Mom Faces Jail for Making Son Walk to School

oops....kids... not gets. Sorry not enough sleep.

funny, I knew exactly what you meant.

*a walk like that would take a kid that old at least 2 hours, which means he likely left in the pitch dark in order to get to school on time).

...and probably would've been pitch dark once he made it back home as well.

How do you dare to interfere?

How dare anyone NOT? A parent can be arrested for leaving a 10 year old kid alone in a house, where it is a HELL of a lot safer than on the road. If she lives that far from school, most likely she' sin a suburb with no sidewalks. Nice, having a kid walk in the dark nearly 5 miles with no sidewalks, not to mention how he's a HUGE target. Nobody would leave their purse or wallet in open sight in a parked car for fear of it getting stolen, but they'll let a young kid walk around with no supervision. Brilliant.

People can't think of any better punishment for a kid? Maybe that's her problem.

Oh, dear, the faux outrage! How dare someone care about a child! Waah!

It cracks me up how you all pretend to care so much about the mother. Your hearts are bleeding for her as she lies on her sofa warm and safe, because of course no mother ever lied about beating her kid, right? LOL. Talk about bleeding heart liberals. :)

I'm sorry, but I'm with the mother on this one. If her son was kicked off the bus, there was a reason, and they need to learn to suffer the consequences of their actions. We coddle our kids so much we're raising a generation of entitled kids who never take responsibility for their actions, then we're all confused when they grow up and can't make it in the real world. Would I have sent my kid out to walk to school in the cold alone? Nope, I'd be a basket case and would end up following the kid in the car. As for the kid saying not to take him home because his mom would beat him, I don't believe it or DSS would have removed him. Nope, I think the kid said that to get sympathy from the officer.

I can't count the number of times I've witnessed so-called professionals with their young children in two on the subway and street trying to correct abhorrent, unruly behavior. The children act like little monsters, yelling and screaming 'No!' in front of everyone and even going as far as to hit the parents. So rtg is correct, this generation of children is certainly being coddled far too much. I was a child of the 60s, when it was taught very early to a child to speak when spoken to, not to speak when adults were speaking, etc. Those things seem to all but disappeared, as has what was once called 'home training.'

kazutum - I wish for the times when neighborhood parents looked out for each other kids. If I did something I shouldn't have done (which thankfully wasn't often) you could bet my grandmother knew about it. Remember the saying "It takes a village to raise a child?" Back when I was growing up that still applied. I wonder in how many cities, towns and hamlets this still occurs. Just wondering.

childhood safety to play in a park, ride bicycle around the block, walk to school is now impeded compared to 1950. Society has evolved to accept 'anything goes'. Sorry that I am not more compassionate.

Politics? actually know your neighbors? Bribed judges whose rulings are now on a CD as a precedent? lotsa reasons.

I get that mom wanted to teach him a lesson but there had to a way to do that without putting her son in danger.

And what would that be and what was the danger?

"There were a number of things that could have happened to the child," said Lyle Waterworth, a spokesman for the Jonesboro Police Department. "The child could have been injured, abducted."

A kid could be injured or abducted whether they ride a school bus or not.

from 5th grade on i'd ride my bike to school when the weather was good. it was about 2.5 miles it took 15-30 min.

And what would that be

At that age for one of my boys it would have been a loss of all privileges, a written apology to the bus driver and whoever else was involved, a one page report on the importance of respect and why his behavior was wrong, and enough extra chores that he would be too tired to argue about any of it.

A kid could be injured or abducted whether they ride a school bus or not.

Yes, but walking 9.2 miles a day alone unnecessarily increases that risk. I know that walking used to be the norm; but we don't live in the same kind of world we grew up in. I'm not making mom the villain here, I simply disagree with what she did and think there were other ways to achieve her goal. I do think the allegations of abuse should be investigated.

I take it you've never been on the receiving end of some of the consequences for those little untruths(lies) that kids tell to try and keep themselves out of trouble?

No. Not that my kids didn't tell their share of lies to keep out of trouble, but not to the extent that you describe. I have however seen the consequences when kids are telling the truth and nobody listens. That can cost far more than jobs. That can cost a kid their life.

Yeah, no parent EVER lied about not abusing their child.

The general rule is, where there is smoke there is fire. Anyone who cares so little about their kid that she (or he) treats him worse than most people would their animal is, well, an animal.

I can see where your experience would cause you to side more with the parent. My experiences shade my viewpoint in the other direction.

I worked in a youth crisis facility and I come from a family of law enforcement and medical personnel. We see the kids who have been beaten, burned, raped, and starved. Many of them, too many, tried to tell others what was happening in their lives but were ignored because of any number of things. Their parents were "good people" or the kid had a reputation for acting out, or the story was just too outlandish to possibly be true.

My experiences make me say that every allegation of abuse must be investigated because we cannot risk a child's life.

OK, so then they should have taken the mother away in cuffs and slapped the kid into foster care while they investigated the kids claims, huh?

Where did I say that? Please don't put words in my mouth.

My mistake. I saw the question mark, but the tone of your response struck me as somewhat hostile. If that was not your intent, then I apologize.

What about a home visit when they take the kid back? Personal observation of the officers; is does the boy have obvious bruises/injuries that seem unusual? I know that is subjective as the average 10 y/o boy always has a bruise or scrape; but an officer should be able to tell the difference in most cases. Why not talk to mom and find out more about what's going on. Talk to teachers at the school and to neighbors. What have they seen?

Unless there is blatant evidence of abuse I am generally in favor of an investigation before a child is removed from the home. I did not, nor would I, suggest that the words of a 10 y/o be taken at face value. Neither do I think those words should be dismissed out of hand just because some kids lie.

Kazutam: I sympathize with you 100%. These days, teachers, professors, coaches ( albeit in the best interests of the children) end up doing more damage than good. Nowadays you cannot even raise your voice for fear the child might report it to a school official. I grew up straight. My father was stern and would use his belt for the littlest of offenses. Yet I NEVER thought to call the police and report him. In our house we had a strict curfew of 5pm. One day m brother was out playing with his friends and came home late. His friends had advised him to tell my father that "this is America its a free country". Oh boy, my dad took his belt to my brother's tush after that one! We grew up respecting our elders and having perfect manners. These days, (btw im just 30 yrs old )the youth is as if their parents have forgotten to raise children. Too much PC if you ask me. I pray I can raise my daughter with the respect and values my parents instilled in me.

First off, they didn't walk 4.6 miles one way to school in those days, either. Second, more parents were home in the mornings to watch the kids as they made their ways to school and predators couldn't take the chances they do now to try and snatch a kid off the street.

This isn't about the exercise, although taking a 4.6 mile walk when one isn't used to it isn't the smartest thing to do, this is about the kids' safety.

And make no mistake: schools do this to kids all the time - no notice to parents to come and get the kids, either.

The difference is, the school personnel who do this to kids don't end up facing jail time.

Kids that age are not allowed, under the law, to be home in their HOUSE alone - where it is safe. But people want to let them walk 5 miles in the dark - that's at least a 2 hour walk on short legs - possibly more. Oh, who cares if a kid gets hit by a car or abducted.

Great country, eh? People care more for their animals than they do for kids.

4 miles each way in Connecticut winters from age 7 to 14. The only time I didn't have to walk was when school was closed due to weather which, in CT, wasn't all that often..we had to have near blizzard conditions. The ponly warning from mom and dad....stay on the sidewalk..the roads are icy and cars can't stop.

In this day and age would I have followed to assure safety, probably, but the walk itself wouldn't worry me.

4 miles each way in Connecticut winters from age 7 to 14.

I'm glad you made it safely.

But the fact that you showed it was doable...does not mean it was safe or in the best interests of the child.

Not to mention it's a of waste 3-4 hours every day walking to and from school.

Again, I simply believe the local police are in the best position to determine if the walk the child was forced to make in this specific case, represented a danger to him.

Agreed that was back in the 70's and 80's timeframe. As I indicated, I would definitely follow behind given today's societal problems.

I'd rather be inconvenienced than take that kind of risk with my kid. But that's just me. As to what I would have done in her shoes...see my 6.3

The sad thing is that children are not loved and when they act up, it is an attempt to get some attention. Negative attention is better than none at all. Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.

And when the kid REFUSED to do those things?

What if the kid refused to walk to school? We could get lost in that circle all day. If it's a power struggle, which is what you are describing, then as parents we have to stand our ground. With my kids, I took what mattered to them; toys, time, television, games, company. They didn't get it back until they complied. When I wouldn't yell, scream, or budge they learned that no amount of fit throwing was going to work and that they had to accept the consequences of their actions.

Again, I am not making mom the villain here. I just disagree with her approach. Why the hostility toward a different viewpoint?

Freedom

Your punishment seems to be timely when one considers what is important to kids these days.

Non compliance to the punishment would mean a deeper problem possibly requiring outside intervention. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

With my kids, I took what mattered to them; toys, time, television, games, company. They didn't get it back until they complied.

Dad...is that you? LOL...

My sister still loves to tell the story about having a friend over to study when she was about 13 or 14. It was a standing rule in our house that our bedroom doors were to remain open when we had visitors.

At some point during that study session, she closed her door.

My dad was a yeller (and then some!)...but he simply opened the door and reminded her of the rule. She got all upset and started yelling about trust and privacy, etc.

Dad was unusually stoic.

When we came home from school the next day...the door to her room had been removed.

And it stayed that way for years. She finally apologized...and got her door back as part of her Sweet 16 Birthday present!

Only a bad parent needs to resort to such measures. One that doesn't care about their own kids.

Only a bad parent needs to resort to such measures. One that doesn't care about their own kids.

Is this in response to my post b_r?

4.6 miles seems to far and too dangerous for a 10 y/o to walk alone.

Not in Jonesboro, Arkansas and YES, I've been there about a kazillion times. What DOES bother me about this though is the fact that it was only 30 degrees outside

countrygirl...sorry. I have to respond to your post. You need to take off the rose colored glasses. ALL kids act up, it is a requirement of growing up. Even the most loved child is going to have their rebellious phase, unless of course, mommy and daddy give everything to the child the second they ask for it..that isn't love by the way, that is turning the child into a spoiled expectant brat which would eventually make their lives miserable when real life turns up.

It is a lack of love NOT to appropriately discipline, obviously barring abuse, but the definition of abuse bar has definitely dropped much lower these days.

My buddies and I hitchhiked about 3 1/2 miles each way to our Catholic high school in Milwaukee during the early to mid 60's regardless of weather (blizzard, sub zero temps, rain, fog, you name it). We were in the big city and had no problems with pervs as there were usually three or four of us hitching at a time.

We could have taken a city bus, but that would have required two or three transfers, not to mention fare of about 30 cents, I think, depending on where we boarded. It was a lot quicker using the thumb. People were pretty good about picking us up as we were obviously high school kids with books and school team jackets.

The only school buses I recall seeing in those days were taking public school kids to school. I remember wondering why they needed buses when we were on our own in how we got to school and back home each day. The times they have a changed.

I wouldn't trade that bit of self sufficiency for the easy way though.

No doubt she'll have an alternative plan after the fuss dies down.

Who knows, maybe the present uproar and embarrassment it has caused his mom will have a positive impact on the kid's future behavior.