Irresponsible babysitters

A Johnstown girl is scheduled to be sentenced today in the death of her 7-year-old half-sister earlier this year.
The girl, 16, told police her sister became unresponsive after she and her boyfriend body-slammed, karate chopped and kicked the child, imitating a Mortal Kombat video game.

According to reports, the girl pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, and will testify against her 17-year-old boyfriend.

And across the country today, a 16-year-old Georgia boy is behind bars on suspicion of child abuse. Investigators in Lee County received a tip that he'd posted a video on the Internet of himself launching an 8-month old baby into the air by throwing his weight onto an inflatable pillow where the baby lay.

Video shows the baby bouncing into the air, landing feet away, hard, on the floor.

Though it's difficult to believe, reports indicated the baby was not seriously hurt, though its cries are gut-wrenchingly audible in the video aired on the web today.

(Note: the video below�is quite disturbing. I sort of wish I hadn't watched it.)

My heart breaks for the parents of the victimized children in these cases. To think that they went about their lives believing their children were being cared for and monitored, only to learn that they were treated in such a manner - or as in the Johnstown girl's case, effectively killed for sport by a sibling.

The report on the "bounced" baby said the baby had been left in the care of the boy who filmed the incident.

But I want to know, where the adults were when this incident was taking place? There is no way any adult in his or her right mind, wouldn't come running upon hearing a baby scream like that.

It's just truly sickening.

Obviously, all teenagers are not irresponsible like the kids implicated in these cases, so therefore it would be ridiculous for me to urge parents to refrain from leaving their young children in teens' care.

For example, I began babysitting when I was 12 years old, and never raised a hand to a child I was watching. (And I put up with some hellions, believe you me.)

But I urge parents to be selective about who minds their offspring. Ask for references. Ask questions. Keep tabs on them. Show up unexpectedly.

Be suspicious, EVEN IF the babysitter is another one of your own children.

Don't worry about offending or putting-out any would-be child care provider. Those with nothing to hide have no cause to be defensive.