It sounds like these folks are in a suburb, but I grew up on the countryside where bad things actually could happen to you (rattlesnakes, scorpions, neighbor's dogs) and no one would have dreamed of calling the cops on a 4 year-old who got out of the house.

Heck, one time our neighbor boys were out chopping wood and the 10 year-old accidentally nicked the thump of the 6 year-old holding the wood. Still no one called the police.

What a nightmare neighbor. Why take the child inside and immediately call police instead of walking him back home safely?

Anonymous wrote:"Her 4-year-old son briefly got out of his older sister’s sight and wandered over to the neighbor’s house to play with his friend, according to Henderson."

Oh, wow. He didn't escape in general. He left the house to visit his friend without telling his sister. That's not GREAT but it's certainly not negligence.

I'm genuinely confused by many of the responses here. Did none of you babysit as teens? Were none of you left in the care of older cousins or siblings?

Oh, and the point about this being click bait because the mom is white and Southern and conventionally attractive. You are right, of course, but if we need a "perfect victim" better understand how cops abuse their power, then so be it.

Right. He wasn’t wandering around - he went outside to play. A generation ago, kids did this ALL of the time. He wasn’t “found” anywhere. He went to (apparently) the same neighbor’s house, and she called the police both times. There is clearly bad blood here, or she is too far up on her high horse.

Sounds like she asked where his mom was, he told her she wasn’t home, and called the police. Twice. Who would even do that?

I agree the 14 yo isn’t mature enough to do this, but…in many, many families she should have had to toughen up and make it happen.

What a crazy waste of tax dollars to charge this woman with a crime. If anything a referral to CPS for evaluation, because anyone with any sense knows that happy families photos mean absolutely squat about the safety and well-being of children and the suitability of the parenting on offer.

The neighbor is an azzhole, of that we can be certain.

At 14 I was routinely paid to babysit as many as 4 kids at once - two couples who were friends would hire me to babysit their kids together, while they attended sporting events or other grown up activities. I had no trouble keeping track of 4 kids for 6-8 hours at a time, but I was a responsible kid who was on a job and this was before the lure of smartphones and social media. The mom here probably misjudged her teenager’s maturity level.

This story illustrates perfectly why affordable, subsidized, high quality childcare is an investment we should make as a nation so all parents of all income levels can work while knowing their children are safely enriched in an appropriate setting in their absence.

Anonymous wrote:A 4 year old playing next door with a neighbor is not a 911 worthy emergency. We live in a society in which neighbors get each other arrested rather than help each other.

“You’re the parent! Be a parent!”—The Shame Harpies
“Get a job. No more free rides! My tax dollars.” —The Other Shame Harpies

Always wear your mask!

(sorry, couldn't resist adding that one. )

My siblings and I were often left in charge of my baby brother, we were 12-15 and he was 3. My grandparents lived in the same subdivision. He got on his tricycle one day, left the fenced backyard where we’d left him alone to play. A classmates parent came driving down the road to bring him back, having recognized him as he rode towards the main entrance to the subdivision “going to grandpa’s house” ( the exact opposite direction of where they actually lived).
We were in SOOO much trouble.
No one called the police.

A 4 year old playing next door with a neighbor is not a 911 worthy emergency. We live in a society in which neighbors get each other arrested rather than help each other.

“You’re the parent! Be a parent!”—The Shame Harpies
“Get a job. No more free rides! My tax dollars.” —The Other Shame Harpies

My neighbor's kid used to show up at our house at least once/week. I just phoned her then sent him home. Mom wasn't neglecting him, she just had to go to the bathroom.

"Her 4-year-old son briefly got out of his older sister’s sight and wandered over to the neighbor’s house to play with his friend, according to Henderson."

Oh, wow. He didn't escape in general. He left the house to visit his friend without telling his sister. That's not GREAT but it's certainly not negligence.

I'm genuinely confused by many of the responses here. Did none of you babysit as teens? Were none of you left in the care of older cousins or siblings?

Oh, and the point about this being click bait because the mom is white and Southern and conventionally attractive. You are right, of course, but if we need a "perfect victim" better understand how cops abuse their power, then so be it.

Anonymous wrote:I babysat overnight when I was 13. Granted it was at a neighbor's down the street so I could have gotten my parents if needed.
I think a competent 14 year old is fine but maybe this one's not competent.

Or maybe this 4 year old needs a lot more supervision than most 4 year olds do.

The bigger point is that the mother should have found alternatives since it was clear that this arrangement was not working. That makes the mother, not the 14 year old, irresponsible.

I babysat overnight when I was 13. Granted it was at a neighbor's down the street so I could have gotten my parents if needed.
I think a competent 14 year old is fine but maybe this one's not competent.

Anonymous wrote:There must be more to this. Why would the neighbor call 911?

That's what I thought, too! I wonder if there are some special needs involved with the 4 yo. And, I doubt the 4yo has only escaped twice.

This happened with someone on my block. They repeatedly left a young child with teenagers who didn’t actually watch the child, and would be found out wandering in the street, alone, multiple times. LEO did have to get involved.

FWIW the same problem happened with the grandparents, who also lived with them. Basically no one in this house actually watched the kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.a5ban.com/georgia-mother-of-5-charged-with-reckless-conduct-after-son-4-wanders-over-to-neighbors-house/

This is another article. This looks like a beautiful and happy family. Mom is probably doing her best and her daughter must feel just awful about the whole situation.

Her daughter shouldn’t be responsible for a toddler and has no reason to feel bad. What has the mother been doing this whole time that she can’t afford a certified babysitter? What job does she have? What educational level?

A four year old is not a toddler.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.a5ban.com/georgia-mother-of-5-charged-with-reckless-conduct-after-son-4-wanders-over-to-neighbors-house/

This is another article. This looks like a beautiful and happy family. Mom is probably doing her best and her daughter must feel just awful about the whole situation.

There's so much to unpack with this story but a quick side note, "beauty" has to do with this and anyone can look happy for 1/60th of a second. This is click bait and the story was written to get the public up in arms that a 'beautiful', white, happy looking mom was charged. If we really look closely at this a 14 can watch a sibling but as someone else pointed out, she has to actually watch the child. This is not a one time thing and the police have been called twice but I imagine it's a constant issue and the kid was out all the time. This family had 2 warnings and they didn't learn their lesson, so yes, charging with neglect was the right thing to do.