Families have different rules when it comes to leaving their children home alone. In many countries, laws prohibit parents from leaving their kids at home until they reach a certain age. Sometimes, parents bend those rules when they think their child is mature enough to stay on their own. But how young is too young?
We can probably all agree that leaving a responsible teen or even some tweens at home isn’t a big deal. But we likely don’t feel the same way about younger kids, particularly toddlers. Yes, we said toddlers. A mom from China is facing some mom shaming after she reportedly left her 2-year-old daughter at home while she went to work.
Teng believed her daughter could take care of herself.
The mom, whose last name is Teng, lives in the Zhejiang province in eastern China. Like most parents, she is busy, and sometimes things get tough. Per the South China Morning Post, Shaanxi TV reported that Teng thought that her daughter could take care of herself, so she allegedly went to work next door at the restaurant she runs. Even though her daughter is only 2 years old, she is seemingly pretty independent.
There is reportedly video surveillance of the toddler managing by herself.
Teng explained that she watched her daughter on surveillance video and that she was doing OK. The video reportedly shows her in bed in her pajamas, having a bottle of milk, using the bathroom, and later drinking from a water bottle. Her mother said she checked in to be sure there were no problems.
The story raised a few eyebrows.
Reactions on social media have been mixed, Shaanxi TV reported. Many people were shocked that Teng would leave the girl alone.
“Oh my God! What kind of a two-year-old fairy baby is this?” someone commented.
“It is too dangerous. What happens if something unexpected takes place?” another person asked.
But other people didn’t see the big deal. “My daughter is as mature as this little girl. I’m very moved,” someone shared.
But is it against the law?
Teng is technically doing something illegal, the Morning Post reported. China’s Law on the Protection of Minors was enacted in June 2021. It notes that parents or guardians who leave children younger than 18 home alone are breaking the law. There is no specified punishment for a violation.
A similar situation unfolded in Manhattan in late 2022.
TV producer Dax Tejera and his wife, Veronica Tejera, allegedly left their daughters, 2-year-old Sofia and 5-month-old Ella, alone in a hotel room at the Yale Club while they dined around the corner at Bobby Van’s 230 Park.
Tragically, Dax Tejera choked to death the same evening. His wife was later charged with two counts of “acting in a manner injurious to a child,” per the Daily Mail.