The Small Boy's Difficult Day

[muck_a_luck]

Today, Small Boy got left in the van.

When the other kids got out, he was looking for something on the floor, and the driver shut the door, and Small Boy got left.

Small Boy was too small to open the passenger door, and too scared to try to get out the front doors, so he sat in the van until someone noticed him.

A little more than an hour later.

He was very careful to point out it was one of the first degree black belts who noticed him.

I think he cried nearly the entire time.

The Grand Master was very distressed. You can tell he has a soft spot for the little ones, and I think he was horrified that something like this could happen.

I'm just glad it wasn't summer.

As a family we have all agreed that it seems like a fluke thing, unlikely ever to happen again, so with some trepidation, I think we are proceeding as we were before.

The main thing I find disturbing about it is that with this breakdown in their system, nobody even missed him. More than a little scary.

Comments

[whatslovetou.livejournal.com]

oh my god, that's awful! i agree about the fluke-ness of it, but... still very scary, i agree. >__<

♥

[lucky-sometimes.livejournal.com]

Awww. thatis a little scary!

Hopefully they learn something from this, like the buddy system, or something.

What they learned

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Well, apparently this driver did something they don't usually do, which contributed to the confusion. There were a lot of vans arriving at once, so rather than drop off at the door, as they usually do, she parked by the building. If they had been dropping off at the door, there would have been much more supervision of the students and additional built in opportunities for an adult to notice a student doing something unexpected. The Master said that he had spoken to the driver and that this drop off procedure would not be violated again.

It was a little unexpected that Small Boy couldn't rescue himself, but that's what happens when you are 7. You don't necessarily think like an adult. But they have kids even younger than Small Boy in this program, down to kindergarten, so plenty of opportunity for even younger students to have this happen to them...

[mresundance.livejournal.com]

Poor guy! That is scary!

I hope the Small Boy is feeling a little better now. And I hope this never happens again to him. :(

How are you doing, but the way?

[vs-mania.livejournal.com]

Poor boy! Hope he's allright now? *hugs*

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

He was a little weepy all evening, but by the next morning, he was fine! :)

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Poor SB! That's awful. I am really surprised they don't have the buddy system. :-(

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

It was the after school drop off, not a field trip. And normally, they are dropped of at the door, and greeted by this HUGE guy who holds the door and pets them all on the head. So their usual system is much safer. Lots more opportunity to be supervised by an adult.