It is amazing how many stories I have read recently regarding infants, toddlers and young children receiving bodily harm, traumatic injuries and even death inflicted by other siblings, babysitters, family members, fathers, mothers and boyfriends. We as good parents have to take responsibility for who we leave our young children in care of.

When we have our first baby we go through the chore of visiting prospective daycare centers, learning centers, private schools and home daycares to see how the facility is kept, how the current population behaves, how the current children are treated, background of the caregivers, what the children are taught and all the other things that we deem to be important to us for the benefit and future benefit of our child to find the best option available for our child. Unfortunately, we have to go much further and deeper than all of this. We need to pay close attention to family members, friends and even older siblings as to their interactions with our children to see if we really deem them mature enough, responsible enough or that they have real concern regarding the health and well being of our child or children.

I have read too many very disturbing newspaper articles that describe traumatic bodily harm and death at the hands of the mother’s new boyfriend. We have to question this relationship and its viability from the start. I wonder if the mother had any prior knowledge of this new friend as far as past relationships or relationships with his kids if they have any. Did the mother watch closely the interaction taking place between all the members of the household? Did the mother have any idea if the new boyfriend likes children and had enough patience and caring to take care of small defenseless children. When you look at someone stepping in to a ready made family with older children it is an entirely different situation because the children can speak up and talk to the parent about actions that are questionable. When it comes to infants and very young children they are unable to communicate to the parent about all that is going on when they are not around. Therefore, it is solely up to the responsible parent to be confident and positive that the person that is watching their children has genuine concern for the child as well as the parent.

With the ever increasing rates for childcare sometimes we look to family members or older siblings as an option. Other times we look to and expect the new love of our lives to pitch in when available to assist us when necessary to take on parental responsibility. We all need love and I think sometimes we get involved too quickly before really getting to know someone and it is the infants and young children that are paying a horrible price.

I don’t know what the answer is but I do have to question what kind of society we are living in where you can’t trust older siblings, lovers, family members and sometimes even daycare workers to take good care of our children. We need to seriously review our options and values and sometimes make the uncomfortable decisions that go along with it. I am very thankful that my children are grown and this is not something I have to deal with but for all mothers and fathers that do, I can only hope and pray that you are making good sound choices and I won’t pick up a newspaper and read about your child being injured or killed by someone you felt "comfortable" leaving them with.