Quote:
Originally posted by James
But is it so unreasonable to assume that a fed and put to bed baby of 18 months would be ok for 2 hours or so?
Do they need minute by minute attention?
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A child of that age is almost certainly walking, but has no experience with what is right/wrong/safe/dangerous.
A house with a toddler should be child-proofed -- that is to say that nothing should be left out which might be dangerous, stairs need to be blocked off, electrical outlets need protective covers, no cleaning chemicals left in low cabinets -- and a whole lot of other things you don't normally think of.
Although we don't know, I think it's safe to assume that the house where the child was left was not child-proofed.
Beyond the physical dangers, a child of that age is heavily dependent on adults, and is scared very easily. Being left alone is cruel. I was looking for a softer word, but can't think of one.
There were some very bad decisions made in this case -- by the mother and the baby-sitter(s).
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