Why Do Some Parents Not Watch Their Children In Public?

Question

I've seen some parents in public who do not watch their kids and do not have any common sense. For example, I've seen a toddler maybe less than 2 years old by himself by the playground, while his mother wasn't watching because she was conversing with other moms in her "clique". This little baby was climbing up the stairs with a bottle on one hand and then climbing down the stairs. He could have fell too. I felt guilty so I had to watch this little stranger, so nothing would happen to him.
Another time, I was at the library children's area with my son and there was this woman who left her two daughters (looked like 3 and 4 years old) there by themselves for about 10 minutes or more while she went somewhere else (she wasn't anywhere in the room).
Another time, at a different library' children's area, this mom left her young toddler (maybe 2 years old) alone at the children's area while she went to go do something else for about 5-10 minutes (she wasn't in the room either).

Another incident. Another mom was in the hallway with her toddler. The toddler was walking around by the plug and this mom wasn't watching. This baby almost pulled the plug and I got in in time and said "NO! Don't touch it!"
The mom turned around and said "Sorry" to me.
Why can't parents watch their own kids?!
This makes me wanna slap their faces.

Maybe because some parents see an adult there (me), they appear that they can leave their child there, so I would watch them.

For all you parents who do not watch their children in public. This is a wake up call. You run the risk of your child injuring themselves or worse, getting kidnapped!

This is as worse as parents leaving their children in cars! Don't tell me that a public environment is safer!

Answer 1

I hate negligent and stupid parents. I work with kids and I see these kinds all the time. I hate it when I see a toddler walking on the sidewalk and their parent is a way back on the sidewalk. What if their child ran in the street? Or the same thing in a parking lot and a car could pull out and kill the child because the mom is more concerned with her cell phone or her hair.These parents are asking for their kids to be snatched by some pervert.

Answer 2

I think that some parents just do not realise the dangers of leaving a child alone. They could hurt themselves or someone else could hurt them. I honestly don't think it has anything to do with another adult/you being there as that isn't exaclty safe either... I mean they don't know who you are, for all they know you could be some psycotic person.
I guess the fact of the matter is that everyone is the perfect parent and no matter how much these thing astonish people it will not change. I was at out local fruit market a little while ago and there was a lady with a 2 year old child sitting in a trolley. The lady was not holding the trolley and the kid got up and starting reaching over the side. The trolley starting rolling away so I went and grabbed it and took it back for her.... she hadn't even realised it had moved so I told her what happened. She said "oh thanks" then turned around and again left the kid in the trolley without holding it or even looking at it.

Answer 3

As a parent myself, I find it to be totally irresponsible for parents to assume that their kids are safe in any environment. There are examples here already listed. I notice all the time parents doing this and wonder "What are they thinking?". In some cases it seems as though these parents are "bothered" to watch their kids. It's very troublesome to say the least. These kids run around getting into things, bothering other people while their parents engage in conversation or whatever else and then act surprised when it is brought to their attention or their child is no where to be found. A great example is this one commercial I saw (can't remember what it's for) where this mom (in this one store) squats down and grabs something from the bottom shelf completely turned around the opposite way reading whatever it was she grabbed while the child (a toddler) proceeds to scoot himself to the end of the isle and all the way to the toy section. That commercial always drove me nuts. I think mostly because it only proves how abscent minded some parents can be and are. I don't feel it means these parents don't love their kids, but I do feel that these parents think of themselves and what they are doing first. The other kind of parents that really bug me are those that will just sit and yell at their child to stop doing, or saying, something instead of getting up and doing something about it. My daughter is always my top priority, no matter what. No matter where I am at. She is always in my eyesight and I am always aware of what she is doing. And the same will go for the child I am carrying.

Answer 4

Good question and it deserves a star. I am tired of seeing little kids running around in the stores as well, especially the larger stores like Wal-Mart, Burlington Coat Factory or Ross Dress For Less. Some parents are so trifling! They would rather send their child on a witch hunt while they shop. They don't care how old the child is, where they are or when they're coming back. As long as they're out of their hair. It drives me nuts to see kids playing freeze tag in the store.

It is so sad. And I know somebody on here will get upset about this post and say mind your own business, stop being so judgmental, why do you care. But you know what, it is my business when I have to dodge little 3, 4 and 5 year old that are running my way. I am being judgmental because somebody needs to let you know how trifling you are. And I do care because I don't want to see your kid, let alone anybody's kid, on the back of a milk carton with an "Have you seen me" message above their head.

Answer 5

I know what you're talking about. There was a single father with a toddler walking into a restaurant. There was a long line waiting outside and the guy needed to go to the restroom. He looked at me and my friends and said "Will you watch him for me?" Of course, we were four middle-aged women and we probably looked safe, but he didn't know that. I couldn't believe he did that.

I guess parents aren't thinking. They've got so many other things on their minds as they try to do more and have more. They assume nothing bad could ever happen to them or their children. This is the most dangerous assumption a parent could make.

Those of us who become "guardian angels" for a stranger's child are truly guardian angels...we just don't realize it.

Answer 6

I find in my part of Indiana we a dispersed cultural society here, and in some cultures it is common for them to let their kids run around, no matter how young they are, with no supervision. I know it annoys the hell out of me, and when I do have children my child would be in eye view at allllllllll times! I can't stand seeing a child just run around the grocery store touching everything while the parents so NOTHING!!

Answer 7

You've pointed up what makes a good parent and what makes a careless parent. Unfortunately, it's the children who have to pay the price. I've seen newspaper articles about people on welfare who say they don't have enough money to buy fruit for their children. In the picture, these same people are both puffing away on their cigarettes. How much fruit could they have bought for the price of the cigarettes? Sometimes life just doesn't make sense because people can't see beyond their own needs.

Do you think it would help if schools offered parenting classes starting in 6th grade? Many kids don't have good examples, so it couldn't hurt. Just because someone is physically able to have children, doesn't mean they know how to be a good parent. Kids don't come with user manuals.

Answer 8

dunno I am sick of seeing people I think shouldn't be allowed to have kids in the first place
in the library a little girl was running down the room crying looking for her mum she was really upset, when I went around the corner there was a woman looking at the kids books, I asked her is that little girl with the long hair yours, yes says the woman, so I told her she was running off crying, oh says the woman its ok shes with her brother, so I said no shes not, I'll just get these books then I'll get her says the woman! acted like she couldn't care less.

Answer 9

It's very upsetting isn't it? I once followed a girl of around 4 round the supermarket because I felt like she was lost but didnnt want to approach her incase she wasn't....I kept looking for her Mum but she was nowhere.....Just as I thought I had better get an assistant her Mother appeared and just said "Ella get here!" she seemed irritated more than anything...if that was me I'd be FREAKING out! This woman had not set eyes on her child for ages and yet she said nothing....I think some people are just wicked....

Answer 10

These are the same Parents that were not watched as children themselves... It unfortunately is a cycle like many other things in life. I would never leave my young ones alone anywhere.