Woman Lets Daughter's Friend Visit Without Meeting Her Parents — Now It's Late & They’re Nowhere To Be Found
Her parents left her outside alone.
Bruna Saito / Pexels Most parents keep a close eye on their little ones, especially in new environments. The norm is for mom and dad to meet everyone present anywhere their precious children will be spending time.
One woman was astonished to find that there are parents out there who don’t supervise and protect their kids as they should.
A woman took to the AIBU (Am-I-Being-Unreasonable) section of Mumsnet to voice her concerns about the lack of parental care for a child who visited her home.
Her daughter brought a friend home but now her parents are nowhere to be found.
She explains that her 11-year-old went out to play earlier in the day and returned home with a girl her age, asking if they could play in her bedroom. Despite having never met the child’s parents, the woman agreed. She reasoned that the girl lived just two blocks away and thought nothing of the request initially.
However, as the day turned into evening, the poster offered to walk the young lady home soon. She needed to get her own daughter prepared for school the next day. To her bewilderment, the girl informed her, “Oh, my mum & dad won’t be home till 9:45. I can’t get in till then.”
By her own admission, the woman was “totally shocked.” Now the little girl would have to stay at her home until time bedtime when her parents returned. She realized that if the kid hadn’t come over her house to play, she’d be outside on the street alone until 9:45 pm. She hasn’t visibly shown her disappointment to the child and explains “Something similar happened to me once as a child.”
“The parents of my friend made it very clear they were furious, and I felt so awkward and unwanted, so I’ve made them a hot chocolate and put Netflix on for them.” Still, she explains that the fact parents would leave the responsibility for their child on complete strangers is infuriating. Now she is asking if she is being unreasonable.
Many readers shot back questions. One person asked, “Do you think she had a key but has lost it? It would be so odd for the parents to lock her out. Does she have a phone?”
Another wanted to take more drastic approach, advising, “At 11 this is terrible. Contact 111 (the number for emergency services in the UK) and report this. They have effectively abandoned their child without even any way of getting back into their own home.”
The woman was clearly seen as not being unreasonable, but readers wonder how in the world anyone could leave a child that age on the streets to fend for themselves. An insightful reader wrote, “The thing is, it sounds like they’re not expecting any adult to take responsibility for her. They were happy for her to stay out on the street.”
“It’s good that you have shown her kindness and made her feel welcome. You have no idea what her home life is like as they are clearly negligent parents.”
This mom’s story underscores the importance of nurturing a collective sense of responsibility toward our children, not only as parents but as a community. In an age where our lives often feel like a whirlwind of busyness, lit becomes even more important to reflect on the value of empathy and kindness. Each child we encounter may carry a unique story, and we have the power to make a positive impact by offering our understanding and support.
While we can't control the choices of others, we can choose to create an environment of safety and care for our children, and by extension, the children around us. Compassion and vigilance can be threads that weave a brighter and more nurturing future for the next generation.
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.