The Glade 4.0

So, I'm sitting at my voice teacher's apartment waiting for the previous person's lesson to end. It is just before 6pm. The apartment is fairly close to the University, and is fairly cheap apartment complex in a not great neighborhood (not that bad, but definitely low income). So there is a knock at the door, open it, and it is a 10 year old girl and she's asking for change for a soda. My voice teacher asks where her parents are and she says they aren't home. So she's apparently been sitting outside by herself for 2 to 3 hours, locked out of her apartment of course, and then goes begging for change at random people's apartments. And it was obvious that this was a regular occurrence.

I don't have any kids, but doesn't that seem like crazy bad parenting? Not to mention very dangerous for the girl.

Don't you dare judge others' parenting! Especially when you don't have any kids of your own. You don't know! You just don't know, you self-righteous, judgemental *******!

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

There are tons of people with no parenting skills. This sounds like a prime example. A 10 yr old child should not be left alone, it's illegal. It's unfortunate for the child to have to deal with this so young. It's sad

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

I honestly don't know how that's even possible. I have kids, and the only way I can think of for this to happen to one of my kids is for the kid to come home from school on the bus and be left by the driver, the parent who was supposed to be there somehow got incapacitated, and both backup plans fail (2x neighbors not home). Kid loses his key, forgets where the spare is hidden.

Hey, do you guys tag your kids somehow? My oldest is 3. He knows his name, and his parents names, but does not know his address or either of our phone numbers. I guess it wouldn't be that hard if he got lost to figure it out, but if we were out of state it might be. Maybe not. The police would not have him very long before we were spamming them with calls. Still, I'd prefer there to be an obvious "call this number" on him (like there is on my dog).

My mother used to write her name, phone number, and address on all the tags of our clothes.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

What are you talking about? This is a day to day at my school. Working parents at night that is basically what it boils down to and then people wonder why schooling fails in crap areas.

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"None is more important, none more legitimate, than that of rendering the people safe as they are the
ultimate guardians of their own liberty."- Thomas Jefferson

"Yeah, I'm rehearsing my poker face. I don't handle stupid well. *sigh*" - Farsky

10 years old is more than old enough to have her own key.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Michigan has "guidelines" on the age a child can be left home alone. CPS basically evaluates each case. Children are taken away from families and put into the foster care system for things just as this. I am not a parent, but I work with kids and dysfunctional families everyday in the ER.

I understand the difficulty of working an off shift...I can only imagine being a single mother and not having any support. But, parenting skills ARE present in some underpriviledged families. Some 10 yr olds are able to be left alone, it's case by case evaluation.

A child locked out...going from apartment to apartment asking for money? I think we all agree this is a lack of parenting skills. Even if the parents have to work and the child has to stay home alone, there are solutions to making it work and keeping the child safe.

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

You're right, i may have mislead you in what i am saying about working parents at night. They aren't the real problem it is the working parents who have no rules, discipline, or any of the proper parental functions set in place for their kids. That is my school district. Working parents at night with none of those things. I mean seriously my kids are lucky to go home to a parent. I don't blame my kids I blame their so-called parents. I never punish them for not doing homework here in this district because think about it would you worry about homework when you spent most of your time thinking about if you were going home to a hot meal for dinner or any meal for that matter? It's a shame

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"None is more important, none more legitimate, than that of rendering the people safe as they are the
ultimate guardians of their own liberty."- Thomas Jefferson

"Yeah, I'm rehearsing my poker face. I don't handle stupid well. *sigh*" - Farsky

Oonagh, I give you all the credit in the world for teaching kids, I don't know how you do it. The short interactions I have with parents and kids really boggle my mind sometimes with the things I see.

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Yeah, that is what I have the biggest issue with. Not necessarily leaving her by herself, but leaving her locked out wandering the neighborhood with no supervision of any kind (not even a younger sibling).

If you leave them by themselves, then you make sure they keep the door locked and don't answer it for anyone. At least that's what my parents did. Not leave them locked outside wandering around alone. That is crazy dangerous.

in KY and I believe ohio too, children must be 12 to stay alone legally.

There is no legal minimum age in Ohio. The child must be safe, feel safe, and be able to handle emergencies (i.e. call 911). Many experts recommend 12-13, but it's neither the law, nor a solid rule for every kid. Personally, I think 10 is more reasonable.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I was left alone starting at ten, with my younger brother. I was allowed to use the toaster and microwave either for breakfast or later to start lunch. It was only for a few hours on saturday (and in the summer), and my dad was usually only a few blocks away. We were asleep for most of the time. I was shocked to find out such a thing could be considered illegal in other states

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

I'm seriously beginning to think you live in that version of Kentucky represented in the alternate history that Cameron Crowe created for the film Elizabethtown.

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Got a 12 year old in last night that was left home alone because parent works and it's spring break. He came in unresponsive because he decided to drink some Jack Daniels and take Vicodin, alcohol level of 384. Kids just tend to make bad decisions sometimes. Too bad he bought a vent to learn a lesson.

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

By alcohol level do you mean a BAC of 0.384% or are you using a different measurement system?

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

No, you are right, DE. It's .384. We just shorten it and forget the decimal.

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Ok. I thought maybe it was some other medical method. Every time I get a test at the doctor or my wife does they tell us it's number X which is supposed to be between Y and Z to be normal and I thought maybe it was something like that.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."