I hate this, it's like that close to where my Mum lives. I remember my husband and I driving our ds back to my Mums, after being to out of hours at ten o'clock at night. We were shocked to see a three year old wearing thin pyjamas on hIs own playing on a scooter next to a very busy road. My Mum was with us and asked his name and where his Mummy was. His speech was poor and he was frozen. We wrapped him in my husband's coat and called the police. Luckily the police quickly arrived and they found another boy in another local street who knew where he lived. He was no where near his house. When the police called my Mum later, they told her that the Mother was passed out drunk and turned abusive. It was a week night, and he should have been tucked up safe in bed. I can only thank God that we found him and that it wasn't someone more sinister.
I have watched many cases of neglect growing up, babies in only a heavy nappy running about the grass at the side of a busy main road, his big brother of three had iet them out. My Mum again stopped and picked the baby up, and held the little ones hand whilst a neighbour called the police. Just before the police arrived the drug addict parents realised their children were missing and came out screaming at my Mum accusing her of stealing their babies. Police arrived and took over there too.
The above cases were obvious cases of neglect. However I have also watched as an eight year old girl was handed over her baby sister and four year old brother to watch. The Mum locking the doors on them so that they had no choice but to stay out 'playing'.The poor girl walked the streets with a screaming baby. I remember her shouting through the letter box begging her Mum to let them in as the baby was hungry. Only when I walked up the path to see if I could help, did the Mum open her door. I was then called some very unpleasant names. (I called the nspcc)
I spent a summer with my baby and toddler at my Mums house, due to work being done at home. My ds at 2, couldn't understand why we would not let him play out with the other children. We would happily invite local children into the garden where the play could be supervised. But I would not risk it, not when hypodermic used needles had been found in the walkway next to my parents house. And used condoms were thrown into local gardens. What scared me most is that the family I discussed above, when the Father finished work and returned home was told by his wife that she didnt know where they were. My husband, Dad and brothers haf to help him go door to door looking for the three children at 10pm at night. They eventually found them at the eldest daughters friends house, in another street. The eldest girl being told off for frightening the parents.
We live on a street of bungalows, our children are the only children of their age group in our street. We organise play dates still for dd 6 and ds 8. We would not feel safe letting our children run free the way we would in a small cul de sac full of other families. I certainly wouldn't feel safe handing a two year old and two four year olds for my eight year old to be responsible for.