Is It Wrong to Call Their Mother?

[missyciccolella]

If you were my neighbor and didn't call me about my kids doing that I would be mad! Absolutely call her...this is a big time safety issue as well as a trespassing/breaking the law situation.

 

[letscook04]

I am glad that you called their parents!! God for bid if something happen to them you would of had a law suit on your hands!! My friend has a trampoline in her back yard and one of her son's friend broke his ankle, and guess what the kids mother did? Sued her!!!

 

[dianevill]

I definitely think it was right to call the parents. We have a pool, and have informed all children in the neighborhood that they are not allowed in the backyard without either me, my husband, or their parents with them. The pool is fenced and locked, but that doesn't always deter (just ask the floating squirrels!).

As far as children roaming, we live on a 1/2 to 3/4 acre lot, as do our neighbors. We have 3 houses in our neighborhood with kids all around the same age that play together, and we allow them to go from house to house in groups of two or more. We ALL bought walkie talkies, and when the kids are together we set them to the same channel. Everyone is aware of where the kids are, what they're doing, where they're going. The walkie talkies are a great investment - except when they "call" us to tattle on each other - LOL.

 

[Christ Follower]

I let my 8 year old roam our street. We have a ton of kids in our neighborhood and they are all like a pack of dogs. If it weren't this particular neighborhood I'm not sure I'd allow it.

BTW, glad you called. I don't know how it is where you live, but here in Cali, you would be LIABLE for any injury or death that occurs because of your pool. Even if it were fenced and you had no knowledge of them being there. We have messed up laws out here.

 

[dianevill]

I am glad that you called their parents!! God for bid if something happen to them you would of had a law suit on your hands!! My friend has a trampoline in her back yard and one of her son's friend broke his ankle, and guess what the kids mother did? Sued her!!!

Out of curiosity, who won? I've heard that it's difficult to get insurance if you have a trampoline.

 

[RebelChef]

Liability laws are really messed up. My niece's dad had his motorcycle inside his garage. A neighbor kid came inside, was climbing on the bike and it fell on him and injured him. The parents sued and won a judgement. In my opinion, inside your garage is the same as inside your home. That kid had no business going in there without permission and for his parents to win a lawsuit was beyond ridiculous. You did the right thing, Colleen. It's the parents' responsibility to supervise their children, but to protect yourself they needed to be told. It's on them now.

 

[kspry]

first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers

couldn't resist quoting Shakespeare


edit- Shakespeare also didn't have CPAs that shredded documents in his time, but the sentiment is the same, I will not live in fear of a lawsuit or destroy evidence, bceause the truth always comes out.

 

[Jean DeVries]

Out of curiosity, who won? I've heard that it's difficult to get insurance if you have a trampoline.

I work for an insurance company that writes homeowner insurance, and in states that allow it, we exclude liability for trampolines. So, you can get insurance, but if someone gets hurt on your trampoline, the insurance company won't pay.

We also require fences around pools.

And doggies that haven't mauled someone in the past.

If it weren't for sue-ers, we wouldn't need insurance. And if we didn't have insurance, I wouldn't have a job. So, thanks to all the sue-ers out there!







That was totally tongue in cheek by the way. I don't really want to work in insurance. But it pays more than sitting on a beach someplace warm, so I'm stuck.

 

[ChefJoyJ]

A neighbor on another street actually called the police on the older kid once. He was in his yard around 9:30pm with another kid and the guy heard them in the yard. He didn't know who it was and got spooked and called the police. The police took them home to their parents with a warning. What if the man had had a gun and took it into his own hands instead of calling the police? I just don't get their parents!

We don't have laws here that we need no trespassing signs or locks on the gates. The only rule is to have your yard fenced if you have a pool.

9:30?!?! What on earth was an 11 year old doing out in another person's yard that late? For that matter, what was he doing outside so late???

I just don't get some parents. In my mind, that's just neglectful!

 

[RebelChef]

Way back when I was a kid, we would stay out until dark or later as long as we were in our own yard. In the summer that would be 9 pm or later. Things were so much different back then. You could actually walk to the movies or the store and your parents didn't have to worry if you'd make it home or not. Technology and modern living is great but our kids are missing out on so much.

 

[Chef Endora]

Colleen, I would document that you called the parents & the responses. Include all pertinent information. Date, time, who you spoke with, etc.
God forbid anything to happen but today's mentality is litigenous (sp?) and you need to protect yourself.

 

[chefkristin]

I would call!!! It is alway best in my opinion to call than to regret it later. We just had a radio dj's 3 year old son drown in a pool in AL this week. It was their own. But this really hits home with that! Call Call Call! If I was a mother I would want to know.

She already did! LOL!!
I am glad that you called Colleen.

 

[graciec1977]

Wow I cant believe in this day and age that parents still let their children run around free without knowing where they are. I live in a small town in Nova Scotia Canada and have 3 girls ages 6,9,10 and never let them go anywhere with out knowing where they are. There is a playground within a 5min walk of our house and I am still leery of letting them go there without me.

As far as going into your fenced in backyard I am glad you called their parents. Any good parent would be glad to know their child was putting them self in harms way so that they could warn them of the risks and potentially save their lives.

As to being liable and sued I don't understand why so many people sue each other in the states. Where I am from the only people that ever worry about being sued are the businesses. People need to take responsibility for their own lives and stop blaming everything that happens on others, (if an accident happens don't take it out on each other, take responsibility for your part in it, its called an accident because it is just that an accident! What ever happened to the days of neighbors looking out for each other and parents looking after their own children, we need to get back to that!

 

[erinyourpclady]

Way back when I was a kid, we would stay out until dark or later as long as we were in our own yard. In the summer that would be 9 pm or later. Things were so much different back then. You could actually walk to the movies or the store and your parents didn't have to worry if you'd make it home or not. Technology and modern living is great but our kids are missing out on so much.

We always had the street light rule when I was a kid. Once they came on it was time to go home! We totally had more freedom as kids then I allow my kids. Then again, we live on a military base that has rules about unattended children.

 

[Chef Kearns]

We always had the street light rule when I was a kid. Once they came on it was time to go home! We totally had more freedom as kids then I allow my kids. Then again, we live on a military base that has rules about unattended children.

Is it like the airport? Will they be taken in the back and exploded?

LOL, I'm sorry. The mental image was funnier than I could verbally portray it. I just was picturing the SP coming along and scooping the "unattended children" then running them through a slew of tests to see if they were a bomb, then exploding them to be on the safe side! I really shouldn't be up this early! I am sooo not a morning person.

 

[Chef Kearns]

btw...I grew up on a military base. You have such a sense of security...false or otherwise.

 

[finley1991]

9:30?!?! What on earth was an 11 year old doing out in another person's yard that late? For that matter, what was he doing outside so late???

Part of the problem here is that we are in the western part of our time zone... in summer, it doesn't get dark here until about 10pm (LOVE IT!) so sometimes it's hard to know what time it really is.

With that, I am not saying it was okay that they don't know where their kids are.

Also, we don't have streetlights so we can't use that as a timer either.

I guess I just didn't want to be pegged as a mean lady but in the end it doesn't really matter how they see me.

 

[erinyourpclady]

Is it like the airport? Will they be taken in the back and exploded?

LOL, I'm sorry. The mental image was funnier than I could verbally portray it. I just was picturing the SP coming along and scooping the "unattended children" then running them through a slew of tests to see if they were a bomb, then exploding them to be on the safe side! I really shouldn't be up this early! I am sooo not a morning person.

Nah not quite that extreme! LOL!! I might be one of the few that actually abide by the rules anyway! I see children younger then mine (almost 6, almost 8 and 11) running around with no parents as far as the eye can see.

 

[finley1991]

I see children younger then mine (almost 6, almost 8 and 11) running around with no parents as far as the eye can see.

My cousins is the mother to those children. She lets them run wild anywhere, anytime. She doesn't care if they get into someone else's things or what they do. She thinks it's "cute."

 

[erinyourpclady]

Part of the problem here is that we are in the western part of our time zone... in summer, it doesn't get dark here until about 10pm (LOVE IT!) so sometimes it's hard to know what time it really is.

With that, I am not saying it was okay that they don't know where their kids are.

Also, we don't have streetlights so we can't use that as a timer either.

I guess I just didn't want to be pegged as a mean lady but in the end it doesn't really matter how they see me.

I don't know...I'd rather be the mean lady! LOL!! As long as it doesn't mean flaming pooh on my doorstep and eggs all over my front door! LOL!!!!!!

Oh and I that is the craziest thing...the whole sun until 10 thing! We were visiting our oldest son (he lives with his mom) in Holland 2 summers ago and we were sitting out in the back yard forever and the sun just wouldn't go down! LOL!!! My kids LOVED it! LOL!!!

 

[erinyourpclady]

My cousins is the mother to those children. She lets them run wild anywhere, anytime. She doesn't care if they get into someone else's things or what they do. She thinks it's "cute."

Cute my hiney. LOL!!! I totally wanted to use another word but you know.....
If there is one thing I can say about my children it is that they are respectful. They ask before they do anything...at home or at other people's homes.

 

[wadesgirl]

I used to be a "roamer" when I was a kid. Apparently I was able to learn how to open the door at a young age and roam around the neigborhood. I grew up in a small town where you did things like that. My sister has 5 kids growing up in the same town we did and they are roamers too. They like to go down and play in the ravine and creek like we did when we were younger. They haven't caused any trouble that we know of but I'm pretty sure my sister would like to know if they did.

Even though your calls fell on deaf ears at least you did your part, next time call the cops, bet they may learn their lesson then.