kids in stores

ok seeing as how everyone seems to want to debate i have a senerio that i have seen time amd time again and i want to know what you guys and gals think..
For my work i travel from store to store and it never fails that I will see a 6-8 (sometimes the kids even look younger) year old child walking around with no adult. usually the kid is in the toy department and the parent is off elsewhere. The other day i was at a walmart and this little girl was in the toy department alone for 15 minutes before her mom came to find her. and more often than that I will see 2little kids together where the older (usually around i would guess 8 or 9) is supposed to watch the younger one.

Now here's what i want to know from you all..At what age did/would you let your kids walk around a busy store unsupervised? At what age would let a child watch another child in a busy store? And finally how long would you let them wander at such a yong and vulnerable age before you went to look for them?

I have a 3 year old and i can tell you that i would not let her walk around like that. I have made it clear to her that she stays by me or she goes in the cart(which she doesn't like). In the safety of my home I have let a 13 year old babysit for a couple of hours. But my regular babysitter is also that same 13 year olds mom. But to let the 13 year old take her somewhere while she was watching her without an adult was out of the question. I think that 10 is old enough to run to get something in a store but if they weren't back in like 5 minutes i would be looking for them. I think that as for kids watching other kids in a store I think that 15-16 is good.

I think the disregard shown by these parents is disappointing at best. today we spend so much money buying things to keep our kids safe and healthy (carseats, plug in covers, gates for staircases, medicine when they are sick) yet we let them run around in public with obvious lack of supervision. How can anyone wonder how kids disappear?????

get back to me on this, It bothers me alot and I just wonder if i am super paranoid (i usually am wasted at work, so it very well couls be paranoia) or if this is bad parenting.

LeLe420

Well, I'm only thirteen, but I think I could probably keep an eye on someone younger. You know, if they'd listen to me. They might think I'm too young to consider an adult, and just ignore what I say. I don't know.

I guess, if I were a parent, I'd let a kid around ten go run around a store, but if I had any reason to worry (the kid usually sticks close to me and they aren't, or I can't trust them alone for any amount of time) then I'd go after 'em. Someone around my age would probably be a safe babysitter for a couple minutes at a store, you know? My parents always let me wander off if I get bored or something, there really isn't anything crazy around here. Someone could prove me wrong, but that sort of thing could never happen to me. :P

kids will be kids,,,,,prob the mother/farther sooooo busy looking and buying stuff that they forget about there kids....when i go shoppin wit them they never leave my side..well i get them to hold eash side of the buggy as i got 3 kids(7,4,18mths,,old) ya cant lets them out ur sight these days to many sick fucks out there. Wot ya want to do next time u see a kid on there own is to take them to a sucurity point or cop station,,,this should scare the fuck outta the parent and might sort his/her priorities out!! Dam lame ass parents wot it this world comming to??

Peace

In today's world it's unsafe to let your kids wander around a store without a parent. I don't know how long it would take a kidnapper to steal a child, but I imagine it wouldn't be very long. My kids are 7, 4, and 1 and they always stay with either me or my husband in the store. If they want to go to the toy aisle or the arcade at the front of the store, one of us takes them. I read somewhere that a child's motor skills are not developed enough to even cross a street alone until they are 12, so why would I let them roam around a store until then?

there was a case a few years ago here in the uk a young boy of about 4-5 got taken from his mums side when she looked away for a minute n he was found dead days later. im not tryim to frighten the life out of any parents here but it just goes to show wat can happen even when you are careful.

yup smokey ur right..it is so easy to loose your kids every parent should know this...as some ppl dont,,,or they say oh itll never happen to me or my kids....bit sad really but this kinds shit happens every other hr ,,,,,,,,,

Peace

well thank you all for agreeing. I think that there are too many parents who don't care. it's sad that there are so many women/couples who cant have kids that want them and would takecare of them and yet there are so many parents out there who let their children walk around alone where they can very easily become a victim. I guess it all bothers me cause at this time I don't know if i can have more kids and i wanted 4. it breaks my heart to think that these parents don't care.
LeLe420

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Originally Posted by Lepp

Well, I'm only thirteen, but I think I could probably keep an eye on someone younger. You know, if they'd listen to me. They might think I'm too young to consider an adult, and just ignore what I say. I don't know.

I guess, if I were a parent, I'd let a kid around ten go run around a store, but if I had any reason to worry (the kid usually sticks close to me and they aren't, or I can't trust them alone for any amount of time) then I'd go after 'em. Someone around my age would probably be a safe babysitter for a couple minutes at a store, you know? My parents always let me wander off if I get bored or something, there really isn't anything crazy around here. Someone could prove me wrong, but that sort of thing could never happen to me. :P

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Lepp i know that at 13 it's hard to beleive that anything bad could happen to you but i am sure that you heard about elisabeth smart and she was around your age. yeha she got lucky and made it home alive but many many other chilren don't. christ here in wisconsin we just had a grown women get kidnapped and killed. I am not saying be afraid of everything, but be smart. bad shit happens everyday and if you go around beleiving it will never happen to you you are wrong. I never thought at 23 i would have cancer but i do, hopefully i am in remission now but i won't know for a year. shit happens do your best not to let it happen to you. be safe and be careful.
LeLe420

not a smart idea. i could probably look after a younger sibling if they'd listen. im 14 and im a pretty big guy but if someone had a gun and really wanted to abduct us they could! hehe except i'd try to shank him anyways ehehehehehehe stupid fuckers tyring to abduct kids

I see this all the time, me and my girlfriend. always wanted to just take the child and take them to the police station across town, so when the parents find them they'll have alot of explaining to do, just to teach the parent a lesson. Hey! they need it!
Parents today are so busy, is that an excuse? NO! did u read about all the people leaving their children in the car in a hot day? and you know what REALLY! bothers me is this is a on going problem....your right they say "this won't happen to me" yet a guy goes to work one day, forgets his child in the car seat, about 4 hours later co-worker runs into his office and tells him his child is in the car. He runs out to find his baby dead! and I get really pissed if i see a dog left in the car! over 100 deg. outside, sun shining through the glass, that is barely cracked about 1", while watching the dog panting trying to get taste of the fresh air. couple times i even opened the door and let the dog out.
So, So sad....
kmg