“We shouldn't trust older children to take care of the younger ones,” says Natalia, who faced an unpleasant situation that she decided to talk about, Ukr.Media reports.
I made a big mistake when I entrusted my Nikita to my friend's son. My son is 6 years old, and I don't let him walk alone in the yard. I believe that children of this age should only walk accompanied by adults. Although I often see small children running around alone in the yard. Their parents probably live by Darwin's principle – the strongest survives. I'm always scared for these children – can a toddler cope with a stray dog attacking him on his own? And these drunk men who wander around the yards – where is the guarantee that they won't harm the child? But, unfortunately, for one day I myself became such an irresponsible mother.
This unpleasant situation happened in August. It was warm and sunny outside, but I didn’t have time to walk with my child that day — I was making cutlets and dumplings. A neighbor came to visit me (we communicate well with her). At that moment, my son called me for a walk, and I refused him. The neighbor suddenly said: “Listen, let your Nikita take a walk with my Wolf. It’s right here, under the balcony. You’ll see them.” Wolf is already 10 years old, and he’s been walking on his own for a long time. At first, this proposal made me a little nervous. But my son wanted to go for a walk so much that I decided to let him go.
Nikita and Volodya went for a walk in the yard. I periodically looked out the window – the boys were having fun, running, playing. Then I thought: “Well, we have to start somewhere. Let him at least take a walk under the supervision of a friend.”
Why was I sure that I could trust my child to a 10-year-old boy? I followed my child’s lead and believed the neighbor’s words. An hour later, Vova and Nikita came into the house. “Mom, can Vova and I go to the park and buy cotton candy there?” my son asked. By the way, the park was a two-minute walk from our house. I somehow hesitated, starting to think whether to let them go or not. “Aunt Natalya, we’ll go quickly and come back,” Vovchik said confidently. I gave the guys 100 hryvnias and allowed them to go to the park. “Come back in half an hour, I’ll check,” I told the guys sternly.
At that moment, I didn't seem to have any worries, after all, Vovchyk is 10 years old, he has been going to school on his own since the 1st grade, and he walks in the yard with the boys until late. Oh, how wrong I was then…
An hour later I looked out the window, the boys were still gone. “Okay, I’ll wait a little longer, the boys are playing,” I thought. After a while I look out the window again and see Vovchyk — he’s walking alone, and my son isn’t around.
I immediately panicked. I dropped all my cutlets and ran outside in my bathrobe.
“Vovchik, where is Nikita???” – I shouted in horror. To which Vova calmly answered me: “We had a fight, he didn't want to share with me. I left, and he stayed in the park.” At that moment, hysteria began inside me, but I restrained myself. I rushed to the park, running in a bathrobe and slippers.
I ran to the park, but my son was nowhere to be found. My face was filled with panic and tears, and I screamed loudly: “Mikita, Nikita…” I didn’t even have the strength to turn to people.
Then a woman came up to me and said that she saw a boy crying on a bench near the other entrance to the park. I didn't even say “thank you” to her, I ran, my heels shining.
It really turned out to be my son. I felt such relief, I didn't even have words, I just hugged my son and cried. We came home, I couldn't get over the shock for a long time.
In the evening, a neighbor came running and started apologizing for her son. I told her that it was my mistake. How can you trust your child to a 10-year-old boy? And if you do, be prepared for anything to happen. Vovchyk also apologized, said that my Nikita didn’t want to go with him because of an insult, so he returned on his own.
That's how it happens. But this situation became a lesson for me.
I was angry with myself for a long time — at my frivolity and carelessness. I still can't forgive myself for this mistake.
What was I thinking?! I entrusted my child to another child and thought she would take care of him? My neighbor yelled at her son for leaving his friend at the park, but I think it was just our adult mistake.
We should not trust children to children. A 10-year-old child is not a responsible and mature person, and we have no right to demand that of him.
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