Be Mindful of Our Children

I WAS having late lunch today on my lanai when I saw my neighbour’s son, a very young boy, perched himself precariously on the beam of their 6th floor balcony’s wall.

Obviously unattended, the boy had climbed on the edge of the wall to reach out at some blooming flowers in a pot his parents had placed by the ledge.

When I saw this, my heart felt like it had crashed six floors down to the poolside for that was how high my neighbour’s unit is. I couldn’t shout at the kid as he wouldn’t be able to hear me. We live across to each other and “balcony to balcony” chit chats are impossible unless you use a loudspeaker.

Clipart: Humpty Dumpty 1 - LESLIE L. BROOKE
http://www.openclipart.org/user-detail/FunDraw_dot_com

 

If an accident were to happen I wouldn’t even have time to call the security guards to warn the parents. So I stopped lunch and leaned against the railing of my French window and clapped my hands loudly so he could hear me. He was oblivious and kept stretching his body forward to reach for the flowers. When he knew he couldn’t reach the blooms I saw him lifted one leg up so he could stretch even further. I was just counting the seconds when I saw that.

My neighbour’s balcony has no extra railings or high wall to prevent a kid from falling down to the ground. The potted plants were placed on custom-made steel flower planter securely fitted against the beam of the 3 1/2ft wall.

Unlike my unit, my neighbour’s isn’t safe for young children. While my French window has a further 2 1/2ft extension at the front, thus preventing any kid from falling over should they try to attempt a Superman stunt, my neighbour’s has an immediate drop after the wall. The flower planter will not prevent a fall.

I was looking about to see if they were any adults around or the maid who I normally see watering the plants. But no one was in sight. Then I saw the kid’s mother and another woman busy talking away in a room just next to the balcony. Within minutes I saw the boy got down from the ledge and disappeared into their unit.

The boy is still alive. Yes, for now.

But it set me thinking – what is wrong with some parents?