Should I turn in this mom?

[TexTornado]

I don't know what to do.  My neighbor routinely leaves her two children at home alone.  They are 4 & 5.  She will lock them in the house and tell them not to come outside for any reason.  She has told me she does this.  I have asked, what if there's a fire?  She brushes it off & says Oh that will never happen. 

She is very dismissive of anything bad happening.  Making me feel silly for even suggesting it.

I am not her mother and not really even a friend, she's just a neighbor. I can't lecture her, she blows it off.  I can't appeal to her common sense, she has none.

I am not a stern person and I don't speak up that much and I would be very uncomfortable starting a fight or a big scene with her. 

She waited until she was 40 to have the first child so I woud assume she had gained some common sense before having children.  I guess I was wrong. 

I am sure the chances of something bad happening are very remote.  But what a tragedy if it does happen!! 

What would you do? 

[cjsix]

 The next time you know she has done this I'd call the police. I'm not sure but,I would think they would be there asap(it's considered child endangerment at the very least) and they will probably try and contact other family or get contact cps. God forbid something happened while those precious children were locked inside and couldn't get out.

[Siannashell]

Cps needs to be called for sure!

[Schleetle]

It's not safe for kids that young to be home alone, so yes if I knew it was happening I would report it. I don't typically stick my nose in other people's business, but she told you about it. If I knew about it, and something terrible happened to the kids I would never forgive myself.

[Siannashell]

Quoting Schleetle:

It's not safe for kids that young to be home alone, so yes if I knew it was happening I would report it. I don't typically stick my nose in other people's business, but she told you about it. If I knew about it, and something terrible happened to the kids I would never forgive myself.

Agreed.

[littleacorn]

I agree it isn't safe, but what is the law where you are at? Some states have minimum ages and some don't. If there is no minimum age, they might not even do anything about it, sadly.

[Lorelai_Nicole]

You need to call the police the next time you know this is happening. Everybody thinks "oh it won't happen to me"...My neighbors across the street lost their house because a fire started in their clothes dryer. It CAN happen to you, and those children are in danger. Fire, break-ins, accidents...So much can go wrong.

[Lorelai_Nicole]

Here in California there is no minimum age, but you can bet the police would be there if this happened here. Minimum age or not, a 4 and 5yo home alone is child endangerment.

Quoting littleacorn:

I agree it isn't safe, but what is the law where you are at? Some states have minimum ages and some don't. If there is no minimum age, they might not even do anything about it, sadly.

[TexTornado]

We are in a suburb of Dallas.  And I actually don't know what the laws are here, I have never had to worry about it!  I have a 9 yr old that I won't leave home alone.

I can't imagine any state thinking it's ok to leave a 4 & 5 year old alone.  I guess I will have to call either CPS or the police. 

[littleacorn]

I would hope so, but I called on my son's dad once for leaving him all by himself in Ohio when he was 7 and they sent the police, the police saw he had a dog with him and said that was good enough. I couldn't believe it! It wasn't even a particularly good neighborhood so WTF good would a dog do in a drive by or if there was a fire??? The thing I find ironic about that whole thing with my son and the dog is that the dog died about a year ago, by being POISONED in that same neighborhood, while my son was home alone with the dog. Fat lot of protection being alone with a dog is! I felt so terrible for my son to, having to watch his dog die while he was the only one there!

Quoting Lorelai_Nicole:

Here in California there is no minimum age, but you can bet the police would be there if this happened here. Minimum age or not, a 4 and 5yo home alone is child endangerment.

Quoting littleacorn:

I agree it isn't safe, but what is the law where you are at? Some states have minimum ages and some don't. If there is no minimum age, they might not even do anything about it, sadly.

[allornone]

Not that it matters but is it to take the trash out or all day?