3yr old

[tradey]

hi this is driving me mad and i dont know what to do,theres a family down the road from me they have a little girl of 3,a few times now ive seen her playing out, not in her front garden but on the road, i watched her for ages and no one came out to see where she was,it happend again today,my god shes 3 ,theres cars that drive fast up here im scarred she will get knocked down,should i go round but what do i say and how do i say it

[kate1976]

Maybe you could post an anonymous letter explaining your concern or something! The harsh reality is that some people shouldn't really have children!

We have a few young kids wandering the streets here and one day something may happen (god forbid) but the parents will just be wandering around wondering how it happened!! We've even had a police letter round our area as there is a man who has attempted to abduct 2 kids but yet these parents would rather the kids be out than under their feet, sad state of affairs really!

[vehelpfulguy]

DO NOT GO AND KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR.

People do not appreciate being told they are bad parents, even if they are. It could turn very nasty.

You could report it to the police anonymously, saying you fear there is going to be an accident.

Or phone the council, or maybe the NSPCC.

[Lore]

It is a sad fact of life that more and more toddlers are playing out unsupervised. You can call social services and report your concerns to them - they may not do anything to begin with but they will record it. If there are any further reports then they will more then likely visit the family to check the child is being cared for as expected.

Sadly, until something does happen to this child or any other child in the same situation nothing much can be done. :(

[boobesque]

oh my gosh, thats awful, i feel horrified when i see the 5 year old on my mums road out alone, but 3! She is just a baby, i would report it to the police or the nspcc if the police dont take you serously

[FoxLee]

I would go against everyone else's advice and knock on the door. I wouldn't be accusatory but simply ask if they knew that their little girl was out on her own and that you were worried as you hear so many stories about paedophiles and it would be awful if something happened to such a gorgeous little girl. You don't know the actual circumstances - it could be that the little girl is in the charge of a teenage brother or sister who doesn't understand fully the dangers of letting a little one outside on her own. The worst that can happen is that you get shouted at and told to mind your own business and then you can take matters further by getting other agencies involved.

[tradey]

thankyou to everyone whos replied to me,i just wondered what i should do if anything,well she was out this afternoon i was in the garden with my 2yr old,she came up to the gate i left it for a about 20mins no one came to check,so i went and took her home,i knocked on the door and you know what i heard a voice say go away and play,so i knocked a bloody lot harder a woman came to the door, said what do you want,so i just told her straight,the girls to young to be out on her own lock the gates and let her play in the garden,she looked as if she had been to sleep,if i see her again i wont be knocking on ill be ringing the police thankyou again to everyone

[tl]

Hello, I just wanted to say good for you i'd have done the same thing!!! Good on you

[curiosity]

Good for you Tradey, you are so right to not let these things lie, when something bad does happen to kids and it's in the papers, everyones first response is well didn't anyone do anything? You have, and continue to do so. Every Child Matters is a report that is basically asking society to look out for these kids.

[tradey]

thankyou so much,you know what at first i thought is it the right thing ive done,but since ive been round i havent seen the little girl on the street,just hope it lasts,coz if i see her again ill be doing more than knocking cheers again

[janetsflower]

Good for you, well done. I would definatley report her to the police AND social services, and i would tell her you will do just that if you see the poor child out again. Some people just don't deserve kids and if something does happen to that little girl then everyone will turn against the car driver and it might not be entirely his/her fault. People like that make me angry and sick. Infact if you go round again give em a good slap from me!! (I'm joking)

[tradey]

it really makes me angry too,i cant get over some parents they dont deserve to have kids,i was on my way out taking my 2yr old to the park and the 3yr old was playing but in the garden with the gates shut,lets see how long that lasts cheers again i was unsure if to put it on her i thought people would think i was being nosey,but im not i hate it when children arent being looked after proper thankyou again for the advise

[Francis Asis]

I just want to say WELL DONE YOU. I'm not sure I would have had the guts. I'm just glad not everyone is like me.

[dancecaller]

Yes, well done.
I used to work as a Playgroup Supervisor, and we were encouraged to report any concerns we had. In our case as we knew who the child's doctor was we could contact the Health Visitor, who could deal with it tactfully.