Mother lets three year old stray around neighborhood

Vanity ^ | March 24, 2009 | Vanity

[Judith Anne]

My daughter and her husband have three children, a 13 yo girl, a 9 yo girl, and a 2 yo boy. They've lived in their neighborhood for 9 years, moved in shortly after the second daughter was born.

They have a problem: There's a new family in the neighborhood with an 11 yo boy and a 3 yo boy. The 11 yo is supposed to babysit his 3 yo brother (which might be okay if he was responsible) but it turns out the neighbor's 3 yo comes over to my daughter's house to play with her kids, and no one knows where this neighbor child is, in his family.

The parents never come for their kid, nor does his 11 yo brother. I told my daughter that was too big a risk, that her kids weren't unpaid babysitters, that there was a liability issue if my daughter's dog (little Bichon) bit the 3 yo neighbor kid, kid could wander off etc.

My daughter has taken the child home to his brother and said, "He can't come play at my house," and has called the mom to say the same thing. My granddaughters are told to report if the child comes to play in their yard, on their swings, etc. because of the "attractive nuisance" and homeowner liability issues.

I hate to be paranoid, but I can just see my daughter and her husband getting sued for millions if their unwatched little 3 yo wanders over and gets hurt.

Am I out of line? SIL and daughter have taken my advice, but I'm wondering what FREEPERS say.

[I Buried My Guns]

If all parents were FR patrents, America would be a better place. I hope that when I pop out my offspring, I am as attentive as you all.

[Travis T. OJustice]

The most important thing is to find someone you love, and can basically agree with on how to raise kids, and back each other up to present an unwavering, unified front.

I screwed that part up. Thankfully, 75% of my kids are doing great. I’m working like crazy on the remaining 25%.

[I Buried My Guns]

Currently training my wife to come to an agreement as to how we'll raise our kids. Turns out, HER mother let one of her then 4-yr-old kids alone and he walked 2 miles to the local school. CPS was not called, luckily.

My wife will not be repeating that parenting behavior.

[Marie2]

Sorry if I misunderstood your post.