Anonymous
07/18/2019 02:06
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:It was good to check but I would have stayed until their parents came or at least alerted the staff a child was still there. They generally aren't allowed to leave until all children are picked up but not all staff/camps are well-managed.
It is far too hot for anyone to be left in full sun so heat stress and heat stroke are real concerns regardless of the water.
Also, while abduction isn't rampant, it is still common enough to warrant concern.
Better safe than sorry.
There was no staff. It was a bus stop and kids are dropped off and parents expected to be on time.
Anonymous
07/18/2019 02:06
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Very nice of you to check on him. I do think a member of the staff needs to stay until all kids are picked up.
At a bus stop? Camp bus stops are generally at safe public places like schools or playgrounds. At about 9, my kid was walking home from the camp bus some days, and waiting a few minutes for me to grab his younger sibling who got out at the same time. before I came to get him. He had a cell phone, knew the plan and was fine waiting. Delaying the rest of the bus run would nave made no sense.
OP for all I know this was my kid. Although I think he was safe, if he reported what you did I would be pleased to know that there were people in the community looking out for him. However, if you had complained to the camp about the bus leaving, or tried to get him in your car, or kept bothering him after he made it clear he was fine, I would have considered that helicoptering.
If he had seemed surprised not to see a parent, or scared, or reported that he didn’t know what was going on then a different response might have been on order, but in this circumstance I think either just leaving or checking and then leaving was fine.
If you don't want someone else to care about your child, care enough to pick them up on time or make arrangements for someone else to pick them up. At 9, your child is your responsibility and a parent should be there, especially if a younger sibling is involved. I get running late every so often but you do this on a regular basis. Young kids still need supervised and supported. Thank goodness for people like OP to care when the parents don't.
PP you are replying to,
Helicoptering and caring about your kids are two totally different things.
I don’t get your comment about a younger sibling. Younger sibling was with me. Why would that fact impact the safety of my older kid?
I also think it is a little weird to say that running late is OK but planning for it isn’t. Planning for it, meant that we had scoped our the location (in our case the local public elementary school where our kids don’t attend but go to the playground regularly), made sure he had what he needed, practiced what to do if something came up. So he felt confident. If I had just failed to show up he would have been worried and unprepared.
Just out of curiosity, if I was letting my 9 year old walk home from school would you feel the same way?
I would be concerned. My child's 9 and I don't know any parents who have the kids walk home from school alone. They are still very young. I don't think its ok at all to be late picking up kids. You need to make arrangements for young kids if you cannot pick them up on time.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 20:25
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Very nice of you to check on him. I do think a member of the staff needs to stay until all kids are picked up.
At a bus stop? Camp bus stops are generally at safe public places like schools or playgrounds. At about 9, my kid was walking home from the camp bus some days, and waiting a few minutes for me to grab his younger sibling who got out at the same time. before I came to get him. He had a cell phone, knew the plan and was fine waiting. Delaying the rest of the bus run would nave made no sense.
OP for all I know this was my kid. Although I think he was safe, if he reported what you did I would be pleased to know that there were people in the community looking out for him. However, if you had complained to the camp about the bus leaving, or tried to get him in your car, or kept bothering him after he made it clear he was fine, I would have considered that helicoptering.
If he had seemed surprised not to see a parent, or scared, or reported that he didn’t know what was going on then a different response might have been on order, but in this circumstance I think either just leaving or checking and then leaving was fine.
If you don't want someone else to care about your child, care enough to pick them up on time or make arrangements for someone else to pick them up. At 9, your child is your responsibility and a parent should be there, especially if a younger sibling is involved. I get running late every so often but you do this on a regular basis. Young kids still need supervised and supported. Thank goodness for people like OP to care when the parents don't.
PP you are replying to,
Helicoptering and caring about your kids are two totally different things.
I don’t get your comment about a younger sibling. Younger sibling was with me. Why would that fact impact the safety of my older kid?
I also think it is a little weird to say that running late is OK but planning for it isn’t. Planning for it, meant that we had scoped our the location (in our case the local public elementary school where our kids don’t attend but go to the playground regularly), made sure he had what he needed, practiced what to do if something came up. So he felt confident. If I had just failed to show up he would have been worried and unprepared.
Just out of curiosity, if I was letting my 9 year old walk home from school would you feel the same way?
Anonymous
07/17/2019 20:24
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:It was good to check but I would have stayed until their parents came or at least alerted the staff a child was still there. They generally aren't allowed to leave until all children are picked up but not all staff/camps are well-managed.
It is far too hot for anyone to be left in full sun so heat stress and heat stroke are real concerns regardless of the water.
Also, while abduction isn't rampant, it is still common enough to warrant concern.
Better safe than sorry.
What?? No it's not!
Anonymous
07/17/2019 20:01
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
I think you did the exact right thing.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:48
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:It was good to check but I would have stayed until their parents came or at least alerted the staff a child was still there. They generally aren't allowed to leave until all children are picked up but not all staff/camps are well-managed.
It is far too hot for anyone to be left in full sun so heat stress and heat stroke are real concerns regardless of the water.
Also, while abduction isn't rampant, it is still common enough to warrant concern.
Better safe than sorry.
This kid wasn’t abandoned in the Sahara, they were choosing to sit in the sun when shade was an option.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:42
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:It was good to check but I would have stayed until their parents came or at least alerted the staff a child was still there. They generally aren't allowed to leave until all children are picked up but not all staff/camps are well-managed.
It is far too hot for anyone to be left in full sun so heat stress and heat stroke are real concerns regardless of the water.
Also, while abduction isn't rampant, it is still common enough to warrant concern.
Better safe than sorry.
There is the helicopter you don’t want to be!
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:35
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
It was good to check but I would have stayed until their parents came or at least alerted the staff a child was still there. They generally aren't allowed to leave until all children are picked up but not all staff/camps are well-managed.
It is far too hot for anyone to be left in full sun so heat stress and heat stroke are real concerns regardless of the water.
Also, while abduction isn't rampant, it is still common enough to warrant concern.
Better safe than sorry.
It is far too hot for anyone to be left in full sun so heat stress and heat stroke are real concerns regardless of the water.
Also, while abduction isn't rampant, it is still common enough to warrant concern.
Better safe than sorry.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:35
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Very nice of you to check on him. I do think a member of the staff needs to stay until all kids are picked up.
At a bus stop? Camp bus stops are generally at safe public places like schools or playgrounds. At about 9, my kid was walking home from the camp bus some days, and waiting a few minutes for me to grab his younger sibling who got out at the same time. before I came to get him. He had a cell phone, knew the plan and was fine waiting. Delaying the rest of the bus run would nave made no sense.
OP for all I know this was my kid. Although I think he was safe, if he reported what you did I would be pleased to know that there were people in the community looking out for him. However, if you had complained to the camp about the bus leaving, or tried to get him in your car, or kept bothering him after he made it clear he was fine, I would have considered that helicoptering.
If he had seemed surprised not to see a parent, or scared, or reported that he didn’t know what was going on then a different response might have been on order, but in this circumstance I think either just leaving or checking and then leaving was fine.
If you don't want someone else to care about your child, care enough to pick them up on time or make arrangements for someone else to pick them up. At 9, your child is your responsibility and a parent should be there, especially if a younger sibling is involved. I get running late every so often but you do this on a regular basis. Young kids still need supervised and supported. Thank goodness for people like OP to care when the parents don't.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:34
Subject: Re:Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:I think what you did was appropriate. You waited and had your son check on him before you left.
+1
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:31
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Geez people. Never move to Arizona where kids have recess when it’s 110 degrees outside.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:20
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
I would have done the same thing, OP. Poor kid...
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:19
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:Very nice of you to check on him. I do think a member of the staff needs to stay until all kids are picked up.
At a bus stop? Camp bus stops are generally at safe public places like schools or playgrounds. At about 9, my kid was walking home from the camp bus some days, and waiting a few minutes for me to grab his younger sibling who got out at the same time. before I came to get him. He had a cell phone, knew the plan and was fine waiting. Delaying the rest of the bus run would nave made no sense.
OP for all I know this was my kid. Although I think he was safe, if he reported what you did I would be pleased to know that there were people in the community looking out for him. However, if you had complained to the camp about the bus leaving, or tried to get him in your car, or kept bothering him after he made it clear he was fine, I would have considered that helicoptering.
If he had seemed surprised not to see a parent, or scared, or reported that he didn’t know what was going on then a different response might have been on order, but in this circumstance I think either just leaving or checking and then leaving was fine.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:16
Subject: Re:Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
Anonymous wrote:I think what you did was appropriate. You waited and had your son check on him before you left.
This.
Anonymous
07/17/2019 19:13
Subject: Am I a busy body helicoptering someone else's kid, or is this a legit concern?
I think what you did was fine.
Any younger or if the school had not been open, or an even hotter day, I would have done extra. Say if I wasn’t headed anywhere, wasn’t busy, i would have told my son to tell him we’ll just wait in our car around the parking lot until we see his ride come. I’d rather wait in my car and read a book for 15 minutes than leave a kids like that.
Again, would only do that if it were more precarious. You were just fine. We can all look out for each other.
Any younger or if the school had not been open, or an even hotter day, I would have done extra. Say if I wasn’t headed anywhere, wasn’t busy, i would have told my son to tell him we’ll just wait in our car around the parking lot until we see his ride come. I’d rather wait in my car and read a book for 15 minutes than leave a kids like that.
Again, would only do that if it were more precarious. You were just fine. We can all look out for each other.