There are some things that I think should disqualify people from being allowed to have or keep the children they have.  I know that people make mistakes and some should be allowed, but some should not.  Some are just so ridiculous that they should be deemed unfit to parent.

One thing that has been rampant throughout the news lately (maybe it's just that the news stations decided to start reporting all these types of stories) is parents, and just people in general, leaving their children in cars for a period of time long enough for them to overheat and die.  The latest one that I've heard of resulting in death was a father who left his 18 month and 5 month old children in the car while smoking with a friend.  They both died of environmental hyperthermia with body core temperatures of 109 and 105 respectively. You would think will all the news of kids dying that people would get the message.  Apparently some don't.

I have also heard of parents leaving their children alone for hours on end.  Sure, your 6 year old may be mature for his or her age, but are they mature and old enough to know what to do if someone breaks into your house while you aren't there?  I don't think so.  And just because they are mature, doesn't mean that the younger children in the house are smart enough to realize that the 6 year old is actually in charge in that situation.  The youngest I was when left alone was when I was 10 and even then, it was only for 30 minutes so my mother could buy milk.  I can't stand it when I hear of young children being left alone overnight so that the parent can go to their second job.  Get a babysitter or do without.  Or give up your kids.

A no brain-er would be the child molesters out there, however, that leaves a grey area for the other parent.  The one that knows something is going on but refuses to acknowledge because they think they know their spouse well enough that they wouldn't do it.  If you are that in denial about what is going on with your child, you have no right to have them.  I would rather divorce my husband and be alone than have him hurting my children.

Speaking of divorce, I have seen the repercussions of using children as leverage in a divorce.  It is absolutely unnecessary and stupid.  All it does is hurt the children.  If that happens, the using the children need to have supervised visits only.  My older brother and sister were constantly told by their mother that their father (my father as well) did not want to see them, never paid child support, etc.  That was completely untrue. I have only seen my father cry once, and it was because she would not let him see them.  She would also spend all the child support money he sent on clothing for her.  Nothing for the kids. Absolutely unforgivable. 

Other things that just bother me that I don't think need to result in people's children being taken away include letting them get away with absolutely anything, and letting them watch rated 'R' movies and play 'Mature' video games at a young age without supervision or explanation.  Working in a restaurant gives plenty of examples of kids that are allowed to get away with anything, throwing tantrums, screaming, crying, yelling, hitting.  Ridiculous.  If we acted that way as kids, my parents up and left.  We left our cart in the middle of the grocery store a couple of times because we weren't behaving.  Let me tell you, that actually worked.  After my youngest brother turned 3, there were never any problems with us misbehaving in public since we all knew that we wouldn't get ANYTHING anyway.  And as for the movies and video games, I was allowed to watch rated 'R' movies as young as 6 but only when my parents were there describing what was right, what was wrong, what wasn't real and what we really should do in that kind of scenario.  They figured that it was better that way than me going behind their backs when I got older and figuring things out on my own without their guidance.  And you know what?  I don't think I turned out all that bad for it.