Feeling very uncomfortable about what I've just seen

[thatverynightinmaxsroom]

It's a really miserable day here today - wet, windy etc. Just driving home and saw a little girl (7ish?) walking alone down the street. I slowed down because it's unusual to see kids of that age alone outside round here and unusual to see anyone outside on a day like this!
She was followed by a little boy, similar age. She turned into a front garden and I thought she was going in but she just looked through the window. The boy sat down on a mat on the pavement outside the house (there was quite a lot of junk in the front garden).

I turned the car round, put the window down and asked if they were okay. At that point a man out his head out and yelled at them to come in.

I know it's not massive, most of us have probably seen worse, but I can't get the image of the little boy sitting on the sodden mat out of my head and I'm just wondering if anyone would do anything about this.

She's clever and NS, but the type of academic type that lacks common sense. She'll often quote me with "but YOU SAID…" and I have to explain that if things change she CAN sometimes use her discretion and apply some common sense to the situation!

If I said "you can go to neighbours house but come back at 2" and neighbour wasn't in, and it rained, she'ld think shouldn't come home until 2!

Def report, for a child not to immediately running home, dash for the door handle, but to look through the window and then resign themselves to sitting on the mat is not normal.
Nor is shouting at eet kids rather than ushering them in and trying to get them warm and dry.

I don't know if you can realistically report anything OP but I do sympathise with your feelings. I think some pps are jumping on you a bit unfairly. I think your instincts are telling you that something was off and none of us were there to see it so I certainly won't tell you you're overreacting. Sadly though I don't think there's anything proactive you could really do, what you saw is probably not "actionable" for SS to get involved.

Some people up the road from my mum had 7 children. The youngest were 14 month old twins the day of the incident in january. I had my own baby and it was freezing and the two little ones were out the front on the park one in a heavy nappy and the other in a wet tshirt. Nothing else.
They were eating a small can of cold spaghetti :/ mum and bf off their faces from the night before. Social services were always involved and they ended up leaving the house and moving into a tent in the woods when the bf was caught messing with a little girl from the house opposite. Sickening.
They got rehoused and moved elsewhere.

Oh for goodness sake, soon people will be too frightened to have kids because of busybodies like you. No wonder children's services cannot cope if they are dealing with stupid phonecalls

Are you wondering if he wouldn't have let them in if you hadn't appeared? I remember waking up around midnight hearing a 5 year old crying in the street, he was begging his Mum to be allowed back in, I rang it in and was told to keep an eye and report anything else no-one called round to them that night, I remained annomous, you never know the history or what's been going on, you ring and there's nothing of note then no harm done your conscience is clear, you ring and they are aware of the family it helps authorities build an overall picture of what's happening your concience is clear we weren't there so don't know exactly what you saw so can't say if it's something or nothing

Report it. If it was nothing then nothing will come of it. If it was something then you've done your bit. No-one reporting is how children who need help slip through the net.

If you think something was wrong, report it. You won't be wasting anyone's time by raising a concern, we are all responsible for the safeguarding of children. I sometimes see neglectful parenting in my line of work and I have always been told by the authorities if you have a doubt, report it.

I can understand Op, I think its an inner thought that somethings wrong, quite often instinct is correct. I don't know what I would do however, you waited and watched until they were safely inside which is what I would have done. It could have been the dad was angry that they sneaked out in the rain and called them in.

When my son was 3, his dad was watching him and his brother and sister when I went out to my club. He put his wellies on , snuck out and crossed 2 main roads and ended up at my club (which was next door to his older brothers school) He knew I was there and decided to come and see me. Iuckily I spotted him outside brought him in, then called his dad. I asked him were our son was and he replied in bed (it was about 9pm) I said well that's funny because he is here with me. He came and collected him, and then told him off for sneaking out....I on the other hand told his dad off for not noticing him vanish. (he was watching tv as usual and completely unaware of what our son was up to. If someone had spotted him toddling outside at 9pm and reported it, I would have fully understood.

Yes Rainbunny! Op seems to have a good heart and genuine concern but has listened to an overwhelming opinion not to report it.

Go with your instinct. If he shouted them in because he was concerned about the op then I'm sure most people would also ask the op what they're doing talking to their kids. The issues with serious case reviews are people not sharing information, not sharing too much information.

Isadoradancing123 did you mean to sound so rude? That's an extremely unhelpful comment.

Report it. They won't take the kids away for one report but it might also be the final piece they need to take the kids into care.

...what the hell is a puddle suit? Clearly I'm a crap parent...

Personally, I think you seem thoughtful and kind and you have a gut feeling that something wasnt right.

Perhaps you could ring the NSPCC to ask their opinion? They are tremendously experienced and also respect informer confidentiality more than some other organisations.

Go with your instinct .... 🌺

Ignore and get a life

Just being devils advocate here...from the other side:
Father waiting anxiously at home for his two children to return from playing/walking around the corner. Sees car slow down alongside children, then turns around and returns. Father sees window going down and a stranger attempting to talk to his children. Man opens door and shout for his children to come inside

Jesus Christ. If a family has children on the verge of going into care they're going to have problems a lot more serious than being outside on a rainy day. It would never be 'the final piece of a jigsaw'.

I do wonder what sort of a bubble some Mumsnetters live in.

I'm glad you said that Bill

I was just wondering what sort of bloody jigsaw, sees the kids being taken into care for no good reason.

I did LOL at a kid being outside on a rainy day, and being let in the house, being the "final piece of the puzzle".

Because yes that's what would do it, not the case built up before with actual tangible abuse, yes, SS would be able to remove a child because it was outside in the rain, and let in.

FFS forget terminology for wet weather clothing.

OP you felt uncomfortable......tell somebody.

Feeling 'uncomfortable' is not a reason to call ss.

Definately report it.

I think the posters who think others are prejudiced for thinking there could be a problem are actually prejudiced themselves. Assuming that just because their kids (who live in a stable happy home presumably) are allowed to go out by themselves (safe area presumably) won't wear rain clothes (have access to them but choose not to presumably) and would be ushering children inside in a protective manner due to woman in car (rightly more annoyed about predatory people then with the kids) are projecting that lovely safe happy environment onto the situation. It might be fine, it might not be. How can you know?