Oh is this a lawsuit! And the info comes from Lowering the Bar’s In Other Child-Care News…
It is apparently frowned upon to put a child down for a nap and then use duct tape to make sure he stays put.
And the problem is what, exactly?
According to Reuters, a Texas couple has sued a day-care center for negligence and fraud after an incident in which someone allegedly duct-taped their kid to a nap mat. A former (likely disgruntled) employee of the day-care center took the picture and sent it to the parents, claiming the boy was one of two children similarly duct-taped that day. Although, based on the picture (this is part of one provided to Reuters by the couple’s law firm), that’s not much of a duct-taping. A single strip? You’re going to want at least two, or preferably dozens, to make sure the child is secure.
Seems like negligence to just use one, frankly.
At the very least, the reported demand of $1 million (!) seems entirely ridiculous. Doesn’t seem to be any claim that the child was physically injured. Maybe he was emotionally distraught, but they’re always like that when they’re two, aren’t they? Take him home and strap him to the Infant Soothing Device for a few hours. He’ll be fine.
According to the couple’s attorney, though, “[t]his is every parent’s worst nightmare.” It is? If this is your worst nightmare, people, you are just not worrying hard enough.
(Just occurred to me that maybe I should have put a warning label on this piece for readers who don’t get sarcasm but do have kids.)
UPDATE 9/5/2014. And here I thought this little item was just a weird-funny one from Lowering the Bar! Apparently no, because Eric Sanders just tweeted about it today: Day care that duct-taped kids to floor may have withheld water to avoid diaper changes.
It does make the story worse, doesn’t it?