wasn't taken into one of other kid's houses when they left (or he was taken in but let out (without his parents being back)) ...

I tend to think they didn't speak to other parents; more that they just took the chance other kids would continue playing in the street while they were gone and were also perhaps longer than they intended to be.

Since it happened I've been told by another family member that they "only nipped over to Tesco briefly" (a few min drive away); but at the time when the parents returned, the Mum said to me "we were just over town getting the cinema tickets for x (family film), they're getting sold out!

Re putting him in the car and taking him, if say it was a combo of him not wanting to interrupt playing, and them not wanting to bother taking him. But to me that's the only sensible thing to have done, playing or not.

I would think they are very lucky nothing happened
I also think they are absolutely unforgivably stupid particularly given that they didn’t even ask one of the parents of the other children if they could look after him.

no excuse whatsoever.

I don't know for certain they didn't, and given the Tesco story, I have doubts the truth (if unflattering!) will be told.

It just seems unlikely that another parent, if asked to look out for him, would not check their child had brought him in with them (or once in, let him leave without checking his parents were back).

Jesus, no.

These are the kind of parents you see on the news, crying, asking for help because their child has been abducted.

6 years old! No way.

Not much was said about this until I fell pregnant, when the Mum in the situation (my family member) was notably absent in contact etc., followed by a demand for an apology for "calling me a shit parent" when lo was about 3 months old.

As I said I didn't call her a "shit parent". I said something along the lines of "how did that happen, it doesn't seem like a good situation at all, it seems potentially dangerous".

Me having a child seems to have triggered something re. this and it's been raised more than once, with the implication that she needs an apology before we could resume any kind of close (ish) relationship.

I didn't comment on the "shit parent" apology: I just said I'd be happy to meet and talk next time I was back home. She hadn't taken me up on that.

(hasn't)

It's not me BU then.

Between the apology demand/ongoing greivance, and the rest of the family staying neutral/diplomatic (because they don't want to fall out with anyone, they don't want to get caught up in it etc.) I keep questioning myself.

I'd never do that. No way. ( wouldn't it be illegal anyway?)

I never even thought about that.

Not sure what the law is on it.

There is no strict law on when they can be left unsupervised but guidance is you shouldn't leave under 12s for a prolonged period. At 6 this would definitely be a social work issue and if any harm came to the child she would be criminally charged. No one in their right mind thinks a 6 year old can look after themselves. The fact they locked the doors shows they care more about the contents of their house than their own child. Reading this has really annoyed me! You are definitely not being unreasonable.

Reminds me of an article in the paper not long ago, 3 young children died in a house fire because their Mum left them to go shopping.

I never thought about the child Vs house contents thing before, you're right.

I was more annoyed that they'd removed his safe haven as such if he wanted to go back in from playing, or if he did go into any other child's house, his safe haven if they fell out, stopped being welcoming etc. as kids often do.

(I know it's not truly a safe haven if he's a young child on his own at home, but at least it's better than being stuck out on the street. In retrospect he's have been better to go into his own garden and kick the ball around there, not sure why he didn't.. best guess is because the makeshift goal the kids use was out where he was.

Anyway I presumed at the time that part of the reason for locking up the house was so he couldn't take other kids in unsupervised and create mess, potentially damage expensive items etc. Etc.