To ask about locking a 6 YO in house for five minutes

[CreepyWeeBrackets]

My sister lives very close to her local shop and needed some milk. It was about to close. Nephew aged three was happy to go but not older nephew. He is being investigated for SN and can be very difficult.

Sister lost her temper and ended up locking him in and just going. It takes less than a minute to get there but does involve crossing a road and can get quite busy. She mentioned that he was shouting through the letterbox when she returned and was worried someone would have heard.

I have had occasion to to concerned in the past but before I get roasted, being on MN has actually made me less judgey and more accepting of different parenting styles. I can't for the life of me understand why she lives the way she does as we had the same upbringing and opportunities, but it's her choice and DC are clothed, clean, fed etc so I wind my neck in a lot.

My first thought was fire, because DN has been known to get at lighters which have been left around. To be honest I was quite speechless when I was told and have only just had time to sit and think about it. I do what I can to support her. Help with money and officialdom as she is a LP. But there is a limit to what I can do as my own child is autistic and our mother is very ill and this is mainly falling to me too.

She has been offered various parenting courses over the last few years by other agencies but as they have been optional she hasn't gone, or thought they could benefit her or DN. Our Sure Start centre has also closed.

WWYD?

This needs to be under the safeguarding umberella, because most of the boxes are being ticked.

But all the OP needs to do is make the referal and let the assessment take over.

Either way the childs posible SN will be investigated more quickly.

Thank you Birds. I have been lulled into a false sense of security over the las year I think because it used to be risky boyfriends and constant turnover of them. I was happy that stopped and that she had a female support network. The other friends are okay to be fair.

And now I have to phone my Mum as I do every night to tell her that she is actually at home with her husband of fifty years and that I am not ignoring her and visit her every day

Females can be abusers and as much of a danger as men.

If your sister is going out, how do you know who is being let into the house or what is happening?

Please give the friends name in, so she is part of the assessment. A lot of women are the groomers, or inable to safeguard children and abusive men will befriend them, that may be what has happened in the friends case.

This is more common than people realise.

Okay. Will act on this now. I should have realised that things would become more serious now that my Dad is no longer able to well, enable her.

Thanks all.