To find this mum's behaviour very strange

[Galaxy88]

Yesterday, myself, dh and 2dd were out walking in the woods when we heard a really loud cry, we ran over and a boy about the age of 8, had gone over his handle bars and landed face first on the concrete. He had made a good mess of his face and was naturally hysterical.

While DH attended to his wounds (he's first aid trained) I attempted to get some info from him as he was all alone in the woods. I asked for his name, which he gave. His address and if he had a mobile with him.

He didn't have a phone, didn't know the street name or number but knew he lived in the next village- which is a 15 minute bike ride away. Based on this, we had to call an ambulance. While waiting, we started to ask where his mum was, is she close by? He replied no, and that his mum was at work all day and had left him aged 8 and his older sister aged 9 alone in the house and he'd gone out.

Eventually, a woman walked by who recognised the boy (her dd attend the same school) and was able to call the mother's place of work and let her know.

While on the phone, the mother became highly irritated and started shouting when we said we'd called an ambulance. Saying we were wrong to do that and we should cancel asap as it was a huge over reaction. I explained it wasn't, he'd banged his head, was confused and didn't know where he lived or any contact info, let alone the mess to his head, nose and teeth.

(If the mother had been around, or if the child had a phone we probably wouldn't have called one, we couldn't leave him there screaming with blood pouring and a bump to the head)

While waiting, we cold compressed his head and applied pressure. A friend of the mother turned up first picked up the bike put it her car, grabbed the boy and made a comment about him not needing an ambulance. Moments later the mum shows up, but didn't get out of the car, the boy was placed in her car by the friend and they both drove off.

I'm sat here afterwards really confused, we weren't asking for gratitude, it wasn't necessary. But she didn't even come and ask what had happened, his injuries, what we'd done so far, based on his injuries I imagine she'd require a trip to a&e and would probably need all this info to pass over.

Am I being U to think this is just poor parenting? Not only to leave two young children, but to scold the people trying to help your ds.. dh thinks we should pass on her details to SS, as the woman from before mentioned where they lived in passing after she had gone, shall we just let this go?

Report it to SS because they are too young to be left alone. I'd be glad ambulance was called ..she was more worried about being found out and having to justify leaving them alone. If she has friends who she can call on to get her son surely she can get some help with babysitting.

Yes he was minniemouse I think he was really scared and obviously in alot of pain. It was hesrtbreaking to hear as he obviously needed the comfort of family and not faces of strangers.

My son cut his forehead this week. The amount of blood was truly epic. I can't imagine not even getting out the car.

In fact, I was so grateful to the people who helped I took them a gift the next day.

Well in my opinion you didn't do wrong, OP but I think perhaps you overreacted, possibly because your first-aid-trained DH took charge and called an ambulance.

I think this because, the boy fell on his face, not his head. He wasn't knocked out, didn't knock out any teeth, banged his face. Everywhere on the head generates quite a bit of blood and very easily too in my experience.

The boy sounds as if he was in shock which is understandable. It's possibly that which made him unable to give information.

I find your posts a bit odd though because, in spite of the fact that this child couldn't give basic information, he told you/your husband that his sister was 9 and that she was minding him. You said 'later', but how much later could that have been? If the mother was at work, how long did it take for her to get to her son.

How did you/your husband manage to contact her? Was the child able to give you her number?

I don't find the mother's behaviour odd, just embarrassed and wanting to get her child home. It's for her to take her child to hospital. If it had truly been serious enough to warrant an ambulance then your husband, as a trained first-aider, would surely not have cancelled it.

For me, it's one of those things that happens and I don't think ringing social services is the right response. Tending to the boy with first aid, was.

Just hope they did take him to hospital to get checked, if they did they are hardly likely to say she was at work.

As a child who was left home alone from the age of 9 with a younger sibling, please report to social services. It's a horrible position to be in as a young child.

I would call SS. Some of the responses here seem more concerned with protecting a neglectful parent than the child

Mostly 9 year old boys are with their friends though arent they?

Another person saying contact SS.

we dont know how long he was left for but we dont need to know, that is why we have SS

Maybe I was over reacting, but at the end of the day a young child was on his own and injured so we had to call.an ambulance.

And as for who called the mother, I mentioned before a person walked by (as it's a well.known dog walking route) who recognised the boy as he attends the same school as her dd. I said to her he says his mum is at work, she said yes she works at local store 5 min drive away and calls the shop. The mother arrived within 15 mins of the call and before the ambulance.

Either way it doesn't matter if you find my story odd or doubt it, I'm a mum to two children and if that had happened to mine I'd be genuinely upset and hurt.

I think given there wasn't an adult with him or any contact details you did the right thing. At the time yiu called the ambulance your only options were to leave him alone in the woods or take him with you! The mum probably reacted like this because she shouldn't have left them alone and was scared of as getting involved.

I do think it’s shocking that he was left alone but I also suspect you called an ambulance more to teach his mum a lesson than because the situation warranted one.

You say that he said he lived in the next village and was alone so “based on this” you called an ambulance.

It’s really lucky that you stumbled upon someone who not only knew him but had the phone number for mums work. Phew!

Please report to ss. If the mother's first reaction wasn't to check how the boy is then there is something wrong

I don't think you overreacted OP, if one of mine was out by themselves and was hurt I'd want people to take care of them until I could get to them!!!

what else was op to do?
and the mum turned up, as did another mum who got hold of the mum.
you did the right thing op.

I also suspect you called an ambulance more to teach his mum a lesson than because the situation warranted one.

What an offensive thing to say.

Mum can clearly be home pretty quickly if she was there before the ambulance

She must be pretty close to home

Some of you are giving the OP a hard time. It’s not her that needs to explain herself it’s this boy’s mother!!!

I also suspect you called an ambulance more to teach his mum a lesson than because the situation warranted one

Did you miss the part where OP had already tried to find out where he lived, where his Mum lived and how to get him home to her before she called an ambulance?

Of course you did.

But aye, let's berate the only adult actually caring about the child's welfare eh?

Yes very phew! 🙄 honestly some people on here, trying to say I did something wrong.

No, I called the ambulance because he was bleeding from head and had rather a large egg on it. He couldn't stand up and I didn't want to push him to.
I also didn't have my car and even if I did I wouldn't drive a young boy around screaming.

As for the comment about the woman who recognised the.boy, it's a large new build housing estate with 2 primary schools in close proximity, so the chances of a mum walking by who may attend the school is rather high

She must be pretty close to home

Working 5 minutes away, there within 15 minutes.

Mum can clearly be home pretty quickly if she was there before the ambulance

Did you expect a blues and two's response for a conscious child? Cute.

Yes, as far as I'm aware they lived in the next village. The mum worked in a retail store within the village
Easily accessible by car within 10 mins or less.

Did you expect a blues and two's response for a conscious child? Cute.-- seriously?

What does that matter? I should have just left the child should i

You absolutely did the right thing OP. He had hit his head, appeared confused and didn't seem to be able to recall basic information. You didn't know him, couldn't locate a parent and he needed medical help.

I suspect she was either embarrassed or concerned about the ramifications for her.

It is not nice for you that she behaved this way when you had helped her son out.

I am not sure whether contacting SS would help but if you feel that you need to do more, they have procedures to prioritise inquiries.