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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should I report this mum? Is it even reportable?

159 replies

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 16:53

I'm seriously concerned about my partner's family member. Well, more so for her kids. She is a young adult. She has a toddler and a baby with different dads. Both toxic and abusive men and she knew about at least one of them when she got with him as he has a criminal record. She is also toxic and my partner believes they were both mutually abusive relationships. She broke up with baby's dad when she was pregnant.

She now has a new boyfriend already. She's posting him on social media and making comments that shows he's staying (living?) round hers with the kids. She keeps basically moving strangers into her home and allowing them to play dad. What if this one, or the next one, is a pedophile or violent to children?

I don't know what I should do. My partner knows it's a mess and he doesn't agree with her desicions at all. He doesn't have much positive to say about her. But he isn't really getting involved and I don't think he's going to do anything. Same with her parents. I get it's difficult. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to one of the little ones.

Do I report somewhere anonymously? Do I stay out of it? That really doesn't seem like the right thing to do. I'd rather not go behind my partner's back and do it, but at the same time I don't know how to have that conversation with him. That's if there's even anything I can report.

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 05/08/2026 17:33

Netcurtainnelly · 05/08/2026 17:31

The children have a right to be safe.
Feel sorry for little ones today. They get no choice in who their mum moves in.
Society's gone down.

You think no child was ever abused by their traditional married parents in the past?

Sunnibee · 05/08/2026 17:33

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:32

Haha my life didn't work out perfectly at all. I've made plenty of mistakes. But I've been the unprotected kid in the situation and I had to pay for it. There are concerns they will be harmed.

Concerns based on what? She's a mum and also has a boyfriend? How very dare she !

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:32

Funkyfoxy · 05/08/2026 17:28

Blimey.. it must be nice that your life worked out so perfectly but that doesn't happen for everyone. As pp said, unless there are concerns the children are being harmed there is nothing to report!

Haha my life didn't work out perfectly at all. I've made plenty of mistakes. But I've been the unprotected kid in the situation and I had to pay for it. There are concerns they will be harmed.

OP posts:
BauhausOfEliott · 05/08/2026 17:31

She now has a new boyfriend already. She's posting him on social media and making comments that shows he's staying (living?) round hers with the kids. She keeps basically moving strangers into her home and allowing them to play dad.

That wouldn't be considered abuse or neglect and it's not a matter for social services.

I completely understand why you're worried, but having someone to stay at your house - or move in - is something everyone is perfectly entitled to do, kids or no kids. People are allowed to have boyfriends, lodgers, friends, housemates or family members living with them and that in itself wouldn't warrant social services getting involved.

If you have a genuine reason / evidence to believe that her boyfriend actually IS a danger to children (rather than just imagining that he might be on the grounds that he's a stranger to you) that's different and absolutely social services would want to know if someone who was a convicted paedophile or domestic abuser was living with a child. But it doesn't sound like that's the case.

If you think the children aren't being fed, kept clean and cared for, then of course you should absolutely report that.

Netcurtainnelly · 05/08/2026 17:31

The children have a right to be safe.
Feel sorry for little ones today. They get no choice in who their mum moves in.
Society's gone down.

LemonSnail · 05/08/2026 17:31

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:29

This is how kids get molested or otherwise hurt by mum's new boyfriend. She doesn't know these men from Adam. She knew one of the men had a record before she got pregnant by him. I have sympathy for her due to her upbringing and she's young. But imagine nobody was ever "judgemental" 🙄

So what’s the answer, only middle class married women can have a baby?

FeliciaFancybottom · 05/08/2026 17:31

Absolutely report her to the future crimes division...

Catza · 05/08/2026 17:30

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:19

She gets pregnant with each boyfriend straight away. And I mean straight away. It's not a relationship gone wrong situation at all. It's having a baby with a practical stranger, ending it and then repeating the cycle.

Getting pregnant is not a crime. Everyone has the right to make an unwise decision. So unless you suspect she lacks capacity, there is nothing to report.

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:29

LemonSnail · 05/08/2026 17:19

You sound very judgmental.

This is how kids get molested or otherwise hurt by mum's new boyfriend. She doesn't know these men from Adam. She knew one of the men had a record before she got pregnant by him. I have sympathy for her due to her upbringing and she's young. But imagine nobody was ever "judgemental" 🙄

OP posts:
Funkyfoxy · 05/08/2026 17:28

Blimey.. it must be nice that your life worked out so perfectly but that doesn't happen for everyone. As pp said, unless there are concerns the children are being harmed there is nothing to report!

Blakeley · 05/08/2026 17:27

You can’t report someone because you don’t agree with their relationship choices, even if they are seriously questionable . Unless you have some evidence the children are being neglected or harmed what would you say and expect to happen? They won’t accept the argument it’s common sense they’ll get mental harmed, you have no proof of that.

InterestedDad37 · 05/08/2026 17:24

Possibly a side-issue in terms of immediate needs etc, but we all know this is not good for the kids' mental and emotional health in the long run, but there's not much we can do except be bystanders to a slow-motion car crash. Such a pity.

Miyagi99 · 05/08/2026 17:24

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:19

She gets pregnant with each boyfriend straight away. And I mean straight away. It's not a relationship gone wrong situation at all. It's having a baby with a practical stranger, ending it and then repeating the cycle.

I know someone that did this with 6 children, they’re grown up now and wonderful adults that love their Mum, you can’t police someone’s bad choice in men unless they are actually doing harm to the children. I know far more fucked up adults whose parents stayed together unfortunately.

Tablesandchairs23 · 05/08/2026 17:22

Sunnibee · 05/08/2026 17:07

You want to report one of your in-laws for having a boyfriend?

She's concerned for the kids safety. As their shitty mother keeps moving strangers into their home.

WeKnowFrogsGoShaLaLaLaLa · 05/08/2026 17:19

Alone, it meets no threshold. Nothing would happen. That said - there may be things you don’t know. Things previously reported by neighbours, something the nursery spotted on the toddler, etc.

Safeguarding is about building a picture - this is your jigsaw piece. Report, but don’t expect an outcome as such.

Moonstars1 · 05/08/2026 17:19

She gets pregnant with each boyfriend straight away. And I mean straight away. It's not a relationship gone wrong situation at all. It's having a baby with a practical stranger, ending it and then repeating the cycle.

OP posts:
LemonSnail · 05/08/2026 17:19

You sound very judgmental.

Justaquestionplease · 05/08/2026 17:18

It's not an ideal way to live but unless you suspect these men are actually dangerous or harming them, then what are you reporting? Social services and/or the police don't have time to investigate every single parent who is dating.

ScarlettSarah · 05/08/2026 17:16

Has anyone got enough detail to do a Sarah's law request? I would consider that if you had specific concerns around the new boyfriend.

CaptainMyCaptain · 05/08/2026 17:16

MerryUmberHedgehog · 05/08/2026 16:57

Report to social services

For what?

30DegreesHighAndRising · 05/08/2026 17:14

It sounds like you're concerned that even when this woman knows a man has a criminal record, she still moves him into her home, so maybe this current one could be the same? I'm not sure how it works but maybe social services can check whether he has any relevant restrictions. I can understand your concern, especially with childhood young to advocate for themselves or reliably report anything untoward.

How do you feel about you partner's attitude to all this? He's not coming out of this well either.

21ZIGGY · 05/08/2026 17:13

Report what exactly and to whom? Just because it's someone you wouldn't go out with, it doesn't mean he's done anything wrong.

Based on the facts you have given, it doesn't seem like she keeps moving strangers in, but rather she has had two relationships with a child being born during each and now she has a new boyfriend. Have you even met him?

ThatLilacTiger · 05/08/2026 17:13

I'd probably report it to social services so they have the information available as part of a larger picture if they have other reasons to get involved with the kids. But in itself, as much as it's really damaging and dangerous for the children, it's not illegal and not a recognised form of abuse.

CoffeeCakeAndALattePlease · 05/08/2026 17:09

I can see why you have concerns about the impact of the mums choices on the kids and I don’t disagree. But unless there is actual evidence of something happening, there really isn’t anything anyone can do. Threshold for safeguarding is very high. This is not likely to trigger any action.

igelkott2026 · 05/08/2026 17:09

ToveyN · 05/08/2026 16:55

Yes, report her. There are police who are paid by the tax payer to sort out unintelligent people with wayward love lives, as it’s such an issue to the safety of society, yet easily solved by authorities.

The OP did ask if it's "even reportable".