Seven-year-old boy found on sidewalk with alcohol poisoning

Ok, my first question on this is where are the parents??? Maybe I was raised differently than the rest of the world, or maybe my parents were just over protective, but I know at 7 years old I was not allowed to go to the park on my own, even though it was just around the corner, and having my brother with me was no exception. On top of it all, at 6pm, its dark now....I had the rule you better be on our property before the street lights come on....I don't know....once again I'm just disturbed...

Americangirl, here in Berlin it is quite common to see kids running around the streets by themselves, as they don't have yards of their own to play in, and maybe just a Hinterhof where they are not allowed to make a lot of noise. I see kids all the time, kicking their soccer ball around on the sidewalk, going off to the grocery store by themselves (as young as 5 and 6) and generally entertaining themselves without adult supervision.

At 7 I was allowed to go to the park by myself, but it was across the street and fully visible from our house, and we lived in a very very very residential neighborhood. Plus the street was broad and long, you couldn't just snatch up a child and duck around the corner with him--you would definitely be seen.

I guess that's just life here, but I, like you, always raise an eyebrow when I see kids kicking cans around or pretend karate-ing or playing soccer in the middle of the street, where there is tons of traffic and drunken grownups, especially after dark. Crazy.

7? that's 2nd year of primary school, have been walking to school and was most of the time without my parents at the playground (had to be home before it gets dark though) I would guess that's rather common?! I mean it's not like you're by yourself, there are usually other parents around as well.

There is something seriously wrong when a 7 year old drinks any alcohol though

Good Lord...I hope he is ok though...he has his older brother to blame for this, parents can do everything for their kids but sometimes you just turn your back and some thing bad happens. Very sad tho!!

His 9 year old older brother should also have been at home at 6pm on a dark winters evening, not hanging out in the park.

What is the area like where this happened? I do not know Spandau very well...

I'm getting a neg. vote for wondering where the parents were and thinking that it is wrong for a 7 year old to be on the streets after dark, and drunk....ok then....

There were quite a few American children in my daughter's class. It was noticeable that the American parents were much more protective of their children. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not knocking it.

I remember arranging to go to a museum with a mother after class. She was a little bit late so I suggested that we just walk out towards the exit and wait for the mother there. The child said that she had been told that she was not allowed to leave the school with anyone - so we had to wait inside. I was impressed that she had the self-assurance to say no to me. Also that she listened to her parents.

There were other similar incidents - to a lesser degree. American parents were just that little bit more careful - and rightly so.

I am only saying this because this loosening of the reins may seem strange to those who did not experience it.

You will find German (and other) kids alone on the streets after it is dark.

Yes, there is a reason to be protective of one's children. How much can one be, though? That is the most difficult question for a parent, I think.

Oh, and my comment to this story. It is horrific.

I do remember though, having some neighbour kids over and all of us raiding my father's drinks cupboard (we were probably 10-ish) and taking swigs of his vodka and filling it up with water, to hide the crime .. *cough cough* I don't think any of us actually got drunk (maybe the swigs were only sips). That is what (some) children do.

Back in my childhood, you could buy single cigarettes. We used to buy some and smoke behind the garage. Now that I think of it, why on earth did they sell the fags to us? We were about 8 or 9 !!! (first the fags then the booze - story of my childhood (NOT )!!!)

I do hope this child recovers without too much harm.

Edit:A greenie from me, because I understand what you mean!!!

8 posts in and not a single Michael Jackson gag in sight.

Maybe thats the reason why American children choose guns once they grow up. To overcome the insecurity as they cannot forever be protected by their parents. Just a thought.

I've never owned a gun and I'm American. Though my mom does roll in my posse.

I saw nothing about this story on Toytown I wonder if it is real?

So why don't german kids buy machine guns considering they're routinely coddled at home well into their late twenties?

Edit: Oh, wait, they already tried that.

Nope for all the brits who come over to the states , open ex-pat English pubs, sell strongbow and Guiness beer , show football at 9am, and roll out at 11 am all pissed ready for a fight. Granted we are of the same demeanor but more PM type of people when this occurs.

Everybody is paranoid about kidnapping here. Did you read about the girl of about the same age who was just killed and dumped in the trash in Florida? She had been walking home from school with her older sister.

@ bohemka, LOL!!

I was walking to & from school (often alone, as my brothers ditched me regularly) starting at the age of 5, and we were out on the streets until/ past dark, every day, sans adults. Different times, I guess. Oh, and yes long-haul, we had guns and regular target practice in the backyard. No booze at our house, though!

I was just talking to my brother about Halloween in Ireland. When we were kids we would go out knocking at doors until at least 10 at night - not a bother. Nowadays kids are escorted, while the parents hide behind hedges keeping an eye out for them.

My brother did enjoy the socialness of being with the other parents, though.

Would you like to guess which country has the highest number of murders?

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur-crime-murders

Here's a hint, the US comes in at #5.

Correction....the US is #24 PER CAPITA. You can not compare large countries, like the US, with smaller countries the size of a large city. Also, I would have to wonder about the validity of this list considering that Liberia, the Sudan and Iraq are not on the list. Does genocide not fall under the category of murder?

Now try the same with number of deaths by firearm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate

Heres a hint the US comes in top by a long margin.

How ridiculous. The numbers mean nothing unless you look at the "per capita" list, and then the US comes in at #24. Still fairly appalling, but not #5.

To those of you that stated american parents are over protective:

You are apparently completely unaware of the fact that a child goes missing every 40 seconds in the United States and that 1 in every 42 children go missing each year in the USA (this figure includes family abductions).

The worst part is that more than half of these are non-family abductions and the child is never recovered alive.

Unfortunately, in the USA we have an epidemic and entire fields of study and crime task forces are dedicated to this problem.

Any parents considering moving to the US with their children need to be made aware of this.

Here is a link of one of the hundreds of foundations committed to research and prevention if you are interested in educating yourself further.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=111-h20090720-25&person=400652

This is one of many and you can easily do independent research on this scary topic via www.google.com

stacyas, on the flip side, if we deprive our children of the freedom to play unsupervised, we are depriving them of a childhood. I think some balance is needed... Remember our motto: No Fear. (right?...)

Let your kids out to play

If nothing else positive comes out in this case, hopefully the child victim will be discouraged by this experience from trying alcohol again for a very long time.

I'm not saying we should all give up and hide inside.

I am simply pointing out the facts.

It is just so disturbing and anyone who does a little reasearch will find these statistics very alarming.

Most of the countries in western Europe - in fact all have a lower violent crime rate than that of the US.

It is typically 1/5 that of the US....quite depressing.

I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life in a country where this is such an issue and I would never raise children here.

Well, I felt that I could never raise my son in Germany (for many reasons other than crime stats), and we left. To each their own.

LOL... yes, of course, but not quite as appalling or ridiculous as long-haul's assumption that American children choose guns once they've grown up because of over-protective parents.

I felt the same about raising my kids in the States. I think it is better here, albeit in the right town and setting.

I'd like to chime in on something I know practically nothing about.

Kids these days, seriously, are not out for each other's best interest. I have fairly regular contact with a group of kids at this age and slightly older, and I wouldn't dream of leaving them entirely unsupervised. It's not that an evil outside force will come into play, it's that they will bring harm upon themselves, most likely on purpose.

The stuff I see these kids pull on each other to get a laugh is downright scary. Pain is often involved, if not the outright goal. Things aren't thought through. There are no repercussions, and certainly no long-term ill effects. Slam Bobby's head in the car door? Great fun! The fact that some slightly older kids tricked a nine-year old and a seven-year old into drinking alcohol does not surprise me in the least.

Plenty of children are raised quite successfully in the United States, thank you very much. The situation for kids in Germany is not necessarily all that rosy. A low national crime rate isn't everything, you know.

Presumably you know this already, if you were brought up in the US. What have you got to complain about?

Kids will be Kids...

Life is a big "learning curve"

Some kids learn by doing, some learn by seeing.. some just dont learn..

If this poor kid survives, I bet they never drink Alcohol again in their Life!

If the Kid dies.. I bet their "friends" think twice about booze..

Its good that the Local brings these stories to light, but , the story is a bit lame...

Worthy of a "news" post...?? I dunno, I certainly wont remember where I was when this happened... unlike the Lady die fiasco!

SP

Stacyas, I mentioned the "over-protectiveness" rather as an observation, when someone expressed surprise at leaving children out to play after dark. I was not criticising it.

Rather, I see it as a sign of our times, unfortunately.

I do think Mlovett expressed my sentiment perfectly in #22.

fear of guns in US, fear of depressions and stress in Germany... is the same thing dressed in different colors...

still, the kid was outside in dark time, with his 9yr old brother, drinking alcohol... something is wrong anyway you put it.

That?s really sad!

Poor kid, one my students was adopted dude to the same sort of lack of care from her parents (not as bad im sure) lets just hope he is also adopted by a couple that will provide better care.

In my day a seven year old could knock back a fifth of jack with no hesitation. This is what happens in the New World order. Russian kids can out drink ours.

When we teach our kids to read, write and table manners, we certainly should make them aware of the effects of alcohol and ciggies. As for staying out in the dark, perhaps it is reason enough to stop the annual ritual of putting our clocks an hour behind

This is so sad and disturbing. I don't think a child that is loved and well cared for by his family would do something like this. Children are a product of their environment. I think the parents should be held responsible.