What are your thoughts?

I know this is a bit off topic but I also have a 5 year old , and some of the parents in my neighbourhood leave their 3,4,and 5 year olds play on the streets .
The one day there was a 3 year old driving her tri-cycle on the road . When the parent was comfronted all she said was "Oh ya she like to drive on the pavement"
I live in a town with a population of about 500 people and I still didn't leave my oldest lad drive his bike on the road until he was 10 .
My 5 year old doesn't even play outside unless my husband or myself is there .
It really angers me how SOME parents just don't give a darn about the safety of their children .

My friend has three boys ages 5, 3, & 3 mos. She lets the two older boys play outside un-supervised. They are all the time playing in the road, which isn't busy. I tell her all the time that it's not right. Even if the road isn't busy, they will think they can play in the road like that all the time.
About a year and a half ago, she put the boys down for a late nap and then went to sleep. When she woke up she couldn't find them anywhere. The entire neighborhood was out looking for them. Finally after 30 minutes of looking, she decided to call the police. Come to find out, the boys had been picked up about an hour and a half before she called. They were found about a mile away walking down the road. It was the middle of winter and neither one had shoes on. The youngest was only wearing a diaper. It's absolutely infuriating.
She didn't get the boys taken away from her or anything. But they wouldn't let her take them home unless someone else was there to supervise.
So I went over there and stayed. And you know she didn't even have the common sense to talk to the boys about what they did and why it was wrong. (The boys were all geared up to do it again because the police officers gave them candy and turned the lights on the police car)
So after she left to get new locks for the door (since her parenting skills weren't enough to teach her kids not to go outside). I sat the kids down and told them the dangers of being outside after dark without adult supervision. By the time she got back, they had changed their tune about running off again....
All it took was a little communication!

^ Holly that is truly shocking, but I think that all parents need is a book to show "How to parent and what not to do"

I am disgusted but I don't think these parents know about the children's innate curiosity.

What is sad that parents do not know what their kids are capable of.

Yeah, I agree about parents not realizing a child's curiosity. That's very true.

I think alot of parent's don't realize that children (even at a young age) are capable of carrying on a conversation. Most of the time, you can talk to a child and explain the rights and wrongs of a situation. Parent's just think that since the child is young, they won't grasp what your saying.

Before handing that guy his kid back, if they decide to do that, they need to make sure that he wouldn't ever do anthing like that again! Lots of classes, fines, he might need to get sobbered up as well (if he drinks), and surpivisoin for a while. People can change, but this guy shouldn't be able to watch any kids if he's going to do some thing completly mindless like that.

Well, the father should have at least hired a nanny if he HAD to go into the club.
If he repeats it, then it could be a good idea to interve, after all, irresponsable parents can easily get their children killed.

//Truest Lies//

Ok, now I dont have kids... well not in the sense that I've had them personally but my girlfriend does and they are in their late teens, but she still wants to know where they're going and what time they're due back.

I often get roped into looking after other peoples offspring. A lot of parenting seems to be basic common sense, things like, teaching your kids not to play in the street or go out without a parent/adult. Maybe what the world is facing is the death of common sense resulting in bad parenting?

some parents are sick.