Taking your eyes off your kid for a second...

[TravelingGal]

This story makes me so sad. It could happen to any parent, as most mortals have lost track of their kid at one point or another.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40310035/ns/us_news-life/

And then to have their sons death turn into national news. I cannot imagine.

 

[dragonfly411]

That's very sad! I wonder if in the midst of crowds leaving the boy became lost. I cannot imagine feeling that panic of looking for my child just to find out this....

 

[fieryred33143]

Oh that poor baby

You don't realize just how quickly toddlers can move

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Toddlers do move quickly. It also doesn't help that so many people drink during sporting events.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Omg how horrible! That poor family!

And wtf, why did the article add at the end that they were unsure if it would affect the game tonight? How effing rude and insensitive!

 

[soocool]

This brought tears to my eyes. . Makes me wonder if because of this tragedy will they take extra precautions so this does not happen again or will just label it as a "freak" incident.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ack, how horrible. How did it happen?? The glass should be high enough, no?

My worste nightmare for sure. It really could happen to anyone.

 

[TravelingGal]

Dreamer it looks high enough...somehow this kid scaled it.

 

[dragonfly411]

Is it possible that there are gaps anywhere in the glass?

 

[LAJennifer]

Though I've never been in the luxury boxes at the Staples Center, the steepness of the steps and regular seating area gives me panic attacks. This story does not surprise me at all. I'm actually kind of shocked this hasn't happened before. The glass walls aren't very tall at all - it always makes me nervous when I'm near them.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Dreamer it looks high enough...somehow this kid scaled it.

Good lord!

 

[TravelingGal]

Dreamer it looks high enough...somehow this kid scaled it.

Good lord!

Actually, I just read the comments on the LA times board. People are wondering if the parents are at fault and had the kid at the railing and somehow accidently the kid got over. It's terrible what some people are saying, but here is the pic of the glass. You'd think someone would have noticed, because it doesn't look like the kid could easily vault over.

 

[fieryred33143]

I keep thinking about this case. I can't imagine being forever plagued with the thoughts of what if.

What if they had skipped the game that night?
What if they had gotten a baby sitter?
What if they took pics at another location; grabbed the boy by the hand; didn't turn their heads for that split second?

I guess this is what therapists are for. I don't think I could ever recover from this and no words could ever take away the pain.

 

[meresal]

This is so sad and hits VERY close to home. My thoughts are with this family.

My IL's have a luxury box at our alma mater football stadium. It has the upper area where you have a tv, couch, and bar area... and then below there are 3 rows of seats with a 3 foot wall and a 6 inch glass panel on top of that that separates the chairs from the sky. It is a bit higher where the stairs are in case someone were to trip walking down them (which you can see next to the man's shoulder), which is exactly how the boxes in this picture show it.
From being at games, you would be surprised at how many people NEVER sit in their seats and just socialize most of the game in the upper area, ESPECIALLY once the game is over and everyone is grabbing one last drink, saying goodbye, and gatrhering their things.

In all honesty, the child could have been the only person down near the seats and just climbed over without a single person noticing. Becuase of this story, I will NEVER allow my children to sit in the lower level alone. Either myself or my husband will sit with them at all times. I am 26 and I still wonder what it is like to look straight down over the glass, I can only imagine how inticing that would be to a toddler!

Tgal- The seats are VERY close to the walls, if a kid were say standing on a seat, he could easily "jump/lean" forward and go over the glass.

 

[lili]

Did he fall where the guy is looking down?
Looks like a panel is missing there.

 

[meresal]

Did he fall where the guy is looking down?
Looks like a panel is missing there.

lili, the one panel is much taller b/c that is where the stairs are. the rest are supposed to be that short.

 

[TravelingGal]

lili, I don't know....can't quite tell.

All I know is (from the comments I've read) some people are so quick to judge the parents. It's not even my child and I'm going through the "what ifs" that fiery mentioned in my mind for them. It just breaks my heart....the morning must have felt horrifically surreal to them to see a new day that their child was never going to see.

 

[ForteKitty]

They're saying the kid was lifted up and the group was taking a picture when he fell...

 

[fieryred33143]

I think people want to blame anyone for this tragic of an accident because it makes it better *for them* to process. "This won't happen to me and my family because those parents were just terrible parents who don't pay attention to their kids."

When you take away the blame and anger, it's incredibly sad to process. As Tgal said, this isn't my child and I don't know these people but my heart aches for them. And reading the line that the baby was still moving arms/legs/head when on the ground makes it so much more painful. Poor baby felt all of that pain before he passed

 

[Laila619]

Ugh, how sad.

 

[packrat]

Ohhh my heavens. What a nightmare.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Tragic.

 

[TravelingGal]

Tgal- The seats are VERY close to the walls, if a kid were say standing on a seat, he could easily "jump/lean" forward and go over the glass.

LA times posted this pic. I had no idea it was so close...I won't speculate at what happened, but it really doesn't look like a safe area for children.

 

[ForteKitty]

i've been in one of those boxes @ staples, and I honestly dont believe a 2 yr old can climb onto/over the glass or climb onto a chair and jump onto the glass on his own. poor child.

 

[Pandora II]

I have been amazed at what Daisy has climbed onto when she was 15 months - climbing out of out sitting-room window for one (not a problem as we have a safe area underneath and she couldn't hurt herself) which I would never have thought possible and I dread to think what she'd be capable of at 2!

Here in London we have a massive department store and all the floors are around a massive atrium where the escalators are etc. Around the sides are glass panels that come about chest-height on me. It still terrifies the life out of me and I start to feel sick if I go too near and when DH used to go near them with Daisy in a sling I used to almost be physically sick.

There is a huge drop down and no safety measures between floors or between the top of the glass and the ceilings. I just have images of someone throwing someone off, or a child falling over, or someone killing themselves by jumping...

Maybe I'm being stupid but I'd rather have it completely glassed in and less aesthetically pleasing.

Those parents must be devastated and I can't believe all those who are calling for them to be prosecuted for neglect - WTH...

I can't watch D every second and she does run off and won't hold my hand - one of the reasons that I keep Madam in reins at all times when she's out of the stroller in public! It's just not worth the risk! I will admit that I have walked off when she's been throwing a tantrum but always having checked that she will be safe first...

 

[meresal]

Pandora- You are not the only one. DH and I frequently stay at a hotel that has an atrium center, and it makes me physically ill as well (not to mention usually quite angry) when DH, who is 6-4, walks close to the barrier with C. I literally walk along the opposite wall just in case I were to trip or something. Scares the living crap out of me, just to have him close to it. You never know what a child is going to do or possibly fling themselves around and out of your arms.

I actually just had this conversation with my BIL who is just now getting used to holding the baby. He was so scared at first that he might drop the baby, and I didn't quite understand it, becuase IMO they get MUCH harder to hold as they get older!
This also scares me concerning my DH, I worry that he is getting too used to C just sitting in his arms. I would hate for him to think that it is ok to hold the baby close to the edge of the suite, only to have C jump out of his arms unexpectidely.

 

[Pandora II]

Exactly!

DH thought I was neurotic until the day Daisy (at 3 months) threw herself backwards out of his arms straight into a wardrobe and cupboard and gave herself a black eye! He cried all evening with the shock and guilt - she cried for 20 seconds!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Hunter can scale walls as long as he has a hand grip. If a 2 year old can reach the top of the glass, he can get over, especially if he can get his feet up on the seats.

People are really mean and evil about accusing the parents in this case. And Fiery, you are 100% correct that it is to pretect themselves from facing the grim reality that accidents, horrible terrible accidents, can happen to any of our kids. It is called blaming the victim, and we do it all.the.time to parents of dead kids, rape victims, assault or batery victims... anything to allay our fears that it could happen to us. Psychology is a B*TCH.

 

[qtiekiki]

I am not surprised that a 2 years old can climb over the plexi glass. It's not very high at all; I think it's only about waist height at most. There's a very small ledge where the plexi glass is, so the toddler could've gotten on that. It's a tragedy. The people's comments on those news site were horrible. Some are saying 2 y.o. doesn't belong at a sport game, and that really makes me wonder. As some of you know, we had taken Meena to a couple games. And even though nothing happened, I am questioning my judgement.

 

[Loves2Laugh]

So, soo sad!! My thoughts and prayers go out to the little boy and his family. This is a reality check for sure!