Mom locks kid out on deck in 41 degree weather -- is this a crime?

[Anonymous]

I sure wish people would have called the police on my father when I was growing up. Growing up, I thought we'd done a good job of hiding what was going on in our house. As an adult and with some life experience, I know the neighbors could hear my dad raging, our screams when we were hit, the bruises, etc. Back then, school staff weren't mandated reporters but, still, if one person had called police maybe we could have gotten some help.

No one knows what went on in that boy's house but I'm glad someone called police because from the little information that was provided in the article, it sure sounds like something is off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 10 yr old is awake and standing outside at 10:30 at night? Yeah, there's a problem there.

+1. And the 12 year old answering the door late at night? Something is not right.

If the kids were abused by their bio parents and the teacher adopted them, she probably has been dealing with a lot of challenges and I feel for her. But this is not the way to address it. As for whether it merited an arrest, it is quite possible that there is more to this story so I'm going to reserve judgment on that.

This. Something was not right. I don't know if what she did rose to the level of a crime but what she did do absolutely was odd, extremely poor judgement and attracted the attention/concern of her neighbors. Having the kids answer the door at that time of night - also odd and not right.

I think this will turn out to be one of those "better safe than sorry" things. She's probably a good person who just made an out of character mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sure wish people would have called the police on my father when I was growing up. Growing up, I thought we'd done a good job of hiding what was going on in our house. As an adult and with some life experience, I know the neighbors could hear my dad raging, our screams when we were hit, the bruises, etc. Back then, school staff weren't mandated reporters but, still, if one person had called police maybe we could have gotten some help.

No one knows what went on in that boy's house but I'm glad someone called police because from the little information that was provided in the article, it sure sounds like something is off.

Wish someone had called the police on your father, too. But there's nothing in the article that says the woman here did anything remotely close to hitting her DS. Sounds like she was at the end of her rope and put him out on the deck.

I seriously do not think this comes remotely close to abuse. Bunch of hot house flowers we're raising these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sure wish people would have called the police on my father when I was growing up. Growing up, I thought we'd done a good job of hiding what was going on in our house. As an adult and with some life experience, I know the neighbors could hear my dad raging, our screams when we were hit, the bruises, etc. Back then, school staff weren't mandated reporters but, still, if one person had called police maybe we could have gotten some help.

No one knows what went on in that boy's house but I'm glad someone called police because from the little information that was provided in the article, it sure sounds like something is off.

Wish someone had called the police on your father, too. But there's nothing in the article that says the woman here did anything remotely close to hitting her DS. Sounds like she was at the end of her rope and put him out on the deck.

I seriously do not think this comes remotely close to abuse. Bunch of hot house flowers we're raising these days.

It may not be abuse but I don't think it was appropriate or "okay" to punish a 10 year old like that. If this was just a random mom having a bad parenting day that would be one thing. But this was a teacher and like it or not the bar is higher for her. That said, I really doubt that there will be a conviction but we'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sure wish people would have called the police on my father when I was growing up. Growing up, I thought we'd done a good job of hiding what was going on in our house. As an adult and with some life experience, I know the neighbors could hear my dad raging, our screams when we were hit, the bruises, etc. Back then, school staff weren't mandated reporters but, still, if one person had called police maybe we could have gotten some help.

No one knows what went on in that boy's house but I'm glad someone called police because from the little information that was provided in the article, it sure sounds like something is off.

Wish someone had called the police on your father, too. But there's nothing in the article that says the woman here did anything remotely close to hitting her DS. Sounds like she was at the end of her rope and put him out on the deck.

I seriously do not think this comes remotely close to abuse. Bunch of hot house flowers we're raising these days.

It may not be abuse but I don't think it was appropriate or "okay" to punish a 10 year old like that. If this was just a random mom having a bad parenting day that would be one thing. But this was a teacher and like it or not the bar is higher for her. That said, I really doubt that there will be a conviction but we'll see.

I always tell my kids, "that is not okay." But I don't think "not okay" rises to the level of a felony, whether or not she was a teacher. And FWIW, I think it's perfectly fine to send a kid outside and say, "Don't come back in until you're ready to follow the rules in our house." Clearly a last resort, but I have no problem with that at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sure wish people would have called the police on my father when I was growing up. Growing up, I thought we'd done a good job of hiding what was going on in our house. As an adult and with some life experience, I know the neighbors could hear my dad raging, our screams when we were hit, the bruises, etc. Back then, school staff weren't mandated reporters but, still, if one person had called police maybe we could have gotten some help.

No one knows what went on in that boy's house but I'm glad someone called police because from the little information that was provided in the article, it sure sounds like something is off.

Wish someone had called the police on your father, too. But there's nothing in the article that says the woman here did anything remotely close to hitting her DS. Sounds like she was at the end of her rope and put him out on the deck.

I seriously do not think this comes remotely close to abuse. Bunch of hot house flowers we're raising these days.

It may not be abuse but I don't think it was appropriate or "okay" to punish a 10 year old like that. If this was just a random mom having a bad parenting day that would be one thing. But this was a teacher and like it or not the bar is higher for her. That said, I really doubt that there will be a conviction but we'll see.

I always tell my kids, "that is not okay." But I don't think "not okay" rises to the level of a felony, whether or not she was a teacher. And FWIW, I think it's perfectly fine to send a kid outside and say, "Don't come back in until you're ready to follow the rules in our house." Clearly a last resort, but I have no problem with that at all.

Locking a distraught kid outside to cry alone on the deck late at night to the point where he disturbed the neighbors was...harsh and inappropriate but not necessarily criminal. Assuming that is what she did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom had him at 21-years old; his sister at 19-years old.

I read the link in OP's post. Momma sounds like a nut job.

10:30pm is pretty late, btw.

That's young. Sounds like some parenting classes are/were needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom had him at 21-years old; his sister at 19-years old.

I read the link in OP's post. Momma sounds like a nut job.

10:30pm is pretty late, btw.

Wait, Somebody up thread said she adopted them. So now which is it. BTW, get outside your DC Metro bubble, everybody isn't waiting until they are 38 to have their first child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sure wish people would have called the police on my father when I was growing up. Growing up, I thought we'd done a good job of hiding what was going on in our house. As an adult and with some life experience, I know the neighbors could hear my dad raging, our screams when we were hit, the bruises, etc. Back then, school staff weren't mandated reporters but, still, if one person had called police maybe we could have gotten some help.

No one knows what went on in that boy's house but I'm glad someone called police because from the little information that was provided in the article, it sure sounds like something is off.

Wish someone had called the police on your father, too. But there's nothing in the article that says the woman here did anything remotely close to hitting her DS. Sounds like she was at the end of her rope and put him out on the deck.

I seriously do not think this comes remotely close to abuse. Bunch of hot house flowers we're raising these days.

Who knows what goes on in their house but if at 10:30 PM a 10yo is upset and crying because he can't get into the house (regardless the weather) and is loud enough to disturb the neighbors, it's reasonable for authorities to be notified. Whether or not what she did is a different issue but at least she's on someone's radar now.

[Anonymous]

Psycho. This is physical and mental abuse, and I'm a spanker. Freezing your child is psycho.

[Anonymous]

The neighbors are literally 10 feet from the mouth of this crying child. That's how townhouses are. When you are on the deck, you are VERY close to the bedroom window of your neighbor on either side. The fact that the neighbors heard him crying does not make this any worse than the kid crying in his room b/c his mom took away his play station.