Please! Don't leave your "little" ones outside alone

[5knights3maidens]

We took a walk this morning and found a little boy (around 2) all by himself with his bike. No one was around. I found a house with the door opened and a stroller in the driveway. I knocked, rang the doorbell, yelled. No one came for almost 5 mins. :glare: When the mom finally came to the door, I asked her if that was her son. She looked distraught but, when she went to him she told him he was never to leave the driveway. ?? He was too young to even understand. He was down the street and around the corner.!!! I'm so glad we found him and not some weirdo....which do live around us. This could have been tragic.

[Gratia271]

Sadly, we have encountered the same thing! :glare:

[Mommy22alyns]

Wow, poor little one. How could anyone think that a 2 year old could be left outside alone?!?! :confused:

[Sue G in PA]

When my dd5 was just about 2, she wandered out our front door when I was in the middle of a lesson with my older kids. She ended up in the middle of our very quiet street. A neighbor up the street, whom we know well, was driving by and had to stop b/c she had plopped down right in the middle of the street. :001_huh: He saw her, recognized her and delievered her to me. Needless to say, I was a.mess. First, I didn't even realize she had left the house (b/c the door was closed and locked!) and second, she could have easily been run over by somebody less careful. Things like this happen...even to the most careful parents. Not excusing leaving a 2yo outside alone w/out supervision...but perhaps there was more to the story? So glad you found him though and brought him home safe. :001_smile:

[ChristusG]

Wow....a 2 year old outside alone?? Sometimes I wonder why some people have children. :confused:

[TheAutumnOak]

2 years old is too young to be outside alone, even in a fenced backyard...

[SweetMissMagnolia]

oh man how scary.....soo glad it had happy ending.......sheesh! I hate leaving my 8 yr old in the fenced in backyard for more than 10mins by himself LOL....oh my!

[Nakia]

How scary! A lady I used to work with ran over a little 2 year old who was wandering around outside and ended up in the road. The child ended up dying. It was horrible for the mother and my co-worker. So very sad.

 

I'm glad you found him and got him safely home.

[foxbridgeacademy]

mine are 9 and 7 and the only way they're allowed outside is together, we live in a metro area so that's why I'm so overprotective. When we've lived in the country they could come and go as they please after age 5. A child who escapes the house happens to most of us at least once. A parent who thinks a 2 year old to even understand "stay in the driveway" is just bad parenting IMO. But I'm a self confessed "helicopter" parent.

[Garga]

When I was setting up for a yard sale one day (about 7 am.), a woman came running down the street shrieking. Her 2 yo dd had let herself out of the house early in the morning and was GONE. The mother was hysterical.

 

My dh and I went looking for the baby, and I did find her. She was amazingly far away from her house, around a corner and up a very steep street. The family dog had stayed with the 2 yo. By the time I got to the girl (I ran full out up that steep hill and seriously pulled my leg muscles!!), other neighbors were coming out of their houses, because they'd noticed the little girl on their street.

 

I picked her up and (gasping) carried her back down the hill, around the bend, and back up my street. Her diaper leaked all over me. (I didn't have kids and was horrified at that!) A police officer driving by saw me and took the child to her mother.

 

 

That story isn't really like the OPs, but the post made me think of it. Once I did have kids of my own (8 years later), I made sure to put locks HIGH on the doors so they could never let themselves out when they turned two. :001_smile:

[justamouse]

We were on vacation, right on the beach and the culprit, now 8 was then 2. (and, I had the twins, too, who were 3) He used to constantly go out doors and I had them locked, at all times, AND we had everything gated.

 

Well, the little bugger unlocked the door and went down the street. He just was wandering around, happy as a clam and a sweet old lady brought him back, he even told her where to go. He got through it ALL. He STILL is the first one through a door, in the lead, my explorer and captain. :001_smile:

 

For a while I lived in PA on a 180 acre farm on the Delaware River and the next door neighbor had two year old twins who would run out the door naked every chance they got. We used to get on the tractors and go looking for them. :D:D Or the farm hands would call her house, "___, they just took off out the door!" The scary part was the river. It was great when the power went out and we needed to bathe, but it was the first place the little bandits ran.

[lcelmer]

On the way home from church one Sun afternoon we spotted a toddler type (3-4?) alone walking down the street crying and obviously distraught.....This was in a small town, but just a block off the major busy highway, I got out, stayed far enough away to hopefully not scare her, while hubby stopped at the police station (no cell at the time)... she made it back to an apartment she seemed to know, but we are talking more than 3 blocks here in a downtown type area. Thankfully, there was an officer available who had a talk with the fam... there were other little kiddos just wandering around.. all the doors open, no parent in sight, totally stupid in the nhood they were in.

 

 

On the other hand, I have a runner. My DS 2 will dash out the door and down the street with no qualms whatsoever, and has done so at my folks house, church, and a friends, while parents and sitters were just in the hallway, or in the other room changing a diaper....:eek: .... We all keep the doors locked now, and I only shower if he is in the crib napping, or Daddy is home. It is odd, he seems to know when people are distracted, and just dashes out. :eek:

[BarbecueMom]

Honestly, my kids are just now able to play outside WITH supervision. Last fall, I would try to take them outside and would end up screaming and flailing and scrambling for the Advil after about 15 minutes. It was just too stressful. Once, my mom, DH, and I were standing guard at the edge of the front yard (the back yard is off limits due to deck rebuilding/debris). Older DS brought me a dandelion and asked me to smell it. While I was smelling the flower, he ran around behind my mom's legs and before she could catch him, he was halfway across the street. The baby was asleep in a stroller, there were THREE ADULTS watching one barely 2yo boy, and he still managed to get out in the road (not a busy road, but still a road).

 

We have those cheap magnetic door chime alarms on every door in our house. It's not to keep burglars out, but to keep toddlers in.

[shinyhappypeople]

mine are 9 and 7 and the only way they're allowed outside is together, we live in a metro area so that's why I'm so overprotective. When we've lived in the country they could come and go as they please after age 5. A child who escapes the house happens to most of us at least once. A parent who thinks a 2 year old to even understand "stay in the driveway" is just bad parenting IMO. But I'm a self confessed "helicopter" parent.

 

 

Even loving moms make mistakes - sometimes really dumb mistakes. Let's not be too quick to judge.

 

I'm not even going to begin listing the times I've screwed up or made idiot judgment calls. :tongue_smilie:

 

It's so unfortunate for children that they have to raised by humans. ;)

[DawnM]

This happened in our old house. We had a back door of sorts. They were French Doors. We hadn't even fully moved in and my middle son was about 2, and opened the door and let himself out.

 

My new neighbor found him in a diaper and a T-shirt almost out into the street. It wasn't a busy street per say, but the street was a strait through, so cars that did go on our street tended to drive fairly fast.

 

I tell ya, that kid has scared me more than once.....there was the time he fell through the ceiling, the time he got lost at Disneyland, the time he got out of the car and I didn't know it and held on to the doorhandle as I drove off.....I thank GOD everyday that HE watches this one when I can't.

 

The child is now 11, and let's just say I haven't stopped worrying.

 

Dawn

 

When my dd5 was just about 2, she wandered out our front door when I was in the middle of a lesson with my older kids. She ended up in the middle of our very quiet street. A neighbor up the street, whom we know well, was driving by and had to stop b/c she had plopped down right in the middle of the street. :001_huh: He saw her, recognized her and delievered her to me. Needless to say, I was a.mess. First, I didn't even realize she had left the house (b/c the door was closed and locked!) and second, she could have easily been run over by somebody less careful. Things like this happen...even to the most careful parents. Not excusing leaving a 2yo outside alone w/out supervision...but perhaps there was more to the story? So glad you found him though and brought him home safe. :001_smile:

[Caitilin]

When my dd5 was just about 2, she wandered out our front door when I was in the middle of a lesson with my older kids. She ended up in the middle of our very quiet street. A neighbor up the street, whom we know well, was driving by and had to stop b/c she had plopped down right in the middle of the street. :001_huh: He saw her, recognized her and delievered her to me. Needless to say, I was a.mess. First, I didn't even realize she had left the house (b/c the door was closed and locked!) and second, she could have easily been run over by somebody less careful. Things like this happen...even to the most careful parents. Not excusing leaving a 2yo outside alone w/out supervision...but perhaps there was more to the story? So glad you found him though and brought him home safe. :001_smile:

:grouphug:

Agree with the bolded. This happened to us last week. So, so scary. And we thought we had our bases covered. It can happen even when you are being careful.

[Gratia271]

For a while I lived in PA on a 180 acre farm on the Delaware River and the next door neighbor had two year old twins who would run out the door naked every chance they got. We used to get on the tractors and go looking for them. :D:D Or the farm hands would call her house, "___, they just took off out the door!" The scary part was the river. It was great when the power went out and we needed to bathe, but it was the first place the little bandits ran.

 

This sounds just like my brother's boys. It's a good thing my brother doesn't sleep much (or deeply!). :D

[CalicoKat]

My 3 yo and 2 yo got a bucket from the garage, turned it over and undid the lock on top of the back fence, and went for a walk on the 45 mph road behind my house last fall. I didn't know they'd even gone since they politely shut the gate behind them. :svengo::svengo:

 

The road is only busy during commuter hours but still.....

 

 

We were searching the house for them and dd 10 noticed the bucket that the gate was unlocked. I wouldn't have even ever thought my 3 yo would have been able to open that lock.

 

Now the lock is a paddlock. And items that can be used as a step stool are up high in the garage.

 

It happens.

[justamouse]

This sounds just like my brother's boys. It's a good thing my brother doesn't sleep much (or deeply!). :D

 

Yup! There's a reason parents of multiples look like who did it and ran!

[5knights3maidens]

How scary! A lady I used to work with ran over a little 2 year old who was wandering around outside and ended up in the road. The child ended up dying. It was horrible for the mother and my co-worker. So very sad.

 

I'm glad you found him and got him safely home.

 

When I was a teenager, I was with my boyfriend and another friend (boy). We were driving down a very busy street (4 lane, evening) and saw a little boy cross over. He got hit and ran over by quite a few cars. We thought he was dead. We were screaming for people and banging on doors of the nearby apt. building. The one door was all ready open with the mom passed out drunk at the table with an almost finished bottle of vodka. The police came etc. The boy was fine! He had a broken arm...that's it. My mom and I went to visit him. His mom was drunk. How he was never taken away from her is beyond me. I always think about him. I had to take some medication to help me through that. It was horrible.

[5knights3maidens]

Even loving moms make mistakes - sometimes really dumb mistakes. Let's not be too quick to judge.

 

I'm not even going to begin listing the times I've screwed up or made idiot judgment calls. :tongue_smilie:

 

It's so unfortunate for children that they have to raised by humans. ;)

 

You are right. I'm hoping she learned from this. I'm so glad it didn't turn out another way.

 

 

My mom called about 5 minutes ago. The police in Phila. found a 3 year old wandering the streets this morning. No one has claimed him, yet. :confused:

[ZeldaRules]

We installed these on our front and back door because our kids would unlock the door and go outside 1/2 naked.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Door-Guardian-Childproofing-Lock-Colors/dp/B004HEMXXM/ref=sr_1_13?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1303167419&sr=1-13

 

I installed them right after a solicitor was at our door - I was outside talking to him (2 toddlers were napping when he got there)...one woke up and came outside without a diaper on. Wait, that is when I put the NO SOLICITING signs up on my door, but shortly after that I installed those. The toddlers can't open them, but my 7YO can. It is also a safety feature. If someone keys your lock and makes it open, they can't open the door if this is in the lock position. They were $20 each at Home Depot.

[RanchGirl]

This woman left her 2 year alone in the front yard, with no supervision other than instructions not to leave the driveway, long enough for him to walk around the block, plus the 5 minutes it took the OP to answer the door? I am all for the benefit of the doubt but I think we certainly can label that as an irresponsible decision!

 

When my oldest was 2, I lost track of him in the house while caring for his newborn baby brother. Within a few minutes I was searching the house for him. I happened to glance out the window, and there was ds, heading toward his father who was mowing the lawn. Later that day we installed child proof locks.

[gardening momma]

That story isn't really like the OPs, but the post made me think of it. Once I did have kids of my own (8 years later), I made sure to put locks HIGH on the doors so they could never let themselves out when they turned two. :001_smile:

 

We have those cheap magnetic door chime alarms on every door in our house. It's not to keep burglars out, but to keep toddlers in.

We used these childsafe door knob covers for years, probably until the youngest was 4. They worked. Neither dd figured them out until they were much older, and even then, it took more hand strength than they had to make them work.

 

We were searching the house for them and dd 10 noticed the bucket that the gate was unlocked. I wouldn't have even ever thought my 3 yo would have been able to open that lock.

 

Now the lock is a paddlock. And items that can be used as a step stool are up high in the garage.

Our backyard gate just had a latch that lifted up (one of those big U shaped ones), so it was easy to unlatch. We put a chain through the gate & fence and put a spring-loaded latch on to connect the ends together. Dh and I can open it, but the kids can't (and it's a bit rusty now, which makes it harder).

[kalanamak]

How scary! A lady I used to work with ran over a little 2 year old who was wandering around outside and ended up in the road. The child ended up dying. It was horrible for the mother and my co-worker. So very sad.

 

 

Yes, accident (car, drowning) are much more likely than a weirdo. Poor little mite, as me mum used to say.

[Melissa in Australia]

My Brother was driving down the highway once, when he spotted a 2-3 year old boy standing on the side of the road . It was in the middle of nowhere. He stopped and picked him up. He was so afraid of someone spotting him and accusing him of child snatching. It was pre mobile phones. He drove him to the nearest town and took him to the police station. He was busy filling out the report when a car pulls up, a man jumps out and runs into the police station. The man was frantic, he had lost his child. Apparently the man had custody of the child for the weekend, and wasn't used of having the child, he stopped on the side of the rode for the child to go pee, then hopped in the car, forgetting that a 2 year old won't just jump in , and drove off. ( I have often wondered if that man's wife left him because of how absent minded he was??).

[Carolina3]

Can't remember where I read it but there was a story of a toddler who snuck out of his house in the early morning(around 3am) because he was hungry. (I think he was 3 or 4). He got in his power wheels car and started driving it down an INTERSTATE. Luckily a police officer saw him and was able to get him home. The little boy said he was going to McDonald's!

[kalphs]

There was something similar happening with a family on our block.

Thankfully it was the grandparents who found the children. :)

[Hwin]

Scary! I want to believe that her "I told you to stay in the driveway" comment was just the result of being enormously flustered.

 

Can't remember where I read it but there was a story of a toddler who snuck out of his house in the early morning(around 3am) because he was hungry. (I think he was 3 or 4). He got in his power wheels car and started driving it down an INTERSTATE. Luckily a police officer saw him and was able to get him home. The little boy said he was going to McDonald's!

 

We knew a little boy who did this - a busy road, but not the interstate. When the police approached him, he thought he was being pulled over for speeding! :lol:

 

(His reaction is funny; not the fact that he was left unsupervised.)