Is 9 Too Young? What Do You Think?

yeah... that's not exactly how it goes in the US (or Canada for that matter). My nephew was removed from his parents home because he told a friend in school that his parents spanked him. Teacher reported it... within the week he was removed. NO ONE in the family was offered the opportunity to care for him. he was placed in a group home and then m oved from group home to group home while my brother and sister in law jumped through every hoop they placed in front of them.

This went on for 3 YEARS! Finally, they ended up in front of the right judge and the judge was OUTRAGED that this was allowed to happen and continue on for 3 YEARS. He immediately ordered his return to his home.

It happens... ALL the time. so no... it's not the LAST resort here and no... family isn't always (often not at all) given the opportunity to take care of the child.

The thing is though for me....I was NOT just like in the backyard or in view of my parents. Heck at friends houses out in the country we would be out hiking and playing in creeks etc for hours. This mom I am SURE couldve left her job if her daughter got hurt as her job was very aware of her situation...her daughter had stayed with her for her shifts before.

I also had many friends who were left at home...usually under the guise of being watched by an older sibling...but yeah, that usually didnt actually happen.

Food, no reason they couldnt have packed a lunch or well, in the article it states that park offered a free lunch program for children as there were many there who needed it and other children were often there by themselves as well.

Do I think it is ideal to have a 9 year old left to her own devices all day? No, not at all...but that is more of an issue with the ridiculous disparity between what we pay many people versus what it actually costs to live. This mother did not need to get arrested and her child taken away (though she is back...for now) and have 10 years of possible prison time looming over her for this. People BEAT and molest their kids and get less. What she needed was help offered (though I do question that even...the child really was just fine) not to be vilified.

Like others have chimed in I spent all day running around outside, roaming far and wide, around that age on weekends. I was in daycare until I was 12 so my free reign was limited to weekends until then. With my older brother or my younger friends we would ride our bikes miles away from home, be gone for hours, go to someones home for a snack/lunch, and be back out for the rest of the day.

The world hasn't really changed much in the risk level of letting your children run free but peoples fear of doing so has grown drastically. Things are safer overall but more publicized and therefore more feared.

I do not think the child should have been removed from her mother.

Without reading the whole thread:

Is 9 to old to go to a park alone? I think many 9 year olds are capable of handling that.

Is 9 to old to be dropped at a park for five hours alone? Yes. She's lucky the kid didn't just wander off, trying to get to the mcdonalds or home. Other parents noticed the girl had been there all day, and a predator could have easily noticed as well. Kids who are neglected like that (and yes I consider it neglect and putting her in danger) end up looking for attention in dangerous places.

Here, low-income parents can get subsidized childcare. I'm sure there's SOMEWHERE safer this woman can leave her daughter, especially in a low income area like that...a church group, youth center, etc. If she's bored without a laptop at McDonald's, give her books or paper and pencils. When I was younger and had to go to work with my parents, sure it was boring but we found ways to entertain ourselves without staring at a screen.

Do I think the mother should have been arrested and lost her child? No. But I do think she made a horrible parenting choice and needs help utilizing resources in her community.

there are plenty of child care places I wouldn't dream of dropping my kid off at. I'd think by 9 I should have done a decent enough job that my child could be alone for 5 hours. Like I said, by 10 I was taking care of myself and my 5 year old brother all day long during summers. and beyond that, at 9 I was gone most of the day I wasn't specifically doing something with my parents. City parks aren't exactly dangerous places. Try crawling around a farm one day and 100 acre woods.

It's stories like this that get to me, people are always way too concerned about what other people are doing. Get over it. Sometimes people aren't going to make the same decisions you do. Our definitions of "neglect" and "abuse" get more broad every year.

throwing her in jail and taking her kid seems more than extreme, but I guess I don't know the whole story either.