Kids stuck out in the cold! UPDATE (post 27)

[Marseeya]

My DS15 has a friend who lives in another town about 10 miles away. I took him and another boy there earlier this afternoon and asked what time he'd want to be picked up (a mini rant, but it seems as if DH and I are the only parents available to give any of these kids rides... in fact, we give some of them rides even when DS isn't with us because we don't want them out after dark walking!) and he said around 9, which was cool with me.

Around 7:00, DH, DD and I went out to eat and just as we sat down with our drinks, DS called and asked for us to come get him. It turned out that the mother of his friend had to go somewhere, so she sent the boys out in 9 degree weather to fend for themselves until we could come get them!!! They had to walk about half a mile to a gas station to wait for us, and even then the clerks wouldn't let them stay inside the store the whole time. It was 9 degrees out! And neither boy had on their winter coats because they thought they'd just be going from the car to the house!

What is wrong with people? I sure wouldn't do that to any of their kids.

Rant over.

 

[Twinkles6892]

That's awful, you definately have a right to be mad!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

That is awful. I am glad your son can count on you. Did the other mom leave her son out too? I don't know what some people are thinking.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I think that I would call the mother asking for clarification, knowing that she wouldn't have wanted them standing out the cold waiting for you. Let her squirm thinking up an answer! What if they hadn't gotten ahold of you or you couldn't come right away? Geez, nice of her!

 

[Marseeya]

That is awful. I am glad your son can count on you. Did the other mom leave her son out too? I don't know what some people are thinking.

The kid they were visiting was a girl. We've given her quite a few rides home when she's wanted to hang out in town, and I know another friend of mine who's given her rides as well.

The boy we took... I don't even know about his parents. They're never available to give him rides to or from anywhere and I just don't get that. I'm of the opinion that if you're letting your kid go somewhere, you need to be somewhere close enough to be able to get them if they need it, know what I mean?

 

[Mercy]

I'd be PO'd also if someone left my kid out in the cold. That is awful, like someone else said, what if your son hadn't gotten hold of you?

My DH and I feel like you also, in that WE are always the parents that drive everyone everywhere! I don't know what is wrong with some parents, why they can't chip in.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I can't believe she did that! I'd be on fire!

I'd tell DS that's the last time he's going over there. I'd let him know it isn't his fault. The mom is a fruitcake! Can't be trusted. Has bad judgement. Party's over. (I would allow the woman's DD to come over though, maybe. If she was on the up and up.)

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wow!!! Unbelievable!!!

But, what do you mean 'sent the boy's out'???

Why couldn't they have simply stayed right where they were?
Could they not have called you from right there at the house?
Do none of the kids have cell phones?

When you dropped them off, did you feel comfortable that they were invited/welcomed???

HHHmmmm????

 

[MAKmom]

I think that I would call the mother asking for clarification, knowing that she wouldn't have wanted them standing out the cold waiting for you. Let her squirm thinking up an answer! What if they hadn't gotten ahold of you or you couldn't come right away? Geez, nice of her!

I agree.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Thanks for straightening me out. I was confused. Still, she shouldn't have left them out without making sure you could get them.

 

[Marseeya]

Wow!!! Unbelievable!!!

But, what do you mean 'sent the boy's out'???

Why couldn't they have simply stayed right where they were?
Could they not have called you from right there at the house?

When you dropped them off, did you feel comfortable that they were invited/welcomed???

HHHmmmm????

Yes, they were invited -- the mother always seems to enjoy having the kids over. But then after they'd been there most of the afternoon, she said she had to go to the grocery store and she just took her DD and left -- the boys couldn't very well stay at the house alone (understandably), but she could have waited the 15 minutes it took us to come get them.

You know what's weird, is I worried about something like that happening and wondered how I'd react to it if it did! I don't know why I even worried about it, because she's never given me reason to feel that way.

 

[Wishing on a star]

WOW again!!!!

Sounds very very strange....

I still think there may have been some other things going on????

And, you are right.
I would be LIVID!!!!

 

[Marseeya]

WOW again!!!!

Sounds very very strange....

I still think there may have been some other things going on????

And, you are right.
I would be LIVID!!!!

I'm going to try to find out if maybe the boys did something or were making pests out of themselves -- that's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

However, it's no excuse. Short of murder, there's no reason to send kids out in that kind of weather.

 

[ADisneygirl]

In my opinion, once they were at her house visiting, they became her responsibility to care for. Yes, 15 year old boys don't need babysitting per se, but they need to have general safety issues met. How dare she decide to go off to the grocery store and leave them outside! What exactly was she thinking? I don't think she was thinking. And what could she have needed so desperately from the grocery store that couldn't wait until the guests in her house were picked up?

I know I wouldn't let my kid go back there. Sorry, but lack of judgement and common decency towards my children are unacceptable to me the first time you do it. I wouldn't take another chance. Who knows what else she has no common sense about?

 

[momof2inPA]

It doesn't sound like the girl's mom really wants those boys visiting her daughter. Before you send your son to one of these friend's houses, I might check with their parents to see how long they can stay. There's no excuse for sending kids out in this cold weather, though, and where do you live? I can't believe the gas station guy kicked them out when they said they were waiting for their mom, but maybe he didn't trust them. All I know is, it's cold here tonight, in SW PA.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Why didn't she offer to bring the boys home? Seems reasonable since she needed to leave before they had been picked up.

 

[Marseeya]

Why didn't she offer to bring the boys home? Seems reasonable since she needed to leave before they had been picked up.

When she went shopping, she went to a different town about 10 miles in the opposite direction. But you know, if the situations were reversed, I still would have gotten those kids home!

In general, it seems the parents of MOST of these teens just leave them to their own devices when it comes to getting around town. Granted we live in a small, relatively safe town, but I don't care. You just can't be too careful, and they're only young for such a short amount of time.

 

[Marseeya]

It doesn't sound like the girl's mom really wants those boys visiting her daughter. Before you send your son to one of these friend's houses, I might check with their parents to see how long they can stay. There's no excuse for sending kids out in this cold weather, though, and where do you live? I can't believe the gas station guy kicked them out when they said they were waiting for their mom, but maybe he didn't trust them. All I know is, it's cold here tonight, in SW PA.

I don't entirely blame the gas station. The boys are kind of scary looking (think skateboard clothes). They may or may not have even told the clerk they were waiting for a ride.

Did you get snow this morning? We woke up to about 1-2" of it. I didn't expect it at all!

 

[momof2inPA]

Did you get snow this morning? We woke up to about 1-2" of it. I didn't expect it at all!

Just a dusting. The weather is so hit and miss here. A few miles away may have gotten the same as you.

 

[MoniqueU]

What a strange thing to do to other peoples children. I don't think I would wan't my kids walking a half a mile anywhere to a gas station to make a call even in good weather.