Jealous busybody gets Mom in trouble.
 

THAT'S what the title of this article SHOULD be.


Rest of the article here

Who the heck is going to complain? Perhaps a neighbor who isn't included in this convenient arrangement? Sheesh.

We don't know why the neighbor complained. We can only guess.

Maybe the kids were playing outside for that hour, and would go over to the neighbor's house, get his extension ladder out, climb on his roof, and drop russet potatoes down the vent pipes in his roof, clogging his pipes.

What? It could happen.

The STATE needs to butt the fu*k out

We're having similar problems over here. New rulings on adults 'working' with kids. So if you and another parent have a reciprocal arrangement whereby you take turns taking the little-uns for an hour after school (for instance) that's considered a 'reward' based arrangement and falls under guidelines that mean by law you should have a CRB (criminal records bureaux) check.

Ludicrous.

It's a designated school bus stop. Does the state have a rule about how long before the bus arrives, kids are allowed to show up?

You sound like you're speaking from experience. 'Fess up... was it you? Or your offspring?

I tend to agree, but I'd also like to hear more about the neighbor's justification for complaining.

For that matter, where is "the bus stop?" Is it a specific street sign? the intersection? Etc.? How far away from it may the kids be while still considered to be "at the bus stop?" What does it mean to "care for" children? There has to be some difference between that and a visit.. unless the law really intended to cover every time one kid visits another kid's house without a parent in tow.

I don't think it really matters why the neighbor was complaining. There is no "day care" ... So stop this crap and go do something productive. Sheesh - It's l;ike they have nothing better to do.

In this case the agency did recognize that they were in the wrong and are working to change the regulation to allow for exceptions.

The case in the news recently concerns two part time policewomen in Bucks. Mum worked with them both. The children (girls) are within montha of eachother and as close as sisters - the arrangemtn has been going on since both Mums returned to work. They are both far more understanding of eachother's hours and potential over-running than any non-police staff would be. And of course it's reciprocal ie does not qualify for any state benefit.

Both girls are now in govt subsidised care, with strangers, and the mothers are looking at taking desk jobs.

I'm not usually anti govt involvement, at least not at a knee-jerk level, because I've read too many lies in the right wing press. But this case defies belief. By all means protect children. But common sense has to kick in at some point. Again, it was a neighbour who informed that a uniformed officer was running an illegal creche. Who you gonna call when you get a knife to your throat honey?

I loved the reply by the Gov"t when the woman called and told them the kids would simply be in her house to stay out of the rain - "Tell her to buy her kids an umbrella" WTH

What if she wasn't 'watching' them -- they simply came over to play with their friend. So now (by their definition) if any kid comes over to play with your kid, you're running a daycare.

Really? :headshake

I think it was because it was a daily event, but thats purty much how I took it as well.

Where did you read that?

I saw it on Morning Joe on MSN this am.

Ah...I found it. The nice thing about this story is that because of the agency's heavy-handedness, people are up in arms and ready to make changes.

I still wonder who narc'ed.

I'm glad we don't have laws like that here (at least not that I know of). There have been many times when I've had arrangements like this with other mothers or neighbours. Not so much now, but when I was a single mother going to uni full time and trying to work part time. I couldn't afford childcare, but I could afford to return favours.

For what it's worth, I'm with glatt--we can't know for sure, but it's possible they may have a semi-legitimate gripe.

Middle-schoolers are, generally speaking, a pain in the ass. Their social development is right at that crux where they've figured out they are occasionally funny or interesting, but are still desperately exploring what they can do to recreate those circumstances. Thus, the vast majority of them are attention whores. Get several of them together, and you will in no time have a raucous, laughing group all trying to impress each other in stupid ways, especially if there is a mix of boys and girls.

Now imagine that group of loud attention whores standing outside in your neighbor's driveway at 7:00 AM or earlier every single morning. Maybe the bus stop is right there anyway, or maybe it's down the street--from the complaining neighbor's point of view, it might be far superior to be able to kick those kids even a half a block away and finally be able to get some sleep.

Maybe the kids do go straight indoors and aren't being a nuisance, we don't know. But it's my experience that neighbors usually complain about each other for a reason, even if it isn't the stated reason.

Thats definitely a good point. I remember my Jr. High School bus stop being full of unruly kids AND there was a bunch of us. Luckily, it was in a laundromats parking lot, so we didn't really bug anyone.

However, the person who complained didn't call the school to complain about the location of the bus stop, they called to complain about an illegal daycare center. If all they were trying to do was eliminate a noisy bus stop, then they took it a step further than I would have ever thought of doing. But really, I dont think that was the case. For one thing she is only watching three extra kids and they are grade-schoolers. Also, it states in the article that she brings them into her home for the hour before the bus arrives, which is at her driveway. If this was next door to me, I dont think I would even notice. But if by chance they were being too noisy, I would not have a problem asking her to keep a lid on the kids....please. She lives in a rural subdivision. I would think that she knows her neighbors. But, like you said, you never know.

I was actually considering that maybe the person who complained runs their own daycare center. Maybe it irked them that these parents found a way around using it. Who knows?

That's what I wonder too, what was the actual nature of the complaint.

I remember when my older brother and his wife first got married, and were one short of the Brady Bunch as she had custody of her three and he had custody of his two...between the ages of 7 and 12 I believe. They lived in a small cul-de-sac and my sis in law told me one of the neighbors complained about the kids playing in the cul-de-sac. Her comment was "I LOVE the sound of kids playing and having fun." Well yeah...so do I.

Sadly, some crotchedy buttheads don't. If there were a legitimate complaint that's one thing, but I tend to lean towards the idea of a crotchedy butthead.

Well I think it's a crock.

My house has always been a refuge for boatloads of kids...from ages 5-25. I have never had any problems more than once. No smoking, no drinking, no drugs. Be quiet and respectful, pick up your trash and make yourself comfortable.

And yet, people always find a reason to complain.

Wouldn't calling police be the first option, if the complain is legit ie. noise, trespassing etc.?

perhaps they did and the police said "it's not criminal but maybe the state would be able to do something...."

Wherever there's a law there always someone ready to turn someone else in for breaking it......

Or twist it away from it's original intent, for their own purposes.

that too. Especially if it means they get to send official letters. On headed notepaper. And feel all importent in their soulless gray cubicle.

Speaking of complaining neighbors, we have a gas station that is a block from our house. This gas station also rents out moving trucks. They parked the moving trucks in the fairly empty lot of a nearby grocery store. To pay for that parking space, they donated money to the grocery store manager's favorite charity.

During a walking neighborhood meeting designed to look at sidewalk issues, some people in the civic association noticed that there was some trash near the trucks, and they thought all the trucks themselves were ugly. They complained to the corporate headquarters of the grocery store. The main headquarters told the store manager that they couldn't let the trucks be parked in the parking lot.

So now the trucks are parked on the streets near the gas station, in front of people's houses. The parking there is perfectly legal, and there is nothing the homeowners can do about it. The gas station feels bad, but they lost their parking in the lot, and there is nowhere else to park the trucks.

So then (this is getting long) somebody complained to the county that the gas station doesn't have permits for two businesses in that one location. The county agreed. It can only be a gas station that does "light repairs." The station applied for a permit to do the truck rentals too, but was denied. They are now appealing.

One interesting thing to come out of this is the definition of "light repairs." We have had our car worked on for years at this place, and much of it was apparently not allowed. Their "light repairs" permit only allows them to change oil, swap out windshield wiper blades, and minor things like that. I don't think they can even legally replace a tire. So this corner station is faced with having to lay off three workers who do the truck rental business, and lay off two mechanics who do car repairs all day long.

It's been there since the 1940's, the owner and a couple of the workers live in the neighborhood, and now it might shut down entirely just because of a complaint about trash in a parking lot that has snowballed out of control.

I feel a little bad for the people who live right next door to the gas station, but the place has been there for half a century. If you buy a house next to a gas station, you have to expect that you will be living next to a gas station.

gits

I'd like to see the legal definition of light repairs.

You take the burnt-out bulb out, and put a new one in. Sometimes, re-wiring is required.

That's the problem, they can change the bulb but are they allowed to fix the wires? How many wires? How long, and what gage, can the wires be? How about fuses? See what I mean? ;)

A pub in one of our borough's towns was having its licence renewed (for late night opening and live music with extended hours on certain occasions like Christmas). A bunch of local residents complained.

These residents have bought houses and flats in the centre of town where the night life is. They then attempted to close down or curtail some of that nightlife. If you don't want to hear late music don't buy a house off the busy high street of a town centre.

We get similar nonsense out here. People move to the country to get away from high taxes and to be able to use their property freely then start agitating for services and complaining about their neighbors smelly cattle. :headshake

...and people who move to a district with good schools, then complain about property taxes. :right:

Rough goddamn way to fix a statute, but this is a more positive outcome than would be come up with by the average School Board in a situation like this. Twain was right about School Boards.

Do you mean this one? :)

I love Twain. Here's a good one:

"There are people who strictly deprive themselves of each and every eatable, drinkable, and smokable which has in any way acquired a shady reputation. They pay this price for health. And health is all they get for it. How strange it is. It is like paying out your whole fortune for a cow that has gone dry."

Mom ordered to stop baby-sitting friends’ kids

It's Biden's fault.

:lol:

It's for the children, think of the children, we must do stupid shit for the children. :rolleyes:

I agree with that statement Bruce, but they should have been able to determine the reality of this particular situation and been done with it.

Can your kids go on a sleep-over at a friend's house if it will be supervised by the parents of that household ???

I think there has to be a minimum of 28 days coverage.

Some of my kids' sleepovers have FELT like they were four weeks long . . .

I've just been wondering how it could be considered a 'day care centre' if the woman is not being paid. Surely that moots the point from all perspectives doesn't it? Last time I checked there were no free child care centres.

Bruce, that may be one of the single best things you ever write. And the smiley is a necessity. Bravo.

And what Classicman said, too.