Friend lacks basic concept of child safety - WWYD? - Page 4

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by lilyka

different things are safe for different children though. The important thing to remember is that they do not know your child or what he is or isn't capable of so you will just need to be sure to be the one who watches your child.

Right, but there are some things that are universally dangerous, or at least I believe so. Some of those are running in the road where cars are driving, jumping into a deep pool when you can't swim, and leaving your kid completely unsupervised in areas with large numbers of people. I am sure there are other examples too.

For the record, I don't really care of other people leave their kids unsupervised to roam around huge national parks with all kinds of hazards, if they think their kid is responsible enough to do so (But at 1? Hardly!). I just don't think I am really crazy to believe that someone will WATCH my kid when they say they will.

[reignbelle]

[QUOTE=lilyka;15537627]Honestly it sounds like neither of your understand or respect the others choice in parenting. So long as everyone can respect what the other does with their own children I don't see any reason the friendship can't contiunue but it will take effort on both of your parts to respect that you each know your children and their capabilities. By a year all my children could safely navigate stairs. Because we had stairs and they practiced and I taught them as soon as they could crawl how to handle stairs. but when children came over who did not know how to handle stairs I expected their parents to make sure they stayed off the stairs.

i think the key is everyone takes care of their own children in a way they feel comfortable with. and not judge the other one.

This may not be the making of a best friend kind of relationship but at the same time it is nice to have someone you can hang out in the sandbox with every now and then. Just know the limits of the friendship"

I agree you both sound very critical of each other. If she says she didn't remember saying shed watch your child at the park and you think she's lying I do think that's reason enough to end the friendship. But if she didn't think she was supposed to be watching to fault for that. For the other instance they may have been trying to laugh off or make light of the situatuon because they were embarrassed by you yelling. I doesn't forgive them for it but people act weriod under pressure. I'D still be friends just not let them watch my kids.

[A&A]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

I just don't think I am really crazy to believe that someone will WATCH my kid when they say they will.

No, you're not crazy to initially think that. But it would be crazy to ever trust these people again.

In the words of Maya Angelou, "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time."

[MissLotus]

I myself just could not be friends with someone whose way of thinking differed so vastly from mine. There is lax parenting, and there is neglect. It sounds like these people are neglectful and I just don't get that. SO many of the stupid accidents that happen to children are preventable. But their parents think it can't/won't happen and, you know, it's easier to not pay attention and to just hope it all works out. I can't get into that way of thinking. It's lazy. And I feel like my job as a parent is to make sure my kid stays safe to the best of my ability. If that means I have to get up off the couch to make sure my kid doesn't plummet down the stairs, I do it.

And you said, "After my one year old went missing, she even went as far as to deny she'd agreed to watch him in the first place. No sorry, no nothing." It's a deliberate attitude. Not cool. I would have to stop calling a friend like that.

[VroomieMama]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

Their apartment is really tiny. He was sitting right by the front door (eating icecream) not because I asked him to, and nor was he being sarcastic. He was just sitting right by the front door because well, that also happens to be where their kitchen is .

Something else to clarify is that, in the communal hallway of their third-floor apt, there is this awfully scary window, that is floor level, so kids could walk right out there. When I could not find my son, I seriously considered that this is exactly what he might have done, for a split second.

My throat tightened at this comment. I KNOW and understand this type of fear!

[VroomieMama]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

Eric clapton springs to mind. His son was three I think?

Oh aw. I didn't know that.

[Litcrit]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

Really? What catacombs are those? Sounds like I have missed an essential tourist spot here , or is it somewhere in Kalemegdan?

They're in Kalemegdan, and I bet the average tourist couldn't find half of them - they're unmarked and not in plain view. So much fun for a bunch of 9 year olds who happened to be into Enid Blyton at the time

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

Yes, they lied, and showed blatant disrespect.

I guess to me they sound more like irresponsible children with short attention spans than evil people capable of deliberate deception and derision. I could forgive irresponsible children and continue to have conversations and interactions with them, but not trust them with anything of any import to me.

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

You know I'm no helicopter parent who tries to wrap my kids in bubble-wrap, right, Litcrit?

Sure do.

[LavenderMae]

Originally Posted by MissLotus

I myself just could not be friends with someone whose way of thinking differed so vastly from mine. There is lax parenting, and there is neglect. It sounds like these people are neglectful and I just don't get that. SO many of the stupid accidents that happen to children are preventable. But their parents think it can't/won't happen and, you know, it's easier to not pay attention and to just hope it all works out. I can't get into that way of thinking. It's lazy. And I feel like my job as a parent is to make sure my kid stays safe to the best of my ability. If that means I have to get up off the couch to make sure my kid doesn't plummet down the stairs, I do it.

And you said, "After my one year old went missing, she even went as far as to deny she'd agreed to watch him in the first place. No sorry, no nothing." It's a deliberate attitude. Not cool. I would have to stop calling a friend like that.

Laid back parenting is totally cool with me but neglect not so much.

[ICU2]

I understand your concern about the door.

A couple of years ago, my DH's cousin's child died. He woke up and decided to open the front door and let himself out (he was 2). There was a pond at their apartment complex and he made his way to the pond and drowned. From what I understood at the time, it wasn't the first time he had opened the door and let himself out. Now I'm sure his parents never thought in a million years, "Hey, someday he may open the door and no one will be looking and he'll go down to the pond" but that's what happened.

You can't control the level of supervision they give their kids, but if you continue this friendship I think I would only meet at your house (where you probably already have basic safety precautions set up for your kids) or in a place you feel comfortable that doesn't have a lot of hazards around. I don't think I would be comfortable with the friendship after she said she would watch my child then deny that she said it after he got lost, but that's just me!

[sweetpeppers]

I think the question of continuing with the friendship is not that their safety standards are lax, it's that they are not respecting you. Losing track of a kid happens to everyone sometimes, but it's really rude to laugh at someone who is upset about it or lie that you agreed to keep an eye on their kid. And the door thing was handled poorly as well with little respect for your feelings too. I don't see it as a safety issue, but a respect issue.

[mattemma04]

Now that you know how the parents are you just have to always take care of your own even if they offer to *watch* them. It is obvious they wont.Good thing nothing happened either time.I wouldn't be upset over their lax parenting,but would be angry that they said they would do something and did not. Takes seconds for a harm to come to a child.

As I told my dh,"There is no one who will watch our kids as well as we do.No one cares for them as much as we do,so don't you dare pass them on to someone and go play on your computer or phone!"

And learn to quickly decline watching their children.I had a 3yo and a newborn, and I never had anyone watch them other than my dh.Even that was rare.You learn to do it.Ofcourse some people learn to pass their kids on to others,so you just have to work on avoiding that.

[battymama]

Originally Posted by VroomieMama

Oh aw. I didn't know that.

Tears in heaven was written by him after it happened.

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Will it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong, and carry on
Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven


Brings me to tears everytime I hear it.

Op I dont think you are over reacting at all, i think these peoples actions are pretty reprehensible.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

Eric clapton springs to mind. His son was three I think?

I don't remember how old his son was, but now there is a law in NYC that if you have children under 10 living in your apartment you must have wondow guards on all windows that are not emergency exits (so all but the fire escape ones).

[LavenderMae]

Eric Clapton's son was 4 and half when he died. That song makes me cry every single time.