Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madeleine)

[hans kraay fan club]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madeleine)

Do you leave your children alone in their rooms?

If yes - if someone broke in and snatched them would you be happy about being called a bad parent?

Yes.


If I had been in the pub at the time, yes.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

The problem is degrees.

In the eyes of the press and a lot of people willing to judge these people, then they have contributed in some way to the dissapearance of their children by leaving 3 of them asleep in their beds whilst they had a meal down the road ( the restaurant seems to vary between 30 yards and half a mile according to some papers)

Now we can all wring our hands but the problem is that as we saw some time ago with the peodophile in Somerset, if he is determined enough and there is the oppertunity, then he will strike, whether it be a child in a bed, in a school , a playground or walking along the road.

We all do the best to protect our children, however there are people out there who get their kicks from harming children in ways we can only imagine. It is tha parents duty to do everything they can to minimise that risk. the problem is you cannot wrap children in cotton wool and thankfully this is a very very rare occurance.

 

[The Wookiee]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madeleine)

Do you leave your children alone in their rooms?

If yes - if someone broke in and snatched them would you be happy about being called a bad parent?

That is hardly the same as leaving them alone in the house

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madeleine)

If I had been in the pub at the time, yes.

How about in the garden ?

Is it okay being outside - staying close to the house ?

How big does the garden have to be for it to be bad parenting ?

Can you use the mower - as that will be noisy and you might not hear everything in the house ?

 

[London Calling]

What the law says

There is no law that states the minimum age that a child can be left alone. However, it is an offence to leave a child alone when doing so puts him or her at risk.

How do you decide if you can safely leave a child alone?

There are many important things to consider before you decide to leave a child alone. These include:

the age of the child
the child's level of maturity and understanding
the place where child will be left
how long the child will be left alone, and how often
whether or not there are any other children in the household.

To quote a Council that has to implement childcare and safety.

Parents' guide to babysitters
Children rely on their parents for their safety
It is illegal to leave a child under 13 years of age alone
Avoid leaving your child with someone under 16
Select your babysitter carefully

Plan who you would contact for emergency care. Leaving a child alone places them at risk of harm. Children under the 13 are not ready to be left at home alone. It can be a sad, frightening and dangerous experience, which can leave them at risk physically and emotionally.

As a parent, you have responsibility for your child’s safety. When you leave your child in the care of someone else, you are taking a risk with his or her safety and welfare. When considering a carer for your child, choose someone with the abilities and high standards you would expect from yourself. This includes someone who will make sure they are fed, changed, feel secure, have room to play and can cope with any difficulties.

Generally a babysitter will come to your home to take care of your child. Make sure you talk to your babysitter before you leave. Let them know when to expect you back and make sure they have contact details in case of emergencies. Babysitters do not need qualifications or a certificate to look after children. As a result anyone can advertise his or her services as a babysitter. The Children’s Legal Centre and the NSPCC recommend that the minimum age of a babysitter should be 16 years of age. This is based on the idea that at 16 and above, a person is more aware of potential dangers and risks and could get help quickly if necessary.

This age limit is also linked with the possible action that could be taken by the police if anything were to go wrong and an injury resulted. It is most likely that you as a parent would be held responsible if your babysitter is under 16 years of age and something goes wrong.

So basically any harm comes to your kids if they are under 13 and you have left them alone - its a matter for the Police.

If they are 3 years old, and only being cared for by brothers and sisters a bit older. The parents have failed to care for their little ones.

 

[Lokki 7]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madeleine)

How about in the garden ?

Is it okay being outside - staying close to the house ?

How big does the garden have to be for it to be bad parenting ?

Can you use the mower - as that will be noisy and you might not hear everything in the house ?

Leaving kids of that age alone in an apartment and unattended so that you can go out and enjoy yourself is wrong. I see no grey areas. Yes it is possible for bad things to happen at any time, but this doesn't detract from the fact that what they did was stupid, selfish and wrong. Forget the abduction for a minute, what if there had been a fire?

 

[London Calling]

What does the law say?


English law does not specify an age when a child can be left unsupervised.

However, parents may be prosecuted for neglect if they leave a child alone “in a manner which is likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health”(Children and Young Persons Act, 1933).

The National Society for the Preventionof Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) advisesthat no child should be left alone underthe age of twelve, or overnight underthe age of sixteen. Even a short stretchwithout a parent or another adultaround can be distressing and lonely for a young child. Most eight to thirteenyear olds, even if they feel happy about being left, may not be ready to cope inan emergency.

Can I leave my baby alone for a short while?

Never leave a baby or toddler alone,even for a few minutes.
There are manydangers in a house for an unsupervisedchild. Leaving a child who is asleep is not a good idea, either - he may wakeup and try to come looking for you.

Also, being alone in the dark can beterrifying for a small child.What about older children?

Age alone is not a sufficient guide as to when children can be safely left at home.Some children over twelve may seemmature enough, but may not be able to cope in the event of an emergency.

If you are trying to assess your child’s readiness to be at home alone, discuss the possibility with them and listen totheir reactions - do they look forward to the idea, or are they hesitant about it?

Whilst I can't agrue that there is a law................facts indicate these children and all children aged 3 years should never be left alone and harm did occur to the children, at home or abroad. The authorities will need to assess the level of neglect.

Personally I have no sympathy for the parents here only the children.

 

[tedebear]

I feel sorry for the parents only because they made a wrong judgement call. I can see and understand why they may have made this call but I personally believe it to be the wrong call. This will haunt them and their family for ever.

 

[London Calling]

I feel sorry for the parents only because they made a wrong judgement call. I can see and understand why they may have made this call but I personally believe it to be the wrong call. This will haunt them and their family for ever.

But like that recent case, the Liverpool grandmother who had not controlled her dogs and neglected her grand daughter, resulting in her death by mauling.

The death of her grand daughter should not prevent the state persecuting her, she is alive her grand daughter is dead.


These parents have failed her daughter. Its not much to ask to care for little ones.

 

[tedebear]

But like that recent case, the Liverpool grandmother who had not controlled her dogs and neglected her grand daughter, resulting in her death by mauling.

The death of her grand daughter should not prevent the state persecuting her, she is alive her grand daughter is dead.


These parents have failed her daughter. Its not much to ask to care for little ones.

Agreed. Keeping dangerous dogs in a house with children is plain stupid. As is leaving your children unattended so you can eat and drink - should they be prosectued? I don't know...

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Agreed. Keeping dangerous dogs in a house with children is plain stupid. As is leaving your children unattended so you can eat and drink - should they be prosectued? I don't know...

be interesting to see what Portuguese law says about it!

 

[Lady Bracknell]

Sadly, the whole situation results from what, in hindsight, will probably be seen as a poor judgement call and for sure, Madelaine's parents must be beating themselves up over the decision they made.

But parenting is all about making judgement calls and there are few parents who won't be watching this story play out while remembering similar decisions they made when their children were small. That our children remained safe when we popped next door briefly to borrow some sugar or went 50 yards down the road to post a letter or take the dog for the last widdle of the day is something we can be very grateful about. But we didn't expect otherwise! And none of those judgement calls were made on the basis of being "good" or "bad" parents.

 

[tedebear]

be interesting to see what Portuguese law says about it!

Indeed - we won't know though until after as they aren't allowed to tell the public much due to their laws, which is quite interesting to be honest.

 

[tedebear]

Sadly, the whole situation results from what, in hindsight, will probably be seen as a poor judgement call and for sure, Madelaine's parents must be beating themselves up over the decision they made.

But parenting is all about making judgement calls and there are few parents who won't be watching this story play out while remembering similar decisions they made when their children were small. That our children remained safe when we popped next door briefly to borrow some sugar or went 50 yards down the road to post a letter or take the dog for the last widdle of the day is something we can be very grateful about. But we didn't expect otherwise! And none of those judgement calls were made on the basis of being "good" or "bad" parents.

Indeed - I grew up with the front door always unlocked - does this make my parents bad? I don't think so....

 

[Lokki 7]

That our children remained safe when we popped next door briefly to borrow some sugar or went 50 yards down the road to post a letter or take the dog for the last widdle of the day

... or went down the pub for half an hour whilst on holiday in Portugal...

 

[Lokki 7]

Indeed - I grew up with the front door always unlocked - does this make my parents bad? I don't think so....

With all the criminals that were sent down there I'd say it was pretty foolish if you want to your BBQ to still be there when you get home.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madeleine)

Leaving kids of that age alone in an apartment and unattended so that you can go out and enjoy yourself is wrong. I see no grey areas. Yes it is possible for bad things to happen at any time, but this doesn't detract from the fact that what they did was stupid, selfish and wrong. Forget the abduction for a minute, what if there had been a fire?

Unfortunately parenting is full of grey areas. What about fires caused by smoking ? If a child gets caught in a fire caused by a parent smoking and falling asleep - is it bad parenting to allow smoking in the same house as a child ?

This is news because of the abduction. Was it bad parenting when that child got snatched from a tent sleeping overnight with her cousins in her garden ?

People are quick to point the finger. I don't know if I would have left our children at that age - I suspect not, but I am not going to point the finger at people who made a judgement they thought was okay - that I suspect lots of other people make, but through the actions of an evil person they may spend the rest of their lives torturing themselves.

 

[Starry]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madelein

Do you leave your children alone in their rooms?

If yes - if someone broke in and snatched them would you be happy about being called a bad parent?

See my post earlier in the thread, we have a family bed.

And no I wouldn't be happy, because assuming I had not left them alone in a house and gone out for the evening I'd have been doing everything in my power to keep my children safe and secure. Unlike Madeleine's parents who chose to leave their three precious babies alone.

 

[Lokki 7]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Madelei

Unfortunately parenting is full of grey areas. What about fires caused by smoking ? If a child gets caught in a fire caused by a parent smoking and falling asleep - is it bad parenting to allow smoking in the same house as a child ?

This is news because of the abduction. Was it bad parenting when that child got snatched from a tent sleeping overnight with her cousins in her garden ?

People are quick to point the finger. I don't know if I would have left our children at that age - I suspect not, but I am not going to point the finger at people who made a judgement they thought was okay - that I suspect lots of other people make, but through the actions of an evil person they may spend the rest of their lives torturing themselves.

I understand your point, and to answer your questions, no it is not bad parenting in those circumstances, it is terrible luck. This however is bad parenting combined with terrible luck. Very sad but not in my eyes a grey area.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radio presenters saying the parents where irresponsible (Mad

I understand your point, and to answer your questions, no it is not bad parenting in those circumstances, it is terrible luck. This however is bad parenting combined with terrible luck. Very sad but not in my eyes a grey area.

Well on that basis - you show me a parent and I will show you a bad parent.