New neighbours and tiny children running outside

[AmberDrop]

This is more of a WWYD.... New neighbours moved in today, several houses along. They have five or six children with the oldest being around 7 and youngest a small baby.

Where we live is similar to a cul de sac but in an L-shape, if that makes sense. It means that the outside area does not have passing traffic but residents, delivery people and visitors can and do drive in and around the corner faster than they should. Their house is the first on the corner.

This afternoon, the children have been outside on their own on and off for the last 3-4 hours with no adults. One is around 5, one is about 3 and then there is a tiny tot who is only just walking. They have bare feet and are in harm’s way. The tiny one is walking up to parked cars and licking/touching them. He’s also been left outside completely on his own. My heart stopped when I saw him!

I can introduce myself tomorrow and mention the cars and that there is sometimes glass on the floor etc. And hope it doesn’t happen again.

I would hate them to get hurt. I’d welcome any advice...

Please give it a day or two before reporting. Unless you watched them solidly you don’t know if a parent was in and out or watching from the window/garden. Give them a chance and see what happens before declaring them unfit parents.

Oh come on, kids lick everythIng

Yes, and that’s why they need to be SUPERVISED!!!!

Fucking hell, the people on here. Yes OP, wait to see if it happens again and one of them gets run over before calling SS. 🙄

This makes me so sad. I don’t even let my 8 yr old play out unsupervised on our street as even though it’s a quiet road some people use it as a rat run and I don’t trust her not to go in the road. If you see it even one more time - report them, it’s truly shocking neglect to allow children of that age outside alone for even a minute.

If I saw an 18 month old wandering barefoot alone by the road I would call the police.

This is not ok. It just takes one car or delivery van not to see the little one crawling behind... It's making me feel sick just thinking about it. Please do something.

If I were in your situation, I'd grab the little one next time they're out on their own and give the parents an absolute earful.

I am so paranoid with my toddler near the road... It only takes one moment of parental inattention and then a lifetime of regret.

Just a message to say, I used to work in an area that involved CP, and if you called SS over this they would take it seriously.

Other people living in your road must have noticed the 5 or 6 feral children playing in the street - maybe one of them has knocked on the door and told the parents the road isn't as quiet as they might think. I would tell the parents first.

Please report this, today, don’t wait like some people have suggested.

I would avoid them like the plague. Reminds me of a family in the cul de sac our last house was on. They were the reason 6 of us were for sale at the same time years later. They might not be the same, but probably will be if they have so many children they dump outside on their own each day. Generally these are the type of people who don't give a toss and produce feral children who cause trouble and are encouraged to ramp it up if you try and approach the parents.

Do those people saying avoid/wait not understand that it is only complete luck that this small child hasn't already been crushed under the wheels of a car or van? That's the issue, not whether these people are likely to be good neighbours or not.

It's not your responsibility to teach them how to parent. It is your responsibility (and everyone's) to make sure that we don't stand by and watch children being neglected.

Don't speak to the parents. Don't give them any inkling that you're worried about the kids. Just call SS. Give the responsibility for correcting this poor parenting to those who can deal with it. And don't hang about. If one of the kids gets hit while you procrastinate, you'll never forgive yourself.

@chaosRising, talking to the parents is probably not going to help if they are too thick to realise the dangers themselves, and might make things unpleasant forever more. If concerned for the children's safety, I agree with Eckart that calling SS is the way to go.

Report! I don't care if it was moving day. I've moved house several times with small children and funnily enough, it never involved letting them play out unsupervised on the road! Completely unnecessary. Sadly I doubt anything will happen but it will be added to a bigger picture.

If I saw a one year old alone in the street, I would pick them up and knock on the neighbour's door.

Photos, times, dates & report, report, report.
Disgusting.

I would just watch again and see what happens, before taking any kind of action. If a toddler is routinely left unsupervised, that would be worrying. Though I can see how a fifth or sixth child is allowed to do things that a PFB wouldn't be.

I wouldn't be too worried about the shoes. My children rarely wore shoes at that age. We had a huge gravelled area outside the drawing room and they used to walk on it with bare feet. They were complete buggers, as they would always flee in that direction to escape from me, as their feet would withstand the gravel, whereas I had to waste time putting my shoes on. They always used to take their shoes off at parks etc (I used to have a battle with them if I was with friends who didn't allow their DC to take their shoes off). My only shoe requirement was that they wore them in shops (because going out in public comes with particular conventions which should be adhered to) or in public streets, in case they trod in dog poo. Even now (the youngest is 16), they don't bother with shoes unless they have to. I think they have tough feet as a result of being unshod as small children.

@Staffy1. The OP hasn't specifically said the neighbours are thick or the anti-social type, we're all just going on first impressions (which I admit aren't promising). Unless I was actually intimidated by them due to something they had done (rather than just subjective impressions), my first action would be to warn them of the dangers as I would any other parent. If it happened again, I would ring the police/social services without a second thought.

It's a really sad sign of our society that not a single person has suggested trying to tackle the drivers going too fast round the corner, and instead are saying children should not be allowed to play outside.
People driving their cars too fast are not inevitable. Maybe report to the council and see if they will put in a speed bump or narrow the corner?

Sure, we should ban all cars so that toddlers can play unsupervised in the road

Of course people need to drive slowly and carefully, and older children can be taught to be careful when playing out in the street, but babies and toddlers need supervising - it's not rocket science is it?!

I feel so sorry for the, maybe 7 year old ?, oldest sibling.
What a responsibility for a young child being in charge of tiny ones. If something were to happen, that child will live with the consequences despite them being in no way to blame.
I think you have to report your concerns.

I think If they are the type of parents who let tiny children wander around outside by themselves, no amount of gentle pointing out the traffic speed is going to help change the behaviour.

That was their one chance (moving day chaos) and if it happens once more that would be it (call to social services) in my book.

My son is 18 months and the idea of letting him play out the front of the house, unsupervised, makes me feel ill. I know he’d be running off in all directions, tasting every stone and touching cars. At this age there’d be no way he’d be able to find his way back if he wandered too far.

If you see the baby outside again then please approach the child and take him/her back to the parents’ house. Whether they care or not, at least the baby will be off the road in the mean time.

please phone social services .

It's a really sad sign of our society that not a single person has suggested trying to tackle the drivers going too fast round the corner, and instead are saying children should not be allowed to play outside.

Unless the same few drivers are driving past everyday, tackling the drivers won't make any difference. Even then there is no safe speed for a car to hit a toddler if the toddler has wandered into he road.

Good luck with 6 feral kids on your street! They sound like pretty stupid parents.