Sunday

Saxon Woods Playground, Harrison/Mamaroneck, NY

Received Sunday, October 15, 2006
An autistic pre-teen boy possibly named Chase and a blond European au pair. I saw this happen about three months ago and I tried to contact the family through various avenues. A boy around 9-14 years old was in this playground off by himself. He was shoving huge handfuls of wood chips which had been sitting in stagnant water in a fountain into his mouth. I told him to stop, that he would get sick. He made a sound and walked a bit away. I asked where his parents were and he ignored me. He then started spinning then sat down and ate more dry wood chips from the ground. I looked and asked for his care-giver; no one knew who was responsible for him. I asked everyone except a blond girl sunning at the opposite end of the park, wearing a white tube top or tank top with those clear plastic bra straps showing. She was petite and tan. I found a park ranger who took the boy's arm and walked him around the park until the girl of about 19 came forward and spoke to him harshly. A bit later I had to take my little kids to the bathroom and when we came out I passed her. I spoke to her and she was so rude when I asked her what had happened and said she had looked away for a second and he was always getting into trouble. I asked her for the boy's parents number, she refused. I asked her name, the au pair agency, but she refused. I told her I would call 911 and she insisted that they wouldn't do anything to her. I was explaining that abuse and neglect was a crime, and I demanded to know her name and the boy's name. She said the boy's name was Chase. She told me her name and I have forgotten it - but it would come back. Then someone screamed - my own 4 year old had fallen off a slide and was very upset and I went running towards her and that was it (irony not lost on me). I tried to reach the family through the autism agencies and my momentum got slowed by various obstacles. I'll never get the image out of my mind.

8 comments:

  1. Maybe if you werent so preoccupied with playing "park busybody" your own child wouldn't have fallen off the slide. Do children fall? Of course, all the time, so I'm not saying you're a bad mother because of that, but it is absolutely ridiculous of you to admonish someone's child caretaking skills when apparently you would rather spend time accosting other people than playing and supervising your OWN child.

    PS...Kids tend to eat things too. Things they're not supposed to...get over it.

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  2. Wow- who let the negligent nanny loose on the board? She sounds like a bully trying to scare people into submission so that she may abuse and endanger at will!
    You're never a busy body when you stand up for a child. The problem with the world is ignorant people like the person above.

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  3. attention first poster,
    do you lack reading comprehension skills? You sounds soooooooooo stupid. What is your iq? 12? Is your name Rebecca by any chance?

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  4. "would rather spend time"
    I don't think anyone would rather spend (sic their) time watching other people's children, although I do have much admiration and tremendous respect for those people who observe children in harm or children being mistreated and who have the ganas to do or say something about it.

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  5. I advise that you follow the negligent nanny home, get the address, contact the parents, report what you see to Job and Family Services if they don't care. Standing up for children is admirable!

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  6. This is the first real instance of abuse/neglect I have read on this board. Sure, kids can wander away from you, it gives them a sense of independance and exploration, but you have to keep a bead on them, and make sure they dont get into something bad. Like eating moldy wood chips. I imagine the local docs would notice them coming OUT of the kid, if you really wanted to follow up.

    Little MS. 'get over it' nanny-you have no business working as a child care provider. Sure, people make mistakes, but smart people own up to them, and sincerely feel bad when their charges get hurt because of it. And change their patterns.

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  7. Who are you to judge what constitutes neglect and what doesn't? NO ONE. Please don't pretend just because your standards are low that it is okay for other people's children to be emotionally and verbally abused or neglected.

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  8. Het First Poster.......you have the nerve to call someone stupid!? Have you looked at your post "You sounds so stupid." I pray you do not work with children.

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