Kids take 4-year-old sister to school when mom doesn't come home

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130924/NEWS/130929330/1685#kids-take-4-year-old-sister-to-school-when-mom-doesn-t-come-home

Published Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 3:12 pm / Updated at 4:58 pm

By Kevin Cole

Five Omaha school children deserve an ‘A’ in family living after finding a novel way to care for their 4-year-old sister when their mother failed to return home from a night out.

According to an Omaha Police report, the children decided the little girl should not be left alone. The plan was then to let the little girl accompany the three youngest kids — ages 6, 7 and 8 — to elementary school.

School officials contacted police who learned that the 30-year-old mother left home about 7 p.m. the previous night and hadn’t returned. Police rounded up two older children, ages 12 and 14, from other schools and took all six to Project Harmony for safe keeping.

The mother later went to the elementary school to pick up the 4-year-old. Police said the woman smelled of alcohol and appeared to be under the influence so she was cited for six counts of child neglect.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. Good plan on the part of the kids, but it's sad that they have to make such plans

Sober up, Mom. You just lost the 6 best parts of your life.

[Tien1985]

2. Sad that the kids have

To be the responsible ones.

[sarisataka]

3. Kids who are smarter

and better parents than the actual parent.

[tanyev]

4. Good thing they did that.

Now maybe they'll get some help. If the 14 year old had just stayed home to take care of the 4 year old, it could have continued to escalate.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. My heart breaks

For all of those kids.

[FedUpWithIt All]

6. I had a principal who let my younger siblings hang out with me at my high school.

Our mother was not around, it was a common occurrence, and they had a half day from their elementary school. He excused me from classes and bought all of us lunch. We spent the afternoon delivering passes and other office paperwork around the school.

Kids go through a lot on a daily basis. Hopefully with increased reporting things will improve.