Child(ren) Left at Chuckie Cheese's - Updated with HER 911 Phone Call.

If you read the article, Why did you not mention it was a large group of family and extended family.

The parents are divorced and the mom thought the dad was taking the girl home and the dad thought the mom was taking the girl home?

I even heard one report that it was actually the dads weekend..

I do not understand why when we hear outrageous things on the news we do not stop to find out the entire story..

there are 2 diferent kids that were left thats why everyone is confused. One 5 year old was left mentioned in this post above and then earluir this week a 3 year old was left.
The 3 year old had divorced parents they found out when it was broadcasted on the news and both freaked and calle dhte police and got ehr right away- that seems like an honest horrible mistake
the second story was a 5 year old that was left behind from a mom that had 10 kids and didn't realize until the next day- i cant comment because I don't have 10 kids and dont know what their bedtime routine is. If bigger ones put little ones to bed if it was a hectic day and they all crashed right away. I don't know I'd like to think it was a horrible accident and not neglect.

I about spit my coffee at the computer monitor when I heard what she said and how calm, mater of fact like she said she left her kid at Chuckie cheese!!

You all are overlooking a MAJOR piece of the story here. The parents were divorced. The mother thought the dad had taken the child, the dad thought the mother had taken the child. It's not like they were at home and didn't notice she wasn't there for dinner/bedtime and such because they thought she was at the other parent's house. I can see how it was an honest mistake, though an unfortunate one that could have been prevented with a checks and balances system. I have no idea what happened during the rush to get everyone packed in the cars, I know it's tough enough with my sister and me getting our 6 kids together on outings. Communication at a busy place during a birthday party with that many kids and the pairings up of which adult is taking who can get hectic and mistakes can happen.

Well, my parents left my youngest sister at church one Sunday. We got most of the way home (5 miles) before they noticed they only had three of us in the back seat! We remind her of this every year at our family holiday gathering!!

I could see where this could happen. Have you ever been to a Chuckie Cheese on a busy weekend? If she thought she was with Dad or another family member, that would explain why it took so long to figure out.

My hometown news said that the parents of the girl were divorced and each parent thought the child was with the other. It's not really the best excuse but at least it makes some sort of sense. I'm much more concerned with all the babies purposefully left in cars during the summer.

I have 5 kids and I have never left anyone anywhere even when we have birthday parties and we have extra kids!

But... one time my brother was home from the services and we were at a cook out at my aunts house. I had to run to the store then home to grab something for one of the kids and my sis in law was with me. I got home and went to get into the back seat to get my son out and he wasn't there.. I freaked out!! She was laughing at me because here I had left him with my mom. It was the first time I had left my son ( 2 months old) with anyone.. yeah I felt pretty silly about it. I was so use to having atleast my baby with me if not all 3 at all times. Even now if we leave the little ones home with the older ones when we get anywhere a lot of times I will open the back door to get the kids out of habit, then just shut the door.. even after looking in the rear view mirrow how many times and knowing they aren't back there... but no I have never forgot/ left them anywhere but home... on purpose!

Then my grandparents told us the story all the time how they went to the grocery store and they had the kids with them. When they got into the car and all the bags and kids in one of the kids wouldn't stop crying and screaming. After many times of my grandma telling them to stop and they wouldn't she finally turned around to yell at them and she realized that it wasn't their child lol. With getting all the bags and kids and doing a head count heading out of the store they grabbed a kid that was next to them. She didn't even notice. She said she did the head count and there was 7... well my oldest uncle was at home... they took the child back to the store and apologize more than she ever did in her life she said. Thankfully 50 years ago the parents were understanding about it and they didn't get into trouble.

Sure, bad things happen to good moms. GOOD moms don't not notice their child isn't home HOURS later. Good moms don't go to sleep at night, and not notice that their child isn't in bed. I'm a lot judgy. Tie her tubes.

I can't figure this one out, either.

So okay, you took your child out for her birthday. You bring ALL of the children (EXCEPT YOUR OWN CHILD, THE BIRTHDAY CHILD) back to your house (this is what I understand happened, but I haven't seen the story myself...my dad told me about it.) You wake up the next day, and realize you left her behind.

Here are my issues.

1. How do you FORGET your child?
2. When she got in the car, why wasn't she checking to see the children were buckled? She should've realized THEN she didn't have her child.
3. When she got home, what happened to any sort of bedtime routine? Or the extra "happy birthday"? Or saying goodnight to her OWN CHILD?!?
4. If there were OTHER children at this party that came home with her, did none of THEM realize the birthday child was missing?

I could go on forever with this list, but that's enough to make my point...there is something SO SUSPICIOUS about this. I do not believe for a second she innocently forgot her child and that at no point did she realize it until the next day.

Something else was going on here, although God only knows what.

I can't see leaving any child anywhere. I don't even see how it's possible.

I have O. better than that.
About 15 years ago, co-workers & I went out to a Burger King to grab lunch. Guess what? There was a mom that dropped her kid off there EVERY morning while she went to work!!!???
Know how they found out she was unattended? The girl got her fingers slammed in a door to the play area & they were looking for the mom--not there.
The O. girl that worked there used to bring in toys for her to pass the time!
They eventually called the cops.
Yep--just another mother of the year.

i don't know...are you SURE we're not allowed to be judgy on this one!?!?!

i got nuthin :( (at least, nothing nice to say....)

I count heads before we leave to make sure everyone is in the car...but there have been a couple times when I didn't and we started to walk off and get in the car, only to realize that we were missing one.

However, I would never miss one or leave them somewhere for 9 hours!! How the heck do you do that? Do you not put them in bed and tuck them in?

I've never left mine because the news keeps me paranoid enough. I think this story got people upset because it was phrased as "forgot their child". They didn't actually "forget" her. It was really more of a "fusion of confusion" like on the movie, Home Alone. I remember having this happen at a carnival when I was a kid. My aunt instructed me and my older cousin to take my cousin's youngest brother walking around with us. At some point my cousin and I let go of his hand and headed in opposite directions, each thinking the other had him. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt or taken. He was found scared and confused and we felt awful. Lesson learned though. I'm sure this family won't have an instance like this again. :)

Okay - thanks to Laurie, here are the links:

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/07/10600434-11-...

http://mybrownbaby.com/2012/03/child-left-behind-at-chuck...

Could there possibly be TWO children left at Chuck E Cheese's?

Original:
Thank you, Laurie. I have been hunting for the article because I remember reading it and I knew that this was not so cut and dried. Bad things also happen to good people, but it's oh so much more 'in vogue' to make assumptions and rush to judgment.

Dawn

oh my word! No!! Sounds like she shouldn't be a mom...10 kids? the people that I know with 6 and 8 kids - they count the heads before they close the doors. It was funny - seriously - we would be traveling in Europe - two cars - they have their HUGE van and it would be roll call before the doors would get closed.

The older children were responsible for the younger ones. It was a FAMILY and they looked after each other.

This is sad and nauseating. To be honest, I hope she loses custody of all of them. If she can forget the birthday girl with TEN freaking kids. She isn't responsible enough to have kids. No excuse in the world would work for me in this case.

I just find this story so unbelievable. Its not the 'forgetting the child' part - I mean yes, that IS a big deal and shouldn't have happened. But not realizing you are missing a child for 9 hours???!!! How is this possible??? The parent(s) didn't realize the child was missing at dinner time, or BED TIME????? The parent(s) don't put that 5 year old to bed... say goodnight/tuck them in, etc.???? I mean c'mon. Sorry if I'm coming off harsh or judgemental but I feel like there has to be more to this story. This poor girl :( And on her birthday :/

Believe it or not....there are some mothers that NEVER tuck their children into bed....the children just get sleepy and just sleep on anything available...couch...floor....dog bed...whatever. You never know what goes on behind closed doors. I'm beting there was much food in the house....but I bet their was beer and wine...I know the type.....social services exposed me to alot of unbelievable things.

I don't know how I feel about it honestly. I'm not a Mom but I can tell you that I would never leave a child behind no matter the circumstances. I have 2 nieces and a nephew that like to wander around but as an adult I always make sure I am with them all, at all times. I know some people are saying "it was a huge party" or "she was supposed to be with someone else". I personally would still communicate a little better with my friends/family if my child were to be staying with them. Especially make sure I say good-bye to my child when they leave with the adult they are supposed to be with. I am a bit paranoid when it comes to children, there's too much crazy stuff that could happen...no matter where you are or who you are with.

I will be full on judgy on this one! If you can go to bed and put your kids to bed -even if you have 9 of them -and not realize that you didn't kiss the birthday girl goodnight and ask her if she had a great birthday at Chuck E. Cheese -then you have some serious issues! GEEEEEZZZ -I can honestly understand some of these I read where a kid slipped the parents' bonds and snuck off at a zoo or something, and due to having a bunch of siblings or being in a big group, the parents didn't realize it for a LITTLE WHILE -but leaving the place and going to bed?!?!! Sorry -but that's ridiculous and inexcusable. It's my son's birthday today, and we had a big party for him on Saturday. I tuck him in almost every night anyway, but on his birthday I always like to tuck him in and ask if he had a good birthday, tell him I'm so happy he's my son, etc. Even if it was a random day anytime, I cannot imagine not missing him.

well, the one in Md last week was a family party, and the girl was supposed to have left with a relative that wasn't her parents. It wasn't until they were watching the news and saw her picture that they realized she wasn't where she was supposed to be.

I think the forgetting perhaps can be understandable as we are all human, but like other posters have said, it's the taking 9 hours to realize!!! I second Stephanie H on doesn't she put them to bed?

I forgot to pick my son up from Preschool one time b/c he only went on Wednesdays and it was the second time he'd been. I took him to daycare and the bus picked him up, so it was out of routine to pick him up at 11. Also, with dropping him off at a different location it wasn't imprinted in my mind. Of course he only spent 10 extra minutes there. They called me and I came right away. But I have never left him anywhere yet. (He's 6)

Added: Thanks for clarifying Cheryl O!! I thought I heard that news thing say 10 kids!!!

I have 4 kids and 2 nephews that are here regularly. I head count all the time when we go somewhere. Although I have never left any of them anywhere for any lenghth of time, I did drive to the end of the block once before I realized my youngest was not in the car and there have been several instances when I had to call to "double check" that my mom, brother, husband, sil etc. did have certain children with them, but I can't imagine not knowing any of them were missing for hours.

Denise.....You story is heartbreaking as well.....So sad.

It is hard to say what the parents were thinking. Is is possible they had been drinking? They sell booze at most C C.

It is so sad that they were to busy to see that the Birthday girl was the one missing. It will be interesting to see more inside the story. Maybe CPS looks into it and finds more.

What a sad situation:(

Did she say I left my child at Chuckie Cheese LAST NIGHT! LOL!

DID SHE REALLY SAY LAST NIGHT!?!?
She did not say her purse, her keys ect..She said her child.

I haven't left anywhere without one of my children but I have forgotten to pick one up every now and again. I was an hour late getting my oldest from a birthday party when he was six. I was on the phone with a friend, totally relaxing and enjoying the afternoon and totally forgot that he wasn't home. Mortifying. We've had other instances of mis-communication where either my husband or myself thought the other parent was picking up one kid or another.

All that said...I can't fathom an instance where I would bring my kids to a place and leave them there. My guess is that the parent(s) was/were drinking.

From what I understand, it was a whole big extended family that went. In some parts of the country, aunts and uncles take as much of a role in raising one's children as the parent. So in the chaos, I can understand you thinking someone else took the kid home. But yeah, 9 hours??? I have 1 child and although I was late picking him up from the bus one day (no valid excuse) that is HARDLY the same and leaving your kid at a place and not realizing (nor anyone else for that matter) for 9 hours.

I am gonna stray away from this a little bit but it is still about parenting.... What is up with Chucky Cheese and all these shootings that are happening at their facilities I keep reading about?

I could see it, if each parent thought the other had the child. It would not be a good thing, but I could see how it would happen. Many was the time where we didn't follow up on DH's ex because it was her Friday and we assumed that she had picked up SD from aftercare if aftercare didn't call. Hopefully CPS can sort this out quickly and get her back to her family.

Can you post the article in your update? That would be helpful.

No child should have been left/forgotten. I've been a GS leader to all 3 of my daughters. At one time I had 25 girls in one troop, during field trips, outings and meetings I never lost a girl. It's called doing a head count. This mom is obviously not ready for the responsibility of children.

Nope, I don't get it either. I only have 2, but I feel like I spend my life counting to 2 when we are out. Don't see how you can just not wonder about your child for 9 hours....just does not make sense.

I have 4, soon to be 5 and I don't think it could ever happen. I will admit that I've done a quick head count before pulling out of the driveway on occasion, but I've always had an accurate count (so far)! The only thing I could see is possibly making it out of the building and to the car w/o a kid, but as soon as I saw an empty car/booster seat (I always check), I'm pretty positive that I would notice.

I'm guessing there isn't alot of structure at home. mom may love them all, but there might not be bedtimes, and family dinners. It's probabaly more of a free for all.
the only way i can even think that this could happen would be if a day at CCheese gave me the worst migrain ever, and i just wasn't lucuid and i was counting on other adults to help and for what ever reason they didn't. very very sad.

I don't know ... have you BEEN to Chuck E Cheese? That place could make anyone lose their marbles. However, Mom certainly should have noticed that someone was missing at bedtime. It's also surprising that none of the other kids noticed or said anything. Very sad for all involved.