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This is my next door neighbor, and with our small lots and the way the front door faces, it's hard not to notice. Every afternoon, a van pulls up, a woman and the two kids get out. She walks them up to the front door, unlocks it for them, they go inside, she locks the door, gets in her van and leaves. Two hours later, both parents get home.
I'm not a nosy neighbor, and the last thing I want to do is make the neighbors uncomfortable or cause any difficulties for them. I just feel like the kids are too young to be home alone.
They are far too young to be home alone. I think that you should call CPS.
Or, at least go over and talk to the neighbor and his wife. Tell them you are concerned, and that the kids should spend those couple of hours at your house....or volunteer your daughter....if you think these people are trustworthy enough that you'd want your daughter in their home. Do something.
....if you think these people are trustworthy enough that you'd want your daughter in their home. Do something.
I personally wouldn't want my teen daughter in their home, if they are untrustworthy enough to abandon their own kids on a daily basis, who knows what else they would do? It's not like they'll treat other people better than they treat their own kids. It's also very unlikely they have money to hire a babysitter. We have people like that in our neighborhood who work 2 or 3 jobs, leave their kids alone all day and all weekend; some seem to think random strangers should look after their kids or they try to rope someone they know into free childcare. I feel sorry for the kids, sure, but I don't feel sorry for the parents. They make the neighborhood a worse place. People learn about these problem areas and then decide not to move here.
Your obligation here is clear. Tell the neighbors they can either pay your daughter to watch their kids for $X per hour or you will call the cops and have their children taken away from them. If they resist, double the $X rate, pull out your cell phone and start dialing the police. They don't want to lose their kids, and you have them by the short hairs.
Moderator cut: delete
So, extort them? Nice!
OP, Call CPS, and let the authorities handle it. Perhaps the parents will decide that they don't REALLY need a second income, if it means they will lose their children.
Sorry but that could be considered extortion. "Hire my kid, pay her money or I'll call the cops and report you". Do you realize that kind of threat is probably illegal?
Worst advice here.
How can it be the worst advice when it's just a more blunt version of what a few posters have already suggested?
How can it be the worst advice when it's just a more blunt version of what a few posters have already suggested?
Because you threatened someone with calling the authorities if they did not financially benefit your family. That isn't a more blunt version of anything, it is extortion and is immoral.
Because you threatened someone with calling the authorities if they did not financially benefit your family. That isn't a more blunt version of anything, it is extortion and is immoral.
Look back...it is. I said upfront what others have said in "so many words".
I wonder how many of those who advocate that the OP mind his own business responded to the news of the abuse suffered by the Turpin and Hart children with "Why didn't someone do something?".
Look back...it is. I said upfront what others have said in "so many words".
Maybe you don't know what "in so many words" mean but it would mean you said the exact same thing with less words. No you said something completely different, that the OP should extort her neighbor for her own personal gain. No one else except you suggested that.
"What are we going to do with the kids? Neither one of us will be home between 2pm and 4pm"
"I don't know, can you leave work early?"
"No, I asked and they won't let me. Can you go in late?"
"No, nobody will cover for me. Besides they're still mad at me about all the time I took off when our son was sick."
"Damn. Can we get a sitter?"
"No, you know we've gone over the numbers and we're barely making ends meet as it is. You know the jobs we were able to find don't pay nearly as much as our old ones and we weren't swimming in money then either."
"Well I guess they'll have to be OK for a couple of hours after school. It'll just be for a few weeks anyway...things are supposed to slow down at work over the summer."
Two weeks later:
***knock knock knock***
"I've noticed you're leaving the kids home alone in the afternoon. They're awfully young. I'd hate to have someone call CPS on you. Luckily my daughter can babysit for you for a nominal fee."
"Uh thanks but we can't. We'll work something out with the kids though."
Later that night:
"what are we going to do? We can't pay for a sitter, we can't quit one of our jobs and we can't leave the kids alone or the neighbor is going to call the cops."
"I guess we move out. We can get an apartment downtown on just your salary."
"I lived there when I was younger. I got broken in to every few months and one of my neighbors got shot. I heard it's gotten worse since then. Plus the kids won't have a yard to play in, and I heard they found a body in a back alley over there a few weeks ago."
"Well at least nobody will call the cops on us."
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