Stranger at the Door

Leaving your children home alone always carries some element of risk.  Even when you have confidence in them, you worry.  Now I know why.

Wednesday my children had the day off school.  I had a long overdue hair appointment.  My nine year old son was awake and eating breakfast.  My twelve year old and four year old daughters were still sleeping.  I gave my son some instructions and left.  Going down my dirt road, I passed a white car going suspiciously slow since most cars fly down our road.  It made me uneasy thinking I had left my driveway empty when I left.  I thought I would call my son and just remind him to not answer the door in case anyone stopped by.  Before he could respond to my reminder, I heard a man’s voice.  I could not believe what I was hearing.  My son then told me that my daughter had already opened the door for some guy in a white car!  I was only a mile down the road so I whipped through an open gravel turn around and flew through a stop sign. I was insane, fully expecting to smash head on to this car if it came along.  My son then told me the man had left.  I insisted on talking to my daughter.  How could she do that?  She was my responsible and cautious child, how could she open the door to a stranger when they were home alone?  She was rattled.  She had just woke up and she wasn’t sure why she had done that.  She was scared but felt pressured because the man had seen the kids from the door.

 I wanted to puke all over myself. I still have a difficult time understanding.  My son has a nature that is incredibly trusting and somewhat oblivious.  I expect to have to remind him.  I would have never dreamed that my older daughter  would do such a thing.  It was a wake up call.  No matter how much you impress upon your children the importance of different safety precautions, you just never know.