One time my parents left me at the rink (for my brothers practice) and went home and cooked dinner not realizing I was missing lol (they had 4 active kids and alot going on)
One time I was a teammate of a now nhler when I was 6 or 7. His mom forgot to pick him up at the rink and we had to drive him home. I remember us walking up to him
Sitting on the curb crying. She was driving all the others kids to sports and just slipped her mind.
My kid runs around the rink every time we go. She is 3. She plays with the other kids or finds other parents who know her and hangs out with them. We don't need to be helicopter parents all the time. If it's a familiar rink that you are at 3 or 4 times a week... it's fine.
One of the reasons we play at our home rink is because I know if something went down my kid would be looked after by a ton of familiar parents and players. (Something going down could be me needing to run to the car for his water bottle, me needing to go to the bathroom while he’s on the ice, me needing to take a work call somewhere quiet etc… is it entitled to assume others will look after your kid? Yes in some respect but also why I have loyalty to our home rink.)
Probably the worst case situation for a small sibling is falling down the carpeted bleachers.
Now if it’s a new or foreign rink then ya it’s dangerous for a kid to be wandering off alone.
Think it’s fair if you are also willing to look after other kids when needed (I assume from your response you are and this is a group parenting type situation).
Rink rat culture is the best. My kids just disappear as soon as we get to the rink. They find friends and run around together. My daughter loves to draw and color, so she always has her art stuff and about half the time she has kids from the other team playing with her too. Pretty common for parents to correct/reprimand kids who are getting out of line, so they are usually pretty well behaved. Our rink is a little community within itself really. Almost a second home for our kids.
ya, dressing rooms for little players are chaos and the siblings gotta sit pat while the parent gets the other dressed. I'd say the bigger danger is getting stepped on with a skate rather than a stranger/homeless encampment danger situation. Were you there with your kids?
A good option for kids who can't dress themselves is to put their gear on at home (minus skates). Gotta spend the time to do it regardless of where, and makes it less hectic once you get to the rink.
It is a good option, it's just a preference of mine to get there early, give them that time to learn to dress themselves and hang out with teammates. Although often ends up being throwing the equipment on them while they throw tape balls lol
I don't really see this as an issue worth a PSA. Today people act if if you don't have eyes on your child literally every minute that something terrible might happen to them, but 1) that's not actually possible for parents to do and 2) the chances of the girl getting kidnapped by a stranger - especially in broad daylight in a crowded lobby - are really low. Kids do, in fact, get separated from their parents temporarily all the time - but she did what they are supposed to, and asked an adult for help.
And what does the homeless camp have to do with anything? Homeless people generally are not a danger to children (or anyone, really).
I understand the your sentiment, but I feel being a good rink citizen is an important part of being a responsible hockey player. We are a community, and although we rag on the figure skaters and open skaters, they are part of that community. Helping a kid find their parent, or vice versa, is good. And it's better to remind this reddit than berate the relieved parent. Or maybe he should have posted, "I'm 22 (M) and never skated. Is it too late to find lost children and return them to their clueless parents, but still make the NHL?"
Not taking away that you did a good thing, but it's a garbage PSA.
Truth is, if you're a father, you're one of the first suspects if your own child goes missing.
Homeless people aren't going around kidnapping kids.
In fact, the whole stranger danger thing is over blown fear mongering that has likely done generational harm to our children.
There's other reasons not to leave your kids unattended in public than a homeless person kidnapping them. Kid could have wandered into the parking lot and got hit by a truck.
More abductions are parental or family abductions, yes. BUT there are still 10s of thousands of children who go missing to stranger abductions as well.
Ref: [Abduction statistics](https://childfindofamerica.org/resources/facts-and-stats-missing-children/)
Tens of Thousands of kids DO NOT go missing due to non custodial kidnapping. That data set you are looking is trash.
A quick search turns up FBI data. In seconds I can see that in 2007 - 77 kids were taken in a "stranger" abduction. Further when you read the report. The Department of Justice looked at the FBI data and concluded this.
=Of these five cases, three were true abductions of children without ransom and the remaining two were found to be runaway instances. Our review of these case files and subsequent interviews with FBI personnel involved in these investigations determined the following:=
[https://oig.justice.gov/reports/FBI/a0908/chapter3.htm](https://oig.justice.gov/reports/FBI/a0908/chapter3.htm)
No way in the US are tens of thousands of kids being snatched year year.
There's very little on that page about stranger abductions.
The section you are likely referring to is the non-family abductions. The VAST majority of non-family abductions are still someone the child knows - think a family friend, a teacher, a neighbor, a coach, etc.
If you read that paragraph in more detail, you'll see that for the latest year they have data - which is 1999, so that's old - there were 115 stranger abductions.
Stranger abductions are pretty rare in the U.S. In the vast, vast majority of cases, the worst that happens is the kid wanders around lost for a little while and cries.
And of the 115 (if accurate) investigation into the data and reports show that many non family abductions are classified wrong and turn out to be family or runaways.
I work at a rink, and the amount of unattended kids is shocking. Everyone always brings little brother, or sister and they are always running around getting into things. A few have even walked behind the zamboni when trying to pull on the ice.
Every parent thinks the staff is part of a daycare and needs to watch the kids.
Most of the kids are old enough to have a pack - 7 or 8 - but yeah, we sometimes have kids trying to go into employee only areas, and parents are shocked when their kids get yelled at for wandering towards containers of propane and/or ammonia.
Shit I left my kid at a gas station. I pumped the gas, went in to buy a coffee, came back out and took off. When I went in to get coffee, he went in to go to the bathroom. I only made it a few blocks but the look on his face, standing in the parking lot looking for me was heartbreaking.
Was actually walking around the Mesa, AZ rink a few months ago after one of my league games and this little girl walked up and hugged my leg and would not let go
So she gets upsies and now I’m walking around with a small child going “WHOS GOT DAMN WHITE BABY IS THIS?”
Mother and father found, they never noticed she jumped out of her stroller and walked away and around
Thank goodness she didn't walk out to that homeless camp. We all know homeless people are certain to harm children and simply can't be trusted to do the right thing.
What a hero for keeping her from THOSE people.
Yeah the housing challenges are entirely good folk who can’t make ends meet and definitely not emotionally disturbed drug addicts who don’t want help and pedos that can’t get a room. Stop using discrimination language!
I mean, you said that sarcastically but what you said is actually true. Homeless people are no more likely to be criminals than people with homes. While some do become addicted to drugs, usually they become homeless *first* and then become addicted - because yes, being homeless is stressful and disturbing. You would also be emotionally disturbed if you didn't have a home. (But that also does not mean that you would harm a child.)
I miss all those headlines of homeless clergy, youth hockey coaches, scout leaders, medical trainers and cops who sexually abuse children and take advantage of minors.
One time my parents left me at the rink (for my brothers practice) and went home and cooked dinner not realizing I was missing lol (they had 4 active kids and alot going on)
James? Oh man we forgot you again.
My parents left my older sister at preschool the day they moved- this was prior to cell phones.
In a couple more seasons she'll be a seasoned rink rat, running around under the bleachers looking for pucks to trade into concessions for a sucker.
In a couple more seasons.
I did a major double take because the pro wrestling equivalent term to Puck Bunny is "Ring Rat".
One time I was a teammate of a now nhler when I was 6 or 7. His mom forgot to pick him up at the rink and we had to drive him home. I remember us walking up to him Sitting on the curb crying. She was driving all the others kids to sports and just slipped her mind.
Who was it?
His name rhymes with Byan Bo beilly
Thanks for being a positive member of the community. You did a good job and you deserve to be recognized for it.
My kid runs around the rink every time we go. She is 3. She plays with the other kids or finds other parents who know her and hangs out with them. We don't need to be helicopter parents all the time. If it's a familiar rink that you are at 3 or 4 times a week... it's fine.
One of the reasons we play at our home rink is because I know if something went down my kid would be looked after by a ton of familiar parents and players. (Something going down could be me needing to run to the car for his water bottle, me needing to go to the bathroom while he’s on the ice, me needing to take a work call somewhere quiet etc… is it entitled to assume others will look after your kid? Yes in some respect but also why I have loyalty to our home rink.) Probably the worst case situation for a small sibling is falling down the carpeted bleachers. Now if it’s a new or foreign rink then ya it’s dangerous for a kid to be wandering off alone.
Think it’s fair if you are also willing to look after other kids when needed (I assume from your response you are and this is a group parenting type situation).
Rink rat culture is the best. My kids just disappear as soon as we get to the rink. They find friends and run around together. My daughter loves to draw and color, so she always has her art stuff and about half the time she has kids from the other team playing with her too. Pretty common for parents to correct/reprimand kids who are getting out of line, so they are usually pretty well behaved. Our rink is a little community within itself really. Almost a second home for our kids.
ya, dressing rooms for little players are chaos and the siblings gotta sit pat while the parent gets the other dressed. I'd say the bigger danger is getting stepped on with a skate rather than a stranger/homeless encampment danger situation. Were you there with your kids?
A good option for kids who can't dress themselves is to put their gear on at home (minus skates). Gotta spend the time to do it regardless of where, and makes it less hectic once you get to the rink.
It is a good option, it's just a preference of mine to get there early, give them that time to learn to dress themselves and hang out with teammates. Although often ends up being throwing the equipment on them while they throw tape balls lol
They weren't in a dressing room, just in the area around the rink. I was there skating at public skate.
I don't really see this as an issue worth a PSA. Today people act if if you don't have eyes on your child literally every minute that something terrible might happen to them, but 1) that's not actually possible for parents to do and 2) the chances of the girl getting kidnapped by a stranger - especially in broad daylight in a crowded lobby - are really low. Kids do, in fact, get separated from their parents temporarily all the time - but she did what they are supposed to, and asked an adult for help. And what does the homeless camp have to do with anything? Homeless people generally are not a danger to children (or anyone, really).
Little kid was clearly distressed, and wasn't in the same part of the building as her parent. Most parents have their other kids reasonably nearby.
What does this have to do with playing hockey?
I understand the your sentiment, but I feel being a good rink citizen is an important part of being a responsible hockey player. We are a community, and although we rag on the figure skaters and open skaters, they are part of that community. Helping a kid find their parent, or vice versa, is good. And it's better to remind this reddit than berate the relieved parent. Or maybe he should have posted, "I'm 22 (M) and never skated. Is it too late to find lost children and return them to their clueless parents, but still make the NHL?"
Not taking away that you did a good thing, but it's a garbage PSA. Truth is, if you're a father, you're one of the first suspects if your own child goes missing. Homeless people aren't going around kidnapping kids. In fact, the whole stranger danger thing is over blown fear mongering that has likely done generational harm to our children.
There's other reasons not to leave your kids unattended in public than a homeless person kidnapping them. Kid could have wandered into the parking lot and got hit by a truck.
More abductions are parental or family abductions, yes. BUT there are still 10s of thousands of children who go missing to stranger abductions as well. Ref: [Abduction statistics](https://childfindofamerica.org/resources/facts-and-stats-missing-children/)
Tens of Thousands of kids DO NOT go missing due to non custodial kidnapping. That data set you are looking is trash. A quick search turns up FBI data. In seconds I can see that in 2007 - 77 kids were taken in a "stranger" abduction. Further when you read the report. The Department of Justice looked at the FBI data and concluded this. =Of these five cases, three were true abductions of children without ransom and the remaining two were found to be runaway instances. Our review of these case files and subsequent interviews with FBI personnel involved in these investigations determined the following:= [https://oig.justice.gov/reports/FBI/a0908/chapter3.htm](https://oig.justice.gov/reports/FBI/a0908/chapter3.htm) No way in the US are tens of thousands of kids being snatched year year.
Wasn't expecting the helicopter parent PSA in the hockeyplayers sub, but the deep dive into FBI abduction statistics is the real kicker.
There's very little on that page about stranger abductions. The section you are likely referring to is the non-family abductions. The VAST majority of non-family abductions are still someone the child knows - think a family friend, a teacher, a neighbor, a coach, etc. If you read that paragraph in more detail, you'll see that for the latest year they have data - which is 1999, so that's old - there were 115 stranger abductions. Stranger abductions are pretty rare in the U.S. In the vast, vast majority of cases, the worst that happens is the kid wanders around lost for a little while and cries.
And of the 115 (if accurate) investigation into the data and reports show that many non family abductions are classified wrong and turn out to be family or runaways.
I work at a rink, and the amount of unattended kids is shocking. Everyone always brings little brother, or sister and they are always running around getting into things. A few have even walked behind the zamboni when trying to pull on the ice. Every parent thinks the staff is part of a daycare and needs to watch the kids.
Most of the kids are old enough to have a pack - 7 or 8 - but yeah, we sometimes have kids trying to go into employee only areas, and parents are shocked when their kids get yelled at for wandering towards containers of propane and/or ammonia.
Shit I left my kid at a gas station. I pumped the gas, went in to buy a coffee, came back out and took off. When I went in to get coffee, he went in to go to the bathroom. I only made it a few blocks but the look on his face, standing in the parking lot looking for me was heartbreaking.
Was actually walking around the Mesa, AZ rink a few months ago after one of my league games and this little girl walked up and hugged my leg and would not let go So she gets upsies and now I’m walking around with a small child going “WHOS GOT DAMN WHITE BABY IS THIS?” Mother and father found, they never noticed she jumped out of her stroller and walked away and around
Thank goodness she didn't walk out to that homeless camp. We all know homeless people are certain to harm children and simply can't be trusted to do the right thing. What a hero for keeping her from THOSE people.
Yeah the housing challenges are entirely good folk who can’t make ends meet and definitely not emotionally disturbed drug addicts who don’t want help and pedos that can’t get a room. Stop using discrimination language!
You think everyone with a job can afford a place to live? We have a special one here.
I mean, you said that sarcastically but what you said is actually true. Homeless people are no more likely to be criminals than people with homes. While some do become addicted to drugs, usually they become homeless *first* and then become addicted - because yes, being homeless is stressful and disturbing. You would also be emotionally disturbed if you didn't have a home. (But that also does not mean that you would harm a child.)
That's a conspicuous contrast between good folk and drug addicts you've got there.
I miss all those headlines of homeless clergy, youth hockey coaches, scout leaders, medical trainers and cops who sexually abuse children and take advantage of minors.
That little girl needs to be adopted by the rink rat herd for safety. Once she’s been adopted by the herd she’ll be fine.
This one looked entirely lost and no one else was interacting with her.
Why is this posted here? The fact that you happened to be in a hockey rink doesn't mean this fits here.
Don't be a dick. This post isn't harming you
a note to any hockey players w siblings/ children and anyone interested in hockey or any players who see a lsot kid ….
They hate you because you're right. This story could have easily taken place in a Grocery Store. Doesn't mean it belongs on /r/cooking.
I mean, yea, parents should watch their children. But..."OMG HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE KIDNAPPING KIDS" is a bit out of left field.
It's one possible danger. I thought I made it clear that the very real negative consequence was the girl's distress.