Woman Questions Whether It's Appropriate To Buy A Baseball Bat For A Random Unsupervised Little Girl At The Park
She wanders around by herself every day.
Altanaka/Dragan Grkic - Shutterstock A good person can’t stand to see a neglected child in need. It’s totally normal to want to help them and keep them safe. You might even think about tracking down their parents to find out exactly what is going on in the little person’s life.
One woman found herself in this situation, shocked to find a little girl wandering around unsupervised at the park.
After forming a bond with the girl, the woman wondered if she'd be overstepping by doing something nice for her.
A TikToker named Sydney shared her experience meeting a young girl at the park and the concerns that the encounter raised. She asked viewers for advice on what she should do in the situation.
She started her first video by saying, “I need to know if it’s okay to buy a little girl a baseball bat and leave it in the field for her.”
As she and her dogs played at the baseball field, a young girl around ten years old approached. At first, she assumed the girl was just passing by, but it soon became apparent that she was making a beeline for Sydney and her dogs. After jumping a fence very ceremoniously, the little lady asked what the woman thought of her dismount, which opened up communication and the two became the most unlikely of friends.
She asked probing questions to make sure the little girl was okay.
“To me, this is not normal behavior for a child,” Sydney explained, referencing the girl’s openness to socializing with adult strangers. She learned that the child loved going to school because she got to eat regular meals there. She also found out that the girl, who she called “Rosie” lived with her mother, stepfather, and three of his children. Sydney was sad because, to her, the girl was lonely and possibly neglected.
It came out that coming to the park in the evening was somewhat of a ritual for the young lady. She likes dogs, so looked for dog owners to hang out with. During the half-hour conversation the pair had, Sydney warned her about the dangers of interacting with adults and gave her some tips like “never help an adult alone,” no matter the circumstances.
During the conversation, while tossing a ball for Sydney’s dogs, she noticed that Rosie could through far and asked if she had played softball, she hadn’t but wanted to and longed for her very own metal baseball bat. “I’m not trying to say she’s a prodigy, but I played softball in fifth grade. She’s better than I was as a fifth grader.
She decided she wanted to get her baseball accessories like a bat, gloves, helmet, and her own balls.
She also considered the added benefit of a ten-year-old girl who was allowed to wander around solo owning a metal bat to defend herself and decided it might be a good idea. Sydney could relate to Rosie’s lonesome upbringing which wanted her to have some kind of protection to lessen the possibilities of something happening to her.
She was seeking advice as to whether or not it was appropriate for her to buy a child that she didn’t really know a gift. Viewers offered a ton of suggestions, telling Sydney to stay connected to the child and giving creative ways to gift the baseball bat. But most were concerned about the girl’s well-being and thanked the woman for being kind to her.
Sydney started to refer to Rosie as her 'park child.'
She provided an update for concerned commenters, saying she had visited the park again and ran into Rosie. The girl was super happy to see her and showed off her cartwheel form as Sydney cheered her.
Though she hadn’t picked up the bat and accessories she’d planned to buy yet, she wanted to check on the young lady’s safety. When they chatted, she reiterated the warnings she’d given Rosie about conversing with adults she didn’t know.
As they casually talked, Sydney noticed Rosie was wearing the same shorts she’d had on the day before. What stood out was that they were unbuttoned and unzipped. When she inquired about why, Rosie said, it was “harder to play” with them fastened. Now, a pair of biker shorts have been added to the list of items to pick up for the girl.
She’s considering sending a note home with the child for her parents, explaining why she gifted her the items. Still, Sydney struggles with exactly what to say. “I don’t want to alarm them, but I do want to alarm them,” she explained. She also had concerns about losing her access to keep an eye on the girl, so will seek her parents’ permission to play with her at the park.
There are steps you can take if you feel a child is being neglected.
If you happen to run into a kid who is unsupervised and seems to be neglected, the first thing to do is contact the parents so you can get a real feel for what is going on. If you are uncomfortable with asking the child where they live you can call 9-1-1 to report a possible endangered child.
It’s hard to determine whether or not a child is being neglected or mistreated, but you should always err on the side of caution. If your intuition makes you feel like something just isn’t right, you should trust your gut and make that call that just might save them from a predator.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.