Mom Finds 8-Year-Old Boy She's Never Met Playing With Her Son — 'It's Been 5 Hours & No Adult Is Looking For Him'
"The parenting books didn't prep me for this."
VGstockstudio / Shutterstock A mother on TikTok sought advice after facing a dilemma that “no parenting books” could have prepared her for. She received a variety of answers and advice, with some parents believing that there was an easy solution and others being just as perplexed as she was.
It all started when an eight-year-old boy, whom the mom has never seen or met before, came over to play with her son.
After several hours, no parent or guardian came by looking for him, concerning the mother, and left her wondering how she should handle the situation.
The mother asked other TikTok users what she should do about the boy who showed up at her house for hours and received no word from a parent or guardian.
In a TikTok video that was privated after being viewed more than 100,000 times, the mother opened the floor to advice from other parents regarding the situation.
“My kid was outside, another kid was outside walking somewhere, and then they stopped and started playing together,” she said. The kids eventually went to play inside the woman’s home.
While she describes the little boy she just met as “very respectful and kind,” she grew concerned after five hours had passed and no parent or guardian of the boy came by to check on him or pick him up.
“I don’t know this kid, I don’t know his mom, I don’t know where he lives,” the mother says. “He’s eight... I haven’t seen one adult drive by or walking.”
Although the boy informed the woman that he had a curfew of 6:30 in the evening, she was unsure how to get him back home. “Do I walk him home at 6:30 so I can meet the parent and introduce myself, or do I just let him go or do I call someone?”
The woman adds that she knows that the boy is “well taken care of” based on his clothing and appearance, but is unaware if his parents know of their son’s whereabouts.
Some people believe it was strange that the boy’s parents did not come looking for him, and pointed out that they may not be concerned about him at all.
“Speaking as a teacher, his parents probably have no idea where he is nor are they concerned,” one TikTok user commented.
“I did this growing up but things are vastly different now. I would want to meet the parents,” another user shared.
“That is wild. My son is seven and a half and I’m like, ‘Don’t leave our cul-de-sac.’ I’m an ‘elder’ millennial mom and I’m very chill. But I will know where he is,” another parent revealed.
However, other users assured the worried mother that the boy’s parents most likely knew he was fine and was playing with a new friend.
“This is pretty much how Gen X made friends in the wild and the parents were never too worried,” one user pointed out.
“He’s eight, respectful, good judge of character. He’s probably been through some stuff. Let him know he can come by if he needs anything,” another user suggested.
The mother revealed that she wound up walking the boy home and meeting his parents, who were not concerned about his whereabouts.
In a follow-up video, the mother shares that she walked the boy home after considering for a while if she should just send him on his way with a note containing all of her contact information for his parents.
“He was with me for six and half hours,” she says. “That’s a long time for a kid to be away from home. Personally, I would have been calling the police if that was my child.”
However, the boy's parents felt completely different. “They were not concerned in the slightest,” the mother claims. “That was wild to me.”
The mother informed the parents that their son was welcomed back to her house anytime, now knowing what to expect from them the next time he comes over.
Megan Quinn is a writer and frequent contributor at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.