Another mother with no parenting skills! She would rather watch American idol!

3 Year old almost drowned! - 3 year old
United States
March 6, 2008 7:58am CST
The first thing I thought when I read this article was that when I had my ferrets I would never leave them in the bathtub alone! And these are animals!! This mother put a 1 and 3 year old in the bathtub and left them to get clothes and watch a few minutes of American Idol. When she "remembered" them she found the 3 year old under water and not moving. As of yesterday (3/5/08) no charges had been filed but personally I think this should be considered child abuse. What do you think of a mother who puts her kids in the bathtub and forgets about them? Do you consider this child abuse and she should be charged?http://www.tmz.com/2008/03/05/idol-or-drowning-son-mom-chose-idol/
15 people like this
36 responses
@paulsy (1263)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
I agree, she should be charged. That is so irresponsible! How could a mother be so delinquent? She probably hasn't realized her priorities at this point in time. She finds that program more important than making sure her children are safe. She shouldn't have put them in the bathtub in the first place, if she wanted to watch the show before doing anything else!
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Mar 08
Being 25 years old with 4 kids I'm sure a lot of other things have happened that never even got caught. I think so many people need to be made to take some sort of parenting lessons these days.
@paulsy (1263)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
I agree with you!
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
6 Mar 08
I sure hope the child is ok and has not ill effects from this uncalled for incident. As for child abuse, not sure about that but child neglect for sure.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Mar 08
Personally I feel there is a very thin line between neglect and child abuse. So far I haven't read anything about any charges being brought against her. I'm wondering where the father is in all this.
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
30 Oct 08
Awful parenting skills! AWFUL! YEs it should be called abuse... it's really lazy of this mother! I don't understand some parents! GEEZE!
• United States
6 Mar 08
I don't understand why she wasn't charged. Usually parents who leave their kids in the bath tub unwatched they get charged with child endangerment, or something! Why should this case be any different!? I mean, I like American Idol, but I would never leave a small child in a tub alone to watch it! My gosh, buy a 50 cent blank tape and record it!
@Amberina (1541)
• United States
6 Mar 08
When I had babies at home I NEVER NEVER left them alone in the tub not even when they where old enough to sit up an there would be no way of them toppling over. I always had everything ready before I had to chase the kid down for a bath. Even now that my son is almost 14 years old and is the shower I still keep an ear out for him if he needs help. It only takes a bat of an eye for a baby to fall over in the tub and not be able to get up, it makes me sick to think of that happening to a child. Even when my two oldest kids would take baths together I always was in there watching them mind you there was more water on the floor than in the tub but still something bad could have happened.
@Amberina (1541)
• United States
6 Mar 08
I never said I was perfect I am far from being the perfect parent. I did know when NOT to ever leave my children alone and that was in the bath tub.
• Australia
6 Mar 08
You all must be perfect mothers than, who have never had anything happened to your kids when you weren't looking and felt guilty about it afterwards. I have not yet seen one mother who has not turned their backs to do something and have something happened to their babies that they felt awful about later and thought, "I must be a horrible mother?". Claim that you haven't all you want but I'm not buying it! I'm not saying what she did was right but I'm just saying that she left the room for a few moments and probably thought I'm right near the bathroom and I will hear it if anything were to happen. I'm sure the woman has learned her lesson and won't do it again anytime soon. I just think that unless we were there and know exactly what happened, than we as imperfect people as well, should not judge. I think too often people like to judge because perhaps it makes them feel a little better about themselves but most times, they don't have all the facts and go on what other people say and we all know that too often than not, what people say often tends to get distorted in the telling. We just need to leave the judgeing to the one who knows and sees all, that being the creator...
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
19 Mar 08
I agree with you, this woman should be forced to take child learning lessons or something. I don't know how someone could leave their kids alone in the tub. I used to sit on the toilet, with the lid down, and read a book if my kids wanted to take a long bath and play, or I would play with them. I could never leave them alone even for a minute. I had a girlfriend that would leave her kids alone in the tub when I came to her house for coffee but I would take my cup into the bathroom and make her come in there too and drink our coffee there. She never thought twice about leaving them alone and I would get mad at her for it, so I after awhile I always phoned her first and made sure they weren't in the tub or if they were I quit going over for coffee.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
7 Mar 08
I would never have left my three year old in a bathtub themselves, but kids have been known to drown in less than 2 inches of water and many parents don't even know that.
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
7 Mar 08
I rather spend my time with my dogs than watch American Idol. I can not imagine to leave child alone in bathtub... I am not sure about her parental skills. It is very bad.
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
9 Mar 08
that was negligence as part of the mother i guess...im not really familiar with the child abuse law and its coverages..but i guess i can consider this one..
@fec139 (810)
• United States
7 Mar 08
Some people should not be parents. period. end of subject!!
• United States
8 Mar 08
Child abuse? No,I think it is child neglect.I known since I was real young I never wanted to be a parent. I don't have the desire or the patience.You see I would rather see my favorite shows than bathe a child.I know that if my show is good, I would forget about everything else.
• United States
12 Mar 08
Why anyone would leave a one and three year old in the tub alone for any reason is beyond me. She should be charged with neglect, abuse and attempted murder. If she doesn't have the brains to know these children are too young to be left even for a second, she does not deserve to be their mom. I think she was very selfish in what she did, and there is no place for selfishness in a mothers life.
• Australia
7 Mar 08
The mind 'Boggles' What else is there to say.... P,L,&MB's
• United States
7 Mar 08
That is just ridiculous! That is definitely child abuse and she should go straight to jail! If you know a tv show you like is on (or coming on), don't put your kids in the tub! Wait until the show is over when you know you can give them your undivided attention. I watch American Idol too, but I'm not going to leave my kids in the tub to see what happens on the show. I've missed the results show for the past 2 weeks, but it only took me a minute to jump online and go to www.americanidol.com to see who left.
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
7 Mar 08
Oh my gosh that is awful. You never leave a child in the bathtub alone espically at that age. What in the world was she thinking. American Idol is a good show but if you are bathing a child at that age you need to keep a eye on them. I think she should be charged something child abuse.
@ashiflett (1045)
• United States
7 Mar 08
That is just..well, I am not even sure...I think that is a bit young to leave for SURE
• United States
7 Mar 08
Yes I do considered that abuse and she should be made accountable. How anyone could forget something that important is beyond me.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
7 Mar 08
There is no excuse for leaving children alone in the bathtub, at all. You have to stay there and monitor them at all times. Nothing in the world should come before your childrens safety.
@ayou82 (3450)
• Philippines
7 Mar 08
Thats unbelievable.. you can actually turn your back on your responsibility just for a favourite show..????
@Katy471 (23)
• Canada
7 Mar 08
I am reading all this and can help myself thinking that people are fast to judge her, we all know accident are fast to happen. Yes she should of got the kids out of the bath before getting out of the bathroom. But I would never call a mother a bad parent without knowing her life story before hand, being sigle mother or daddy is not a helping hand, we just don't know, she could be a really good mother, that made the wrong choice. I feel bad for her. She the one that will have to live with that for the rest of her life. That just my opinion but It could happen to the best of us.