Monday, May 2, 2011

Stranger Danger

Would you leave your kid with a stranger? I don't mean a stranger in the sense of a care provider or teacher, but someone you literally don't know.

Tonight, I dropped my biggest boy off at his Cubs group and went to drive my middle man to his Beaver group only to find the group wasn't there. There's been slight communication issues at times and that's a whole other gripe, but beyond that location, I didn't know where to look for them.

I voted. The school where the Beavers group usually meets was hosting a polling station (likely why the Beavers were not there). I hadn't known where I was supposed to vote so I checked & sure enough this was the place. I figured since I was there...

My middle man was sad. There he was in his green sweat pants, his blue beaver shirt, his beaver vest with his decorated beaver tail pinned on the back. Add some little coke-bottle glasses and I think my son is adorable. But when he realized voting was the only thing happening at this place and his group was nowhere to be found, he wrenched up his face and cried.

So, the classic pick-me up for a 5 year old - I said let's go to McDonalds and you can play on the play thing while we wait to pick up your brother. Instant smile - of course. I had an ice coffee so instant smile for me too!

While there, he started playing with a cutie little blond named "Tatie" (Katie, I believe). She was there with 2 teens (16 maybe?).

After awhile, the teens started to walk out and the guy asks me "Excuse me, do you mind watching my baby sister for a few minutes?" I'm surprised, but what do you say except "Sure, not a problem".

5 minutes later they return. I assumed perhaps they had a smoke break just outside the restaurant.

A few minutes later they are at the door again. This time they don't say anything to me, they just tell Katie they are going to check on the kitty and did she want to come or stay. She wanted to stay so they left. I check my watch 7:45.

5 minutes pass, then 10 and at 15 minutes, I'm now standing up, scanning the parking lot thinking how furious I'd be if my teen left my baby with an absolute stranger. Of course I was there reading my book on human trafficking in Canada. Not a fantastic image.

My parking lot scan finally saw the couple making their way back from wayyyyy across the lot (McD's shares with a few big box stores). They return and it's time for us to go.

Wow! All I can say was they lucked out. I could have been anyone really. I could have escorted that cute little blond to my van and driven away.

How trusting would you be? Do you trust yourself to judge a book by its cover? Me being the figurative book here. Do you think you could trust someone based on their appearance? What would you have done in my shoes?

3 comments:

  1. oh my goodness...I could never leave my kids with a stranger. I would have watched her just like you did.

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  2. Wow! What a story! If it had been me, I probably would have said something to them. I mean, you agreed the first time, which was 5 min. The second time, 15 min was too long.

    Anyway, thank you for the follow from the blog hop. Stopping by to follow back and say hey

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  3. I would have said something, too. And after the 5 minute absence.

    Call me paranoid, but children are whisked away in 30 seconds.

    They are fortunate that they chose you.

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