To find this unnesaccery

[Letstryagainshallwe]

I was in my sons bedroom earlier sorting out clothes. My son had managed to climb from his bed up onto the window sill. The window was locked he was up there for a few of minutes then I walked over and stood at the window with him and pointed out a man cutting the grass across the road (think that's what he climbed up to see) anyway about 10 minutes later my door knocks it was 2 women from across the road at the children's centre (there is one directly opposite my house across the road) but it's the back of the centre so I'm unsure how they spotted my son at the window. And he was no longer there when they knocked a good 10 minutes later. So aibu in thinking it was extreme of them to knock?!

When you say no one has ever knocked - does that mean your son gets onto the window sill a lot?

Neglect now?! It's a box room tiny 8 by 9 with a water tank in it so only fits a bed single by the window. I tell him not to go up but you know children don't always listen but the window is locked. How on earth is that neglect.

Yes I've explained the lay out of the room and the window is LOCKED with a key. Is that neglect?

Several years ago my friend saw a small child up at a window, she was concerned and knocked on the door. She didn't get an answer so called the police. The child fell out as they arrived but was luckily caught by one of the neighbours that had gathered and his mum was unconscious inside. Absolutely horrific and thank goodness she thought to do something. Much better someone check (and in this situation be wrong) than walk on by and not help.

So why did you not just explain that to them? Why make it a big issue?

No one seems to be saying your child is neglected. What they are saying is from the outside how would anyone know that they were being supervised unless they came to check? If you hadn't have known surely you would have been grateful they were bothered enough to come and tell you?

As a social worker people do actually call up with things like that a lot. Most of the time it's nothing and we do nothing about it, but just sometimes it can be a family where lots of little signs of children not being supervised are reported in by different people and it's helpful to build a bigger picture so we can talk to them about it. Most people think better to be safe than sorry.

OP When I was a child, my mums friend lost her little boy this way. He was playing at the window too.

As PP have said, it can also cause horrific injuries that stay with them for life.

Bloody hell OP read the responses properly and get of the I am right high horse.

How the F is a stranger meant to know the window is locked unless you have a neon sign saying locked and bolted?! They saw your son and no adult so did the responsible thing of making you aware incase you were not present as again they have no clue whether it's locked or not!

No letting him climb isn't neglect but again if you don't explain it's locked and they constantly see him doing it, it may seem irresponsible and dangerous to the strangers resulting in them wanting to contact SS as been in a childcare facility they will be highly alert to safeguarding.

You clearly think it wasn't needed no matter how many times people explain the rational thinking behind it so don't know why you bothered posting

Simply saying "Oh it's fine, the window is always kept locked." Would have alleviated their concerns and mean they won't worry if they see it in future.

Without that assurance, don't be surprised if the police or ss are called simply because you didn't appear concerned and that can come off as neglectful from their point of view.

I would discourage your ds as you are doing. The window will not be made of safety glass. So any injury from broken glass could be very serious.

No one accused you of neglect but they're explaining how people might have been concerned. You seem determined to take offence though.

I know quite a few children who have life changing injuries or conditions, such as epilepsy through falling out of Windows, they were obliged to knock.

They may have been Family Support workers, they are duty bound to investigate.You can imagine the headline "Family Support Workers watch whilst child falls from Window, whilst waiting for the SW to phone back".

When you knock on a door, you don't know what you may be faced with, the child could be home alone, or multiple children and the Parent off their face, or a few people all doing drugs. A Worker shouldn't be put at risk, if there are two available.

My GD gets on to my Windowsill, I have had people knock because they can't see me, I don't feel offended, or question it.

So many high profile cases of child neglect over the last few years where everyone has asked 'why did no one notice or intervene'.

I'm not one for the ''village to raise a child'' stuff, but here are people with a simple concern about a young child and the mother has the hump about it. It was a kindness to knock and let you know OP.

Why expect the worst though? I don't think parents at home smashed out of there face high on drugs or children left home alone is actually common at all. So why go into it thinking that's the case?

I don't know why you posted unless you just expect people to agree with you.

We'll I'm actually surprised by the responses! I doubt my son is the only child to ever climb up at his window. Since I've seen other children doing it!

Sometimes you need to "expect the worst"
to stop a child being harmed. I really don't get what your issue is here.

They didn't know what you knew. They saw a child is a potentially life threatening situation so they took steps to ensure all was ok. Why is that bad?

Children die falling out of windows. If people "interfering" can stop even one of those tragic accidents then good.

Maybe one of the people who knocked is from a family who had a tragedy with a young child falling out a window.
Maybe they had your young son's best interests at heart.

I don't think you should allow your DS to climb on windowsills. One day there could be a faulty catch and he could fall out. They were a bit over zealous I suppose but they meant well.

I'm a bit bemused by this thread. A few weeks ago a lady posted saying she knocked on the door of a flat after seeing a boy at a second floor for a prolonged period of time (and perhaps on more than one occasion) and was told to MHOB. How is this different?

FYI I think people should act when they see what they consider to be a possible danger but am intrigued by the double standard here.

Oh gosh not more double standards, very interesting lucky lucky. It can't be a faulty catch as it has a key! And I've never opened it. I don't allow him to do it but what else do you suggest i do if he won't listen even after being told off/told not to??

I'm old enough to remember all the rospa public service announcements in the 70sand 80s.pretty terrifying. Plus I met a child who sustained brain injuries from falling out of a faulty window. I'd probably have knocked on the door if I saw a child unattended on an upstairs window. And be prepared to be bollocked for being a busy body