Milk, bread, coffee,

[Gob]

pizza, burgers, I'm sure we've forgotten something.....

County authorities say parents didn’t realize they left their 3-year-old daughter at a Chuck E. Cheese’s until watching the 11 p.m. news.

The manager of the restaurant told the sheriff’s office that Harmony came up to one of the employees shortly after 8 p.m. saying she was thirsty. The little girl was with a group of 14 people, including her mom and dad who are separated, earlier in the day.

The manager called authorities after being unable to find the group she was with and deputies waited until 9:30 p.m. when they brought her back to the precinct and contacted Child Protective Services. The sheriff’s office also contacted local media outlets to try to locate the child’s parents.

After the story aired, the sheriff’s office received several phone calls, including from Harmony’s mother and father. Both stated that they thought Harmony left with other family members during the party.

Child Protective Services released Harmony back to her mother after authorities determined it was an accident. No charged are expected to be filed.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/03/ ... hing-news/

[dales]

It could've been worse....

[loCAtek]

Happened to me, and my brother. ...not at Chuckie Cheese, that didn't exist then.

At two different times, he was left at KFC, and I was left further away in Monterey .

La familia immediately went back for my brother; I had to wait a few hours at the police station, after flagging the cops down for a blanket, in the street.

[Jarlaxle]

The little girl was with a group of 14 people, including her mom and dad who are separated, earlier in the day.

Each thought the other parent had Harmony...probably not all that hard to do, especially with a dozen other children.

[BoSoxGal]

Fourteen people including adults, was my understanding. That's not a huge crowd.

I'm sorry, but I really don't 'get' forgetting a kid. I never will 'get' how that happens.

[Rick]

People get forgotten in the ocean where no humans exist naturally...

[Lord Jim]

As as veteran of many trips to Chuck E. Cheese, I can sort of see how this might happen given these circumstances...

One of the good things about Chuck E. Cheese, (okay the only good thing...no wait a minute; there's another good thing...they serve beer) is that they have very strict control about who goes in and who goes out. No adult is allowed in the restaurant who is not accompanied by a child, (you get a stamp like at a club, in case you want to go out for a smoke, need to get something from the car, etc.) and no small children are allowed to leave unless accompanied by an adult. At the two I've been to, the employees are very good about policing these rules. (If you have adults coming to join a group that don't have children with them, they make an announcement over the PA and then you can let them know that they are with you.)

This is a great policy but one of the things it does, is that it creates a sense of security about letting kids sort of wander around without adults with them. What probably happened here is that the little went off with some that were a little older and in the maze of video game distractions got separated. (The little one may have made friends with some other kids that weren't with her group and hung around with them)

And with that many people it's easy to see how they could assume that the kid was with someone else. It's also easy to see how, if you have two parents that don't live together but who are on good enough terms that they are casual about who the kids go home with, in this situation each could assume the child is with the other.

That having been said, it seems to me that the last parent to leave should have made a quick call to the other one, just to double check (especially with a child that young.)

[BoSoxGal]

False sense of security, indeed.

Remember the teenaged psychopath who raped and murdered a young girl in the bathroom of a casino in California a few years back?

I don't care if it's Chuck E Cheese; psychopaths could be there. I babysat birthday parties there, so the parents could enjoy their beers. I managed to keep my eyes on 10 kids when I was 15, only asking for help once.

What passes for parenting anymore boggles my mind.

[Sean]

I don't think that this can be classed as forgetfulness at all. As Jim said, each parent made a wrong assumption. I bet they won't do it again!
Not only that but from the story it seems that the parents' belief was that the kid left with other "family members". It's quite possible that this had been prearranged and that other family members are at fault for forgetting the child.

Either way, I think to automatically class this as bad parenting is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction.

[Rick]

It is a learn from situation.

Next time make one person responsible for a head count, before anyone leaves.

No assumptions...

[Timster]

Is this where I chime in about being the father of FIVE and have never lost a kid? . . . .

Yeah, shit happens. But I KNOW where my babies are at all times! Assumptions on this point are not acceptable. Fuck that~

[dales]

As as veteran of many trips to Chuck E. Cheese....

Let me extend my deepest sympathies.

I've never set foot in one and never plan to.

[Timster]

True dat Dales! I also would never subject my babies to such crass commercialism....

[Rick]

Is this where I chime in about being the father of FIVE and have never lost a kid? . . . .

Yeah, shit happens. But I KNOW where my babies are at all times! Assumptions on this point are not acceptable. Fuck that~

I've never fathered any children of my own yet have never misplaced one in my charge either.

That don't mean it don't happen...

Had 1 to many don'ts in there, 3 was a crowd...

[Lord Jim]

I also would never subject my babies to such crass commercialism....

Well, I have this notion that every now and then you ought to take kids where they want to go, and do things they want to do...

Yeah I know, what can I say? I'm just a regular hippie parent....

[dales]

I can't recall my children ever wanting to go to Chuck Some Cheese for their b'day.

An exciting day at the museum was on their to do list.

[BoSoxGal]

Ok, I'm going to overlook that this thread is in Laffs, because I think this subject is worthy of some debate and here's a prompt:

Read this:

Parents arrested after toddler found wandering streets in freezing temperatures without a coat or even SHOES on
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 00:15 EST, 12 March 2012 | UPDATED: 00:15 EST, 12 March 2012

A couple was thrown behind bars this weekend after their two-year-old son was found wandering alone in the cold without shoes or a jacket.

It was about 30 degrees on Saturday when the boy was found wearing just a pair of socks on his feet about a block away from his Brooklyn, New York, home.

The child, who was not identified, was found by stunned neighbours, who described the child as 'petrified' and trembling from the cold.

Left in the cold: It was about 30 degrees when the unidentified boy was found wearing just a pair of socks on his feet near his home

The vigilant residents rushed to get him into warmer clothes - including duck slippers for his feet.

'We gave him my son's slippers and a coat,' Yafa Shalom told the New York Post, adding that the boy was 'really freezing'. 

It was not long before the boy’s parents, mother Shazia Nasir and father Khalifa Nasir, were arrested and charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child.

The parents called police to report their son missing at about 3pm, two hours after he was found by the neighbours.

A police source told the New York Daily News that they thought their son was next door at a relative's house.

The boy cried as he was placed into an ambulance, which took him to Coney Island Hospital - but he was not found to be injured.

The Post reported that authorities had difficulty communicating with the boy, as he did not appear to speak or understand English.

The child, as well as the couple's two other children, was placed into the custody of relatives.

Children’s Services is currently investigating the case.

[BoSoxGal]

Now this:

Policeman's seven-year-old daughter dies after accidentally being shot by brother
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 18:03 EST, 11 March 2012 | UPDATED: 18:04 EST, 11 March 2012

A policeman's seven-year-old daughter has died after being accidentally shot by her brother.

The tragic shooting happened inside the family's van on Saturday afternoon in Washington state after the boy found a loaded gun in the glove compartment.

The Marysville police officer and the children's mother were near the parked silver Volkswagen at the time and the girl was rushed to hospital.

The shooting happened inside the family's Silver Volkswagon van, pictured, on Saturday afternoon after the boy found a loaded gun in the glove compartment
She was later transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she died today. 

'At this time we are all extremely concerned for the well-being of one of our department family members,' said Marysville Police Chief Rick Smith.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.'

Neither the officer's identity nor any details about his career with the department were immediately released.

It wasn't clear if the weapon involved in the shooting had been issued by the department.

'There will be no further information available regarding the investigation until at least early next week,' Snohomish County sheriff's Lt. Brent Speyer said in a news release.

The Marysville police officer and the children's mother were near the parked van, pictured, at the time of the shooting
The child's identity and cause of death are expected to be released by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office.

The Stanwood Police Department asked the Snohomish County sheriff to handle the investigation.

The shooting was the second involving young children in Washington state in less than three weeks.

A nine-year-old boy took a loaded handgun from the home of his mother in Bremerton in his backpack on February 22.

The gun discharged when he slammed the bag down on a desk, and the bullet severely injured an 8-year-old girl.

Unlike dozens of other states, Washington has no law that includes criminal penalties for adults who allow children to get their hands on guns.

State lawmakers considered a measure in the session that ended Friday that would have required additional testing of gun locks and safes before the equipment is distributed to law enforcement officers for home use.

[BoSoxGal]

Finally, this:

Forgotten baby syndrome
It seems unthinkable - accidentally leaving your baby for hours, but lots of busy parents do it with devastating consequences

By LORNA MARTIN
PUBLISHED: 17:58 EST, 11 March 2012
UPDATED: 07:41 EST, 12 March 2012

During these hectic times, many things can slip your mind - but could you ever forget your own child?

Emma Taylor, 36, from Buckinghamshire, thought it was impossible, until it happened to her. Emma, who works in recruitment, is married to Tom, 41, a TV producer, and the couple have a three-year-old son, Josh.

‘Two years ago, Tom and I married in a beautiful church near our home,’ says Emma. ‘There was the usual flurry to get ready, and I dressed Josh up in a smart white frilly shirt and beige shorts ready to come with me to the church. 

While there have been no fatal cases of Forgotten Baby Syndrome reported in the UK, campaigners are eager to prevent future tragedies
‘Chattering excitedly with my bridesmaids, I got into the car. As we arrived at the church, about ten miles from my house, I suddenly had the most awful sinking feeling. I’d forgotten Josh. I was utterly panic stricken.

‘Although my head was so full of the day ahead, I couldn’t understand, and to this day, still can’t, how I managed to forget him. I rang my brother, who was the best man and, in floods of tears, explained what had happened, told him to stall the ceremony, and ordered the driver to turn around.

'On the way home, all kinds of terrible things ran through my mind —  he wasn’t even left somewhere secure like a playpen. Had Josh fallen down the stairs? Or burned himself on the oven? The possibilities were endless. I unlocked the door and raced through the house. I found him, sitting quite calmly on the living room floor chewing a piece of toast.

‘I clutched him to me, crying. All that ran through my mind were the awful things that could have happened to Josh in the hour he’d been left alone in the house — I was so lucky.’

Dr Karen Murphy, 40, wasn’t quite so lucky. Happily married and a devoted mother to three children — Emily, 11, Abigail, nine, and two- year-old Ryan — Karen also owned a large veterinary practice. Life was good. Then, on June 17 last year, something truly nightmarish happened.

Karen drove the short distance to work, planning to drop Ryan off at nursery on the way. At around 4pm, she returned home. There, she received a panicked phone call from her husband, Mark. He was at the nursery to pick Ryan up. But Ryan wasn’t there.

On trial: Dr Karen Murphy, who forgot her son was in the car
In that split second, Karen’s world imploded. She realised she’d done something unimaginably awful. She sprinted to her car in the driveway and found her beloved baby, still strapped into his seat in the back. Karen, described by all who know her as a wonderful and caring mother, had forgotten to drop her son off at nursery. He’d been left in a searingly hot car for more than seven hours.

Despite frantic attempts to resuscitate him, Ryan died from heatstroke. Today, in the U.S. town of Bristow, Virginia, Karen goes on trial accused of murder and child neglect. If convicted, she could face a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.

Her husband, who is standing by her — as are their friends and extended family — says the murder charge is outrageous. He says it was a tragic accident, an inexplicable, inexcusable mistake — but not a crime. Furthermore, Karen is in a living hell. Accidentally killing your own baby is a lifelong sentence far greater than any a court could ever deliver.

Any busy working mother who’s trying to juggle too many things and always on the run will no doubt be able to relate to blanking out something important: a relative’s birthday, a work deadline or meeting, a parents’ evening, an anniversary. But forgetting your own child?

It is completely beyond comprehension. Yet it is happening more and more often — a tragic consequence of our frenetic lifestyles and increasingly cluttered minds. In fact, the phenomenon of leaving your child in the car has even been given a name: Forgotten baby syndrome.

The majority of known cases of Forgotten Baby Syndrome have happened in the U.S., where there have been more than 600 resulting fatalities since 1990. Yet last year, two babies died within a week of each other in Italy after their parents forgot about them.

In one of the cases, Lucio Petrizzi, a university lecturer, said he was convinced he had dropped his 22-month-old daughter Elena off at nursery, when he had actually left her in a stiflingly hot car for five hours. She was declared brain dead after an operation to reduce brain swelling, brought on by high temperatures, failed. He told police: ‘I just don’t know what happened. It’s as if someone pulled the plug out of my brain.’

BRAIN POWER
Mums-to-be often blame forgetfulness on ‘baby brain’, but studies show the brain’s capacity is unaltered by pregnancy

In 2010, a 40-year-old doctor was taking his son to nursery in Cyprus when he received an emergency call. He drove straight to the hospital, forgetting his five-year-old was in the car. It was only when his wife called him, eight hours later, that he realised what had happened, and his son was discovered dead in the back of the car.

While there have been no fatal cases of Forgotten Baby Syndrome reported in the UK, campaigners are eager to raise awareness of this problem in the hope of preventing future tragedies. They are also keen to point out that it does not require soaring temperatures for a tragedy to happen.

In one case, the day’s high was only 18.5c. And, in colder climates, there is the risk of hypothermia. Janette Fennell, president of kidsandcars.org, an organisation working to prevent injuries and death to children in and around vehicles, says part of the problem is that no one ever thinks this could happen to them.

‘Some people think: “I can see forgetting a child for two minutes, but not eight hours.” But what they don’t understand is that in his or her mind the parent has dropped off the baby at nursery and thinks the baby is well taken care of. ‘Once that’s in your brain, there is no reason to worry for the rest of the day.

She adds that there are no hard and fast rules about the type of person who is likely to fall victim to Forgotten Baby Syndrome. Often, working mothers are demonised, but the figures show it has actually happened to more fathers than mothers, and also to a grandmother and to mothers who don’t work.

Fennell adds: ‘They tend to be the doting parents, the kind who buy baby locks and safety gates. These cases are failures of memory, not of love.’ The rise in the number of cases is due partly to car seats being placed in the back rather than the front of vehicles and making them rear-facing, for safety reasons.

However, campaigners also believe it is caused by stress and trying to juggle too much. Researchers have found several factors, such as sleep deprivation, marital problems and certain medications can affect the prefrontal cortex, which is one of the most critical parts of the brain used for multi-tasking. If you’re feeling exhausted and are trying to juggle too many things, your brain is less likely to be able to handle multiple demands.

Numerous studies have shown that our stressful, busy lifestyles are causing more forgetfulness. It’s just that no one ever thinks this absent-mindedness could extend to their own baby.That certainly applied to Lyn Balfour, 40, who has served as an intelligence officer in Bosnia and Iraq. On March 30, 2007, a ‘perfect storm’ of stress factors changed everything. Her nine-month-old son Bryce had a bad cold.

She’d been up most of the night trying to settle him. The next morning she was exhausted — as was Bryce who, uncharacteristically, fell asleep in the car on the way to the childminder’s. Her husband’s vehicle was out of action and, as a result, Bryce was in a different car seat, and not visible in Lyn’s rear-view mirror. Lyn also dropped her husband, who usually drove himself, at his workplace and thinks this put a subconscious check mark in her brain: drop-off done.

For whatever reason, she drove right past Bryce’s childminder to her office. Although she and the childminder exchanged missed calls during the day, neither thought anything was wrong and didn’t actually speak until 4pm as Lyn was leaving her office. The childminder asked after Bryce. Lyn said: ‘What do you mean? He’s with you.’ Upon hearing he wasn’t, Lyn asked if her husband had already picked him up. The childminder kept saying: ‘Lyn, he’s not here. You didn’t drop him off today.’

‘At first, I didn’t understand,’ Lyn recalls. ‘Then I ran to the car. The morning was flashing through my mind. I was thinking: “I did drop him off. I know I dropped him off.” ’

But then, through the window, she saw her baby strapped into his seat. His eyes were closed and there was no sign of life. Lyn was hysterical. She screamed for someone to call an ambulance and started doing CPR. ‘I knew in my heart it was too late, but I was just desperately trying to save him,’ she says. Like Karen Murphy, Lyn was charged with murder, later reduced to involuntary manslaughter, child abuse and neglect.

She was acquitted on all counts after the jury was played recordings from two audiotapes. One was her interrogation by police in the hospital about an hour after Bryce’s death. In it, she is heard sobbing: ‘I killed my baby. Oh God, I’m so sorry.’ The second was the call made by a passer-by to the emergency services. In the background, there is what was described as the ‘unendurable’ sound of Lyn shrieking as she tried to resuscitate her baby.

Lyn, who also lives in Virginia, now campaigns to raise awareness of Forgotten Baby Syndrome. ‘I had heard about this happening to other people and I thought it was crazy,’ she says. ‘I thought there was no way it could ever happen to me.’

She encourages people to try to protect themselves against something similar happening to them. For example by making an agreement with a child’s nursery or carer to call if there is an unexplained absence, or to always put a visual clue such as a changing bag on the passenger seat.
‘No one ever thinks this could happen to them,’ she says. ‘But the truth is we are all vulnerable. We are all capable of making a fatal mistake.’

[BoSoxGal]

Chuck E. Cheese footnote:

TWO CHILDREN FORGOTTEN IN CHUCK E. CHEESE  IN ONE WEEK

Forgetting your own child is completely beyond comprehension.

Yet it is happening more and more often — a tragic consequence of our frenetic lifestyles and increasingly cluttered minds.

A five-year-old girl was left at a Chuck E. Cheese in Texas after her own birthday party last week and her mother only realized she was missing the next morning.

Just a few days earlier, a three-year-old was left behind by her parents at a different branch in Bel Air, Maryland.

Restaurant workers only knew that the girl, identified only as Harmony, was in need of help when she went up to a restaurant worker around 8.30pm Monday night saying that she was thirsty.

Her parents realized they had forgotten her when they saw a report about her on the evening news.

Given the accidental nature of the incident, the police do not expect that any charges will be filed in the case.