not AIBU but what do I do re child next door (5) left. alone.

[AnaIsAlwaysShocked]

Ok first off sorry for typos I'm on my phone.

DD2 just came in from the garden saying girl next door wants her to go round and play because she's on her own. so I popped out and according to child ( lets call her daisy) her mum dad and brother have gone for a walk without her and told her to stay in the house.

She won't come round here as she's been told not to leave the house, at 5 has no real knowledge of how long they have been etc and I can't leave my house too much as I have 3DCs with me.

My plan is to knock every 5 minutes for the next half hour and then panic or sit with DC in the street until and her at the door until parents arrive. any better ideas? I don't know if I'm panicing and should ignore but surely at 5 Daisys too young to be left.

I think that you need to try to judge how long they have actually been gone. Is she watching the TV? Did they go at the start of the programme? Has she had something to eat? The poor mite may have been alone all afternoon.

Hmm too young, nspcc

I am quite a lax parent but this is too long to leave a child of that age. I agree with McHappy. Police and wait with her. Poor love is probably scared of getting mum into trouble

I left dd1 at that age, but never for more than 5 minutes and the door was left locked, her with one key and me with another.

i think I would get her to come to yours and leave a note.

Yes she may be wary at first but once she is playing she will be fine.

Better that than if if something really bad happened!

If it were me, I would take her. She is 5 and should'nt be alone.

I am speechless that someone would leave a 5yo alone! I wouldn't encourage her to leave her house if she has been told not to by parents but your plan of every 5 minutes or the sitting in the garden as mentioned seem like viable options!

Is it the sort of thing the neighbours seem likely to do IYSWIM if it's not usual behavior perhaps something has happened i would call the police if you don't do it now but have to do it late they will wonder why you delayed in informing them

*later

If the parents aren't back within half an hour I would call the police. If they are back within half an hour I would still report them to someone....ss or police.

Do any other neighbours know parents' mobile?

I don't understand why anyone would leave one child alone. I would phone the police.

Neighbours might not be happy with you but you have justification that you are worried about their dd.

How old is other child they have taken?

She is far too young. You should call the police and report it. If anything happened to the child you would wish you had reported it. Everybody knows children of that age should not be left by themselves.

My only other option is watching her from a our bedroom window while she's in the garden.

Previously we have had 2 times daisys invited herself round, 2 minutes later mum drives off and day returns 15 minutes later so they obviously think she needed adult supervision.

DD1 is 4 and into trouble so I can't let her go round. so far I've kept her coming to the door every few minutes offering sweets and ice cream but I'm running out of things to give her so I can check up on her. no sign of parents.

call the police

I think you need to call the Police, Ana. Her parents could have been gone for hours, there's no way of knowing.

I would say police too or SS out of hours emergency number

How does the little girl seem? Is she upset?

If you do cxall the police make sure you are there for her.

She will be scared and think it her fault :)

I agree with those saying call the police. I am quite a relaxed parent and have left my nearly 11 year old ds whilst I have popped out a few times since he was about 9 gradually building up from 5 mins to about an hour but at 5 she is WAY too young

So that's been 25 mins now, I would call the nspcc, you can be anonymous so you wouldn't need to worry about repercussions from neighbours. I have called them once before and they acted straight away.

The brother is 9.

Half hour is up and no sign I'll have another go at getting her round here and call the police if not.

you have a choice of take her into your house and take the shit from her parents, or phone the police and take the shit from the parents.

I'd rather the police were involved TBH.

I would just call the police now tbh

Ds was 11 when I first left him in the house, I made sure a neighbour knew that he was alone though and he knew he could go around if he needed to. There's no way I'd leave a 5 year old.

Frankly it's not your job to make sure she's okay. Her mum could've asked you if she could come round for an hour - it's disgraceful she's just left her.

I wouldn't try to get her to come round to yours - she needs to know she's done as she's told and that could frighten her.

Does she know which shops they've gone to? It's 6.50 now - where's open in your locality?