So my morning walk starts out today a different route, instead of the ZIG we decided to ZAG. Walking Maya in new territory for her, we was enjoying the morning sun when 2 very young girls are in their garage and spots Maya. To my amazement she yells to her (sister/friend), "AWWWEEE, Look a Husky". They both ran out and I was about 2 houses down from her garage standing beside a parked van. At first I didn't even think of anything about it, this is very common when the family is outside playing or enjoying the day, kids always want to meet Maya. I knelled down and told the girls to put their hand in front of her so she can see and smell them. Both complying very nicely begins to pet Maya.

-- So where am I going with this?

I am 2 houses down standing beside a parked van on the side of the street with 2 little girls and no parents around, what is to say if a psychopath did the same thing, snatched the two girls threw them in the van and took off?

I started walking home and decided to go back and talk with the parents. I walked up and asked the little girl if her mom or dad was home and she said yes, I politely asked if I could speak with one of them. Mom comes out and very happy and politely said "Good morning", I said good morning back and I told her this is Maya and her girls came over to meet her, I then pointed at where I was at, and I asked the 2 little girls if they could do me a favor and if someone has a dog, cat, or anything that they want to see, please go in and let your mom or dad know right away.

The mother thanked me and I felt a little better because the mom seemed very intent to talk about strangers with them.

Not all to long ago about 15 - 20 miles away from where I live, several children and parents have reported to the police that a car with a young kid was stopping at parks, and other places that children hang out and asking if they want to come over and play. This is a fairly small town so adults are everywhere and many people know each other. When an adult would start to walk over, or holler at the kids on what are they doing, the car would speed away. The sad part is, NO ONE got their plates.

If a similar situation exists with someone here while walking, please take my advise, it may just save a life someday.

Thanks for listening to my ranting,
Jeff

I see this every day. Our neighbors across the street have kids that are ALWAYS outside with no supervision (sometimes not even dressed properly to be outside). Playing in the street, running in other people's yards, etc. You would think in this day and age where abductions are so common no matter where you live, that parents / guardians would be a little more proactive about letting their kids play outside. If you can't be outside to watch them, then your kids shouldn't be outside at all. Or at least have them play in the private, safer, fenced in back yard.

Just yesterday I was putting flyers up in my parents neighborhood and this little girl comes running down a driveway, into the middle of the street and proceeds to go to her house around the corner. I stopped her, told her to walk on the side of the road where it was safer (a car was coming around the corner at that very moment), and I could hear her mom calling her name. I just...don't get it.

......My husband and I already have kids running rampent by our complex, no idea who they belong to, no adults in sight. -sigh- i wish you had to take an iq and parenting test to procreate.

simplify wrote:

If you can't be outside to watch them, then your kids shouldn't be outside at all. Or at least have them play in the private, safer, fenced in back yard.

Nonsense! This is why we have a country full of overweight kids. My kids play outside all the time, along with all the other kids in the neighborhood at the park. Its refreshing to see kids playing without their parents constantly hovering over them. They have been warned about strangers and all the parents pop in and out to see who is there and whats about.

paleobones wrote:

simplify wrote:

If you can't be outside to watch them, then your kids shouldn't be outside at all. Or at least have them play in the private, safer, fenced in back yard.

Nonsense! This is why we have a country full of overweight kids. My kids play outside all the time, along with all the other kids in the neighborhood at the park. Its refreshing to see kids playing without their parents constantly hovering over them. They have been warned about strangers and all the parents pop in and out to see who is there and whats about.

I actually tend to agree with this to an extent. When I was a kid I was constantly running around the neighborhood. To and from various friends houses, to the neighborhood park, even taking the 3 mile bike ride 'into town' with my friends or alone. My parents also taught me not to go anywhere with anyone or go near cars, it was a different time, but its not as if kids were never taken back then. Obviously you should know what your kids are up to and who they are with, but you also have to allow them to develop a sense of autonomy within a safe environment. I don't have kids yet, and its a different thing here in NYC, but if I lived in a neighborhood like I grew up in, I would absolutely let my kids have some freedom outside without constantly being on their backs.

@Jen,
Absolutely, I agree this is a town with about 60,000... We also do not have kids and we approaching the 40's. We are in a nice community and I can tell you all of my neighbor's names within 2 - 3 houses in each direction. I know all of their kid's names and what churches they attend. I have only lived here for 2 months, whereas my old neighborhood I lived in for several years is a different story... Not only did I know everyone around the entire block, but the average age was about 60 and by a country club... My address was on Country Club Drive. The chances of this happening in my old neighborhood and this one is probably 1 in a million, so I agree as well, I don't mind the kids having the freedom, but knowledge of the parents is very important. Especially if they want to look at our beautiful baby's while we are walking them down the street.

Just my 2 cents...