Parents of the Year Part 274578926213

[Food Lady]

So I was cashiering when this 10-yr-old girl came to my register on the verge of tears, which spilled as she told me her friends just ditched her. I walked her to the service desk intending to call the MOD or page someone, trying to think just what to do. She wanted to call her mom, who I figured was maybe in the mall somewhere. She called & got voicemail. I asked some questions and found that one of the other girls was her sister. So I paged her sister overhead. The other girls came up with smug looks, and not one was more than 13. The young one was crying and saying, "You guys know I'm only 10." I come to find out NONE of the parents were there. These were girls under 14, and not too long ago a 13-year-old girl that was assaulted after being followed around OUR store. It was all over the news, the 10-yr-old in question mentioned it, and these "parents" had left their kids alone at the mall. I'm still scared and angry.

[Mytical]

Wait, what? 13 year old girls in a mall I can understand, even a 10 year old. Without any supervision whatsoever? That is just wrong. I know that teens love the mall, and parents will let them go do things there, but I just can't understand not being at least somewhere close. I don't care if it is the food court, but dang if I wouldn't be close by SOMEWHERE, and make sure they know where to find me if ANYTHING happens...

[LillFilly]

At my mall kids that young bike here themselves. That's pretty scary too!

[trunks2k]

meh. 13/14 year olds being unsupervised, even while being in charge of a 10 year old, doesn't really phase me much. Especially if they were in a group.

When I was 13/14 I often got put in charge of younger cousins and we were just kinda sent on our merry way. Especially on vacation. A friend, a neighbor and her friend and I usually had to look after a much younger cousin or two. We'd wander all over town, go to the movies, play on the beach, etc. We were always well behaved and responsible.

[Amina516]

meh. 13/14 year olds being unsupervised, even while being in charge of a 10 year old, doesn't really phase me much. Especially if they were in a group.

That would be the case...but only sometimes. I was also a responsible 14 year old. However, this group were not responsible enough to have a 10 yr old in their care...they left her and she freaked. It almost seems like they did it on purpose.

Not cool. I wouldve been tempted to call someone for that 10 yr old. None of them should have been alone

[tropicsgoddess]

Not cool...at. all.

[MoonCat]

A lot of people seem to think malls are daycare centers for teens and pre-teens.

There's a mall here that has a rule during the school year: No one under 17 allowed in without a parent or guardian. I don't know why they don't have the same rule during the summer, because that's when the kids are even more likely to spend all day hanging out at the mall.

Everybody screamed and griped when the policy was first implemented, claiming the mall was going to go out of business, they'd boycott the stores, etc. What actually happened was that business increased, because the people who had been avoiding the mall, due to unruly kids, starting shopping there again.

[Whiskey]

I feel so bad everytime I see parents drinking in the car with infants in the back seat.

We're so damn jaded at this point its not even "call the police" but "was the kid at least in a car seat?"

People are so.. careless with precious things.

[EvilEmpryss]

There's a mall here that has a rule during the school year: No one under 17 allowed in without a parent or guardian. I don't know why they don't have the same rule during the summer, because that's when the kids are even more likely to spend all day hanging out at the mall.

If kids under 17 are out at a mall during the day during the school year, they're truant, and that's a different problem. You can't expect all the lousy parents who already believe schools are nothing more than state-funded daycare centers to pay for supervision during the summer when the parents are (presumably) working, though, so trying to keep students out of the malls during the summer is not likely to work.

A mall near my town also implemented an under-17 ban recently. Had the same outcry about "never going to shop there again". . . and I believe sales are up there, too. The biggest problem with sucky customers is that they lie. Just once I'd like to see them actually follow through on the promise to never shop at the "offending" store again.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A lot of people seem to think malls are daycare centers for teens and pre-teens.

There's a mall here that has a rule during the school year: No one under 17 allowed in without a parent or guardian. I don't know why they don't have the same rule during the summer, because that's when the kids are even more likely to spend all day hanging out at the mall.

Everybody screamed and griped when the policy was first implemented, claiming the mall was going to go out of business, they'd boycott the stores, etc. What actually happened was that business increased, because the people who had been avoiding the mall, due to unruly kids, starting shopping there again.

A mall near my town also implemented an under-17 ban recently. Had the same outcry about "never going to shop there again". . . and I believe sales are up there, too. The biggest problem with sucky customers is that they lie. Just once I'd like to see them actually follow through on the promise to never shop at the "offending" store again.

IMO, I think the mall management companies who enact these rules know that they're not going to be hurting for business once those rules go into effect.

And they shouldn't. Kids loitering and wandering around all day aren't going to be spending much, if any money. But people who might be scared off by roaming gangs of kids do spend money.

A mall I go to every so often has this same policy. They had some pretty incredible fights and stuff going on, so having that policy was probably a matter of protecting their business.

[elsporko]

I think at 13/14 a kid can go out alone especially in a group. If they ditched the ten year old on purpose then that is definitely an issue I hope the parent brings up with the kid.

Around here kids in the single digits will sell berries out by the side of the road, no adult supervision. There has never been an issue I've heard of with it. It depends on the kid and the area how young they can go out alone.

[searssoulslave]

When I was about that age I was left to my own devices unsupervised quiet often. I remember distinctly spending a whole day at the mall with or without friends. I'm only 25 so it wasn't that long ago. I DID live in Idaho in a small city so I think that may have lead my parents into a false sense of security. Who knows? Personally, I think I'm going to stalk my son until he's 18 just to make sure nothing happens.

[Kristev]

13 is usually responsible enough to go out by themselves. You can't keep children infants forever.

But her letting her 10 year old sister out of her sight is just unthinkable.

[bainsidhe]

Just once I'd like to see them actually follow through on the promise to never shop at the "offending" store again.

As IPF pointed out, that's assuming the offending youths are bringing any money to the mall to begin with. Which is kinda sad really, since kids these days seem to have more flexible income than I do.

[Food Lady]

13 is usually responsible enough to go out by themselves.

Not always. That assault victim was 13, and had a friend with her.