How should I approach a parent when I think a child's safety is in jeopardy?

Question

Just a couple of week's ago I rented a movie from Blockbuster. It was at night and after returning to my car I saw a father walk toward the store with his two young sons (look to be about 2 or 3 yo). They had to walk from parking lot to the space where cars are driving in and out in front of store. These children were energetic and were not holding the father's hands. One child walked behind the father. The father walked, looking straight ahead. Not once did he look back at the child behind him. The little boy was running to catch up and would not have noticed if a car should suddenly pop up in his view. I'm seeing this a lot lately with young parents. I debated (to myself) on whether I should enter the store and say something or should I just drive off and mind my own business. Well, I decided that I would risk getting "cussed out" and entered the store. I approaced the dad and asked him to please hold the boys' hands, etc. He said that no car was coming,it was ok. Next time?

Answer 1

That was correct. That is exactly how you should approach parents. Twice I backed down when I should have stepped in when I thought an adult was not being responsible with their kid.

Good for you!

Answer 2

At the risk of playing the devil's advocate... I was in this situation, but from the other side. My daughter (8) and I were walking in a restaurant parking lot. Walking, not running mind you. My head was up, and I kept an eye on her as she walked next to a curb but a few feet ahead of me. A patron leaving the restaurant started balling me out because she thought my daughter was somehow in danger because she was not next to me. She absolutely did not realize that I had control of the situation. My point is, if you are going to attempt to mind other people's children, please do so in a way to alert the parent instead of instructing them on how you would do it. In your case, I would have told the dad "Some drivers are really out of control in this parking lot, better be careful."

Answer 3

This sort of crap breaks my heart. Maybe there was no car coming, but who else was in that parking lot? Maybe some one who would love to grab a little kid & run off with it?

We took our daughter to a water park a couple of summers ago and saw two parents walk off and leave their young son while they went into a shop to get ice cream for themselves. The kid just turned around and his parents were gone. Naturally he started screaming, and the parents heard him & did nothing. So I walked up to him and said "Do you want your Mommy?" He nodded, so I took his hand and walked into the shop with him, handed him over to his mother and laid her out. Then I lit into the Dad.

No excuse for things like this. Gettin hit by a car, being snatched by some stranger, running off and getting lost-all of these things happen everyday.

You did the right thing. Good for you!

Answer 4

Yes Hilda...I know what you mean. I have got out of my car and cussed parents for not minding their kids. You got off lightly......I was sworn at. And threatened.

Sadly....we can't be every parents moral conscience. We just have to trust that the parents will wake up before it's too late.

Good question, btw.

Answer 5

my friend and i just had this conversation last night only our situation was a little different. we both run daycares and we see how parents treat their kids when they get picked up/dropped off and if we should really report them. it is our job to do so but how bad is bad enough. but i like that you approached him and said something, that takes guts. so good for you! you did the right thing i just hope the father took your advice for next time.

Answer 6

You'd be more successful approacting the child and telling them something like that than the parent.

People get extremely defensive when people question how their children are raised, especially if it's a total stranger.

Answer 7

i see exactly what you're saying,the other day, my mom took me shopping for some shoes.we went out to eat in the same complex. we were waiting for our food and happened to look out the window.a young mother had a baby boy,about a one years old,in her arms.she also had a little girl that looked about 3 years old.the mom was taking her sweet time,just walking across the street,whild little girl was dead in the middle of the street.a car was also coming,and had to throw on their brakes, to not hit the little girl.the mother was to busy looking off to the side,she didn't even see her little baby almost get hit.it made me sooo mad,i wanted to say something to her so bad, but my mom said to just sit back down.i so see what you mean,it pisses me off!

Answer 8

i think of that area of my insomnia stems from pondering all the options, each and every physique's handle each and every thing. And while that still leaves me with questions, i'm going directly to the resource and ask why.. extra cases than not, their clarification is clever to me. and that i almost constantly wait till I cool off.... this way of super style of cases, in in simple terms cooling off, issues replace into sparkling lower back. (alongside with, yet not limited to, situations concerning to my babies, yet extending some distance previous in simple terms that scope.)

Answer 9

It's my opinion just let people parent as they chose. I agree with you, people are just waisting time going through motions instead of teaching and parenting. For example, hold your children's hand, and stop, make them look both ways, then ask "are we all clear?" then lead them across the street. Those are just my thoughts, however you can't solve the worlds problems, the way people are being brought up now days, your liable to get in a big fight. No one wants that.

Good luck

Answer 10

I applaud you and I think the father should have thanked you instead of getting on defensive. I believe if you see something say something. Don't second guess especially if someones safety is at stake.