itsadncthng I know you were just playing devils advocate, but think of it this way..since you are a parent.

If you are teaching, you don't leave your kids home alone, correct? I'm assuming someone is there with them at all times. What if you were teaching and couldn't make it home on time, you would still expect the caretaker to be there when you came home, wouldn't you?

I understand we all have our own lives and most of you have your own children, but the fact of the matter is, when you are at work, those kids are your responsibility...no matter HOW late the parents are. If you are the last class to leave, you don't leave until the job is done, and I feel that making sure all of your students have been picked up by the parent/caretaker is part of the job.

I mean, twinkletoes, what would you have done if right after you left this child all alone, someone came and took her? The store owner downstairs has no clue who the kids parents are and would probably just assume that is who it is. What if something happened to the parents that they COULDN'T make it and this child was left there all night??

I know at the studios I work at, we are not ALLOWED to leave until every student has left the studio, it's just plain old common sense.

If an hour had gone by, and I hadn't gotten in touch with the parents, I would have driven the kid home myself, to be honest with you...then I probably would have talked to the parents while at their house saying, "Next time, PLEASE don't forget about your child and don't put me in this situation again."