It’s been said that, while every child deserves a parent, not every parent deserves a child. After all, kids require a lifetime of commitment, dedication, and a whole heap of love that some people just aren’t cut out to provide.
This was the case at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio, where TikToker @jenxomargy spotted a five-year-old child sitting alone in a stroller while the kid’s parents had a merry time on a carnival ride. Outraged, she took to the platform to castigate the atrocious couple for their bad parenting.
More info: TikTok
Parenting is a full-time job, something some terrible parents clearly don’t take to heart
Image credits: jenxomargy
Oblivious, one couple left their five-year-old daughter completely alone while they went on a carnival ride without her
OP begins her video by telling the community that, while she was waiting for her son and girlfriend to finish their ride at the Cedar Point amusement park, a woman sitting next to her exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, is that little girl just by herself?”, referring to a nearby five-year-old in a stroller.
The woman then went up to the ride operator, who let her know that the parents had left her behind while going on the ride which had a 90-minute waiting time. The lady then took it upon herself to keep an eye on the kid until the parents returned.
Image credits: jenxomargy
A lady noticed the abandoned child, which got the attention of the TikToker who decided to share the story as it went down
In her video, OP says, “If you are the little girl’s parents, you suck,” before going on to praise the woman who was keeping the little girl company, referring to her as an ‘angel’ and ‘hero’.
This situation was particularly distressing because the Ohio-based amusement park actually operates a ‘Rider Swap’ program which would have allowed at least one of the appalling parents to wait with the child without having to wait in line at all.
Image credits: Tim Gouw / Pexels (not the actual photo)
According to the ride operator, the parents had left the kid there so they could go on the ride, which had a 90-minute waiting time
According to Cedar Point’s website, one guest waits in line to a coaster or other height-restricted ride. After riding, they give their Rider Swap pass to the ride operator, and the other parent/guardian/guest who’s been taking care of the little ones or watching over a service animal or valuable item can walk up the exit to get right on the ride.
So, there was literally no excuse for the parents to leave their child alone without a single soul to watch over her. What they did is straight-up child neglect and the perfect opportunity for a predator to swoop in and make off with the helpless kid.
Image credits: Max Bonda / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Not surprisingly, the TikToker’s post went viral, during which she slammed the parents for their careless behavior and child neglect
According to the Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center website, every 40 seconds, a child goes missing or is abducted in the United States. Approximately 840,000 people are reported missing each year and the F.B.I. estimates that between 85 and 90 percent of these are children.
There are two different kinds of kidnapping: family abduction and non-family abduction. Family abduction is usually committed by parents and involves a significantly higher proportion of female perpetrators when compared to other kidnapping offenses.
Non-family abductions include kidnappings carried out by acquaintances and strangers. Acquaintance abductions make up 27% of all child abductions and are committed by a disproportionately high number of juvenile offenders.
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According to the Legaljobs website, the reported total number of missing persons in the US was 521,705. The number of missing persons under 21 was over half of that at 358,059 (68.71%). In January 2023, 555 people across 42 states were missing, of which 284 cases were solved. Unfortunately, 12% of the victims were found dead - a shocking statistic, all things considered.
The ChildCare.gov website offers useful advice for what to do if you suspect a child is being neglected. They recommend calling the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 800-422-4453, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Child Welfare Information Gateway offers helpful info about reporting child neglect too. Perhaps OP should have wasted no time in dialing that number.
What would you have done if you’d found yourself in OP’s shoes? Do you think the so-called parents should be reported to Child Protection Services? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
TikTokers weighed in in the comments, with several pointing out that, if that’s how the parents treat the kid in public, imagine how she’s being treated at home
Image credits: Darius Bright / Pexels (not the actual photo)
