PM: To Kate McCaan

[ZARDOZ]

Why are they narcissistic? expalin

Being able to sleep, playing games of tennis, no breaking down, being well turned out, not accepting blame, employing PR firms. Plus some ancecdotal stories I have about Gerry by someone who knew him.

[MaryPoppins]

I absolutely couldn't.

I can only hope that some day I can be as good a parent as the CUK posse

When this argument rears it's head here it makes me think about a girl I used to work with, a few years ago and before I had kids. She had two kids at the time, one was about 18 months and the other was about 4 I think.

She told me that she had left them alone in the house a couple of times, to pop to the shop for milk I think. She stressed it was a 2 minute walk down the road and that she felt it was easier to go by herself.

Horses for course, I suppose.

[ZARDOZ]

So they deserve to have their kid kidnapped by paedos and/or murdered?

Madeleine did not deserve whatever happened to her. They should have been punnished for child abuse at least. Bit like if I went to the pub and left my child alone, got back and the house is burnt down, he/she is dead. Is it the fault of the fire? Is it something I could have foreseen as being dangerous? Do I have a duty of care?

[Unix]

Being able to sleep, playing games of tennis, no breaking down, being well turned out, not accepting blame, employing PR firms. Plus some ancecdotal stories I have about Gerry by someone who knew him.

Sleeping??? Playing Tennis??? Do you expect them to spend the rest of their life crying and grieving 24 hours a day FFS what a twat.

[ZARDOZ]

Sleeping??? Playing Tennis??? Do you expect them to spend the rest of their life crying and grieving 24 hours a day FFS what a twat.

No but would expect it to last more than a couple of days. Truth will out eventually, random stranger being least likely IMHO.

[MyUserName]

When this argument rears it's head here it makes me think about a girl I used to work with, a few years ago and before I had kids. She had two kids at the time, one was about 18 months and the other was about 4 I think.

She told me that she had left them alone in the house a couple of times, to pop to the shop for milk I think. She stressed it was a 2 minute walk down the road and that she felt it was easier to go by herself.

Horses for course, I suppose.

This is a fair point but I worry about what would happen if I got hit by a car or something and no one realised my children were at home unsupervised.

[darmstadt]

If a single mother in a none too desirable neighborhood popped next door to get a cup of sugar leaving her child momentarily alone and when she returned, the child was gone. Yes, there would be the police search, the appeals, etc. but would there be this enormous press coverage (worldwide), would there still be police on the case some years later, would there be donations and so on? No, she would probably be villified by the press and public and seen as an unfit mother (and if she had more children, they would probably be under the care of social services by now) but if you're a white middle class telegenic professional family then presumably anything goes. Personally I feel sorry for the child and would feel sorry for the parents if there just wasn't this huge sideshow around the whole bloody thing.

[MaryPoppins]

This is a fair point but I worry about what would happen if I got hit by a car or something and no one realised my children were at home unsupervised.

I thought she was nuts and still do, but - it's her decision as a parent.

[ZARDOZ]

If a single mother in a none too desirable neighborhood popped next door to get a cup of sugar leaving her child momentarily alone

Thing is this is not what they did. They went out socialising, eating, drinking. It's not at all something like Jamie Bulger. It's not an accident, a momentary lapse. It was their decision to leave three very young children on their own and go for a jolly. They could have even taken the children with them! They are at least partially to blame.

NSPCC:
babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone

[BolshieBastard]

If the OP is who I think he is, its a pretty odious post from a decent lad, especially as he has a young child himself. Ive no truck with the mcann's and think if theyd have been council stock would have received a different reaction from the press et al.

The anonymity of the tinterweb web, eh?

Just surprised the mods allow this sort of tulip even in General.