Lost child in NY asks the wrong person for help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the last footage of the young boy is what gets me. I have an eight year old boy-I was watching him skip along with his bag and thought my son would be the same-so excited to be on his own and then miss the block he had to turn onto...I have spoken to all my kids about NEVER getting into a car with strangers but...I keep thinking that maybe Leiby knew his killer or had seen him around or recognized that he was a jew too and felt comfortable with him...I cannot stomach stories like these.

This will make your jaw drop. This is how stupid, for lack of a better word, kids are. On my son's first day of 9th grade he was walking to the bus stop. A car pulled up and asked where the bus stop was. There was a man and two kids in the car. He didn't know the kids or the man. He GOT IN THE CAR and took them to the bus stop. I SHIT MYSELF when he told me what he did. I was caught between wanting to hug him and wanting to slap him. How, after 15 years of teaching him not to talk to strangers, did this 9th grader get in the car with a stranger. It still gives me chills when I think about it.

As far as the jewish boy, I think I may have read the killer knew the boy, they did only live blocks apart.

It's also an example of how stupid grown males can be about these kinds of things. I would be furious at my husband if he picked up some kid he didn't know off the street, but he might do it, because he's a nice guy and he wouldn't think about how it could look.

[Anonymous]

I wish someone on this thread would explain why it's worth it to take the risk of having a child walk alone in a big city. Sure, nothing might happen. But, why chance it?

[Anonymous]

I got cold shivers when my neighbor told my mom the story of when her 11 year old daughter was walking in suburbia and a car pulled up asking for directions. Her dd carried on walking ignoring the man.
There is more to the story so it scared the whole neighborhood.
You have to teach your kids the sense of danger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish someone on this thread would explain why it's worth it to take the risk of having a child walk alone in a big city. Sure, nothing might happen. But, why chance it?

Because at some point, they have to grow up. Sheltering them doesn't help them to stay safe, it keeps them more vulnerable. The problem isn't that the boy was alone, it was that he - for some reason - after getting loset made a bad decision to get into a strangers car. While I wouldn't let my 4 year old walk 6 blocks by himself, I hope by the time he's 9, I've given him enough independence that if he did get lost, he would have the ability to make right choices to keep himself safe. That's not to say that bad things still can't happen. But I actually lessen the chance by activily trying to not be over-protective (I find this difficult, but I keep trying).

If you don't think a 9 year old can walk by himself, what about a 10 year old, or 11 or 12, 13, 14, 15? Where do you draw the line?

And I'm not saying that 9 is the magic age where a kid is safe walking alone. I think it depends on the kid, their experiences, and their maturity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish someone on this thread would explain why it's worth it to take the risk of having a child walk alone in a big city. Sure, nothing might happen. But, why chance it?

Because at some point, they have to grow up. Sheltering them doesn't help them to stay safe, it keeps them more vulnerable. The problem isn't that the boy was alone, it was that he - for some reason - after getting loset made a bad decision to get into a strangers car. While I wouldn't let my 4 year old walk 6 blocks by himself, I hope by the time he's 9, I've given him enough independence that if he did get lost, he would have the ability to make right choices to keep himself safe. That's not to say that bad things still can't happen. But I actually lessen the chance by activily trying to not be over-protective (I find this difficult, but I keep trying).

If you don't think a 9 year old can walk by himself, what about a 10 year old, or 11 or 12, 13, 14, 15? Where do you draw the line?

And I'm not saying that 9 is the magic age where a kid is safe walking alone. I think it depends on the kid, their experiences, and their maturity.

Yea, exactly, but if they are not mature at 8 or 9, you should not do it. MY dd is not mature enough, so no walkies alone. No matter how much I talk, she would get right into someone else's car in a heart beat. As a parent, you have to know your kid. If they had waited two more years, things might have been different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://kidsfightingchance.com/stats.php


6th item in bold. 75% of abductors are men.

Not men with babies. There is a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish someone on this thread would explain why it's worth it to take the risk of having a child walk alone in a big city. Sure, nothing might happen. But, why chance it?

Because at some point, they have to grow up. Sheltering them doesn't help them to stay safe, it keeps them more vulnerable. The problem isn't that the boy was alone, it was that he - for some reason - after getting loset made a bad decision to get into a strangers car. While I wouldn't let my 4 year old walk 6 blocks by himself, I hope by the time he's 9, I've given him enough independence that if he did get lost, he would have the ability to make right choices to keep himself safe. That's not to say that bad things still can't happen. But I actually lessen the chance by activily trying to not be over-protective (I find this difficult, but I keep trying).

If you don't think a 9 year old can walk by himself, what about a 10 year old, or 11 or 12, 13, 14, 15? Where do you draw the line?

And I'm not saying that 9 is the magic age where a kid is safe walking alone. I think it depends on the kid, their experiences, and their maturity.

Yea, exactly, but if they are not mature at 8 or 9, you should not do it. MY dd is not mature enough, so no walkies alone. No matter how much I talk, she would get right into someone else's car in a heart beat. As a parent, you have to know your kid. If they had waited two more years, things might have been different.

I hope you feel good about yourself, second guessing these poor parents. You are an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Apparently most kids in that neighborhood walk alone between houses and a few blocks to / from school when they are 5 or 6 (usually in groups). This kid actually had a very over protective mother (for that neighborhood) and the child had been pleading and pleading to be allowed to do what his friends all did.

I have heard rumors (it is reported on some news articles) but I haven't heard any confirmation that he had Aspergers (another site said a learning disability) and that was why his mother had been so reluctant to let him walk alone (compared to other 9 yr olds). They had already walked the route together to make sure he knew the way. Again I don't know if that is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently most kids in that neighborhood walk alone between houses and a few blocks to / from school when they are 5 or 6 (usually in groups). This kid actually had a very over protective mother (for that neighborhood) and the child had been pleading and pleading to be allowed to do what his friends all did.

I have heard rumors (it is reported on some news articles) but I haven't heard any confirmation that he had Aspergers (another site said a learning disability) and that was why his mother had been so reluctant to let him walk alone (compared to other 9 yr olds). They had already walked the route together to make sure he knew the way. Again I don't know if that is true.

If this is true, this is so horribly sad that my heart bleeds for this child's mother. It would also explain why the child got into a stranger's car. Children with Aspergers have difficulty judging other people, and are likely to be too trusting. It's too horrible for words that the mother tried so hard, but very bad luck intervened. It's such a sad story, and I feel for the poor mother who was trying to do the best for her child.

[Anonymous]

I meant to say that the mother tried so hard to protect her child

[Anonymous]

If you google his name with autism you get lots of hits but none seem to have a confirmed source. Most seem to be reporting 2nd or 3rd hand information about the possible autism.

[Anonymous]

My DD is almost 9 and very mature. However, I will not let her walk alone until she is 13. Things are not how they were when we were growing up. Kids don't run around playing outside for hours with the neighborhood kids and no supervision. For better or worse, times are different and so she will have to wait until I am 100% sure that she knows EXACTLY what to do if she is in trouble or a bad situation.

I cannot imagine the pain and horror those parents are facing now. Awful. I hope the abductor gets the death penalty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish someone on this thread would explain why it's worth it to take the risk of having a child walk alone in a big city. Sure, nothing might happen. But, why chance it?

Because at some point, they have to grow up. Sheltering them doesn't help them to stay safe, it keeps them more vulnerable. The problem isn't that the boy was alone, it was that he - for some reason - after getting loset made a bad decision to get into a strangers car. While I wouldn't let my 4 year old walk 6 blocks by himself, I hope by the time he's 9, I've given him enough independence that if he did get lost, he would have the ability to make right choices to keep himself safe. That's not to say that bad things still can't happen. But I actually lessen the chance by activily trying to not be over-protective (I find this difficult, but I keep trying).

If you don't think a 9 year old can walk by himself, what about a 10 year old, or 11 or 12, 13, 14, 15? Where do you draw the line?

And I'm not saying that 9 is the magic age where a kid is safe walking alone. I think it depends on the kid, their experiences, and their maturity.

Yea, exactly, but if they are not mature at 8 or 9, you should not do it. MY dd is not mature enough, so no walkies alone. No matter how much I talk, she would get right into someone else's car in a heart beat. As a parent, you have to know your kid. If they had waited two more years, things might have been different.

I hope you feel good about yourself, second guessing these poor parents. You are an asshole.

I am curious about the demographics about who would write something like this.
Mean post, unnecessary.
If you are brave enough, please describe yourself.

[Anonymous]

"Most offenders -- kidnappers, sex offenders -- do not look like what a child perceives what a stranger looks like. They don't look like the boogie man. They're friendly,'' said Fitzgerald. "They trick or lure children, saying they need help or assistance."

Children should be taught that if they are lost, they should find a store and ask a clerk behind the cash register or someone in charge for help, or ask a mother with children.

Some safety experts point out that children should be taught that a person in a uniform is not necessarily a safe person and certainly not the only person they can reach out to for help. Police officers may not be around when a child is lost or needs help. (c)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/keeping-children-safe-stranger-abduction/story?id=14072100#.TiBrWcMy0Vw.facebook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is almost 9 and very mature. However, I will not let her walk alone until she is 13. Things are not how they were when we were growing up. Kids don't run around playing outside for hours with the neighborhood kids and no supervision. For better or worse, times are different and so she will have to wait until I am 100% sure that she knows EXACTLY what to do if she is in trouble or a bad situation.

I cannot imagine the pain and horror those parents are facing now. Awful. I hope the abductor gets the death penalty.

Hate to tell you this but times are different, crimes has actually DROPPED significantly. The other big change is cable and a 24 hour news cycle so we here about grisly local crime more. This wasn't the case before cable. I doubt many of us would know of this case outside of NY.

My kids are 2 and 4. I probably won't let them walk to school anytime soon.