To report to social?

[notsurewhattodoforthebest]

I'm not sure what to do for the best. I'm concerned about a neighbour and their child but I'm also not in the business of reporting people and spilting up families.

This particular child was outside last night (they are 8 by the way for context) playing with a sharp kitchen knife stabbing rubbish in the street. I saw what was happening and asked if there mother knew. She shouted out the window "it's fine I said they could."
When I say kitchen knife, I mean a very sharp one that could easily kill someone.
This child is allowed to do whatever they like, regularly plays with air soft BB guns in the street, climbs on peoples cars and damages them (has damaged mine in the past - yes I made their mother pay and rightfully so!) Basically just never supervises them at all can't even do the school run so they are known to the local police as the child does regular dissapearing acts.

AIBU to report this to social? I'm shocked and felt sick when I saw them to the point I watched from my window incase they stabbed them selves.

@ManifestDestinee

No, they aren't.

cutlery
/ˈkʌtləri/
Learn to pronounce
noun
knives, forks, and spoons used for eating or serving food.

EATING or SERVING. Cutlery is tableware. Kitchen knives are not cutlery. And legally, they can very much be called weapons. And its illegal to carry one in public without a good reason.

Get back in your box.

Get back where now?

Great debating technique well done 👏🏻👏🏻

@ManifestDestinee - that's not what Suzi said...

@WhaleyAwesome

If they are known to the local police that social services will already be aware.

Some children are taught to use knives safely (this was clearly not the case with the BB gun); an eight year old in hours would be comfortable using a knife safely.

How do you know the knife was very sharp? You cannot actually tell that unless you feel it, or use it to cut with things.

No one is going to be killed by a child stabbing rubbish with a knife.

Knife skills are important, and are in many countries developed from pre schooler age - also in many families with helping to prepare and cook meals.

Wtf have I just read

@OctaviaTriangle

Just when you think you've read all that Mumsnet has to offer, along comes *@WhaleyAwesome* to blow you away with the biggest load of shit I've read

Don't , whatever you do, take advice from that one op!

You have concerns and they're valid. Don't second guess who may know what .. report to social services and continue to do so every time you see something of concern. It's ALL of our responsibility to ensure children are safe and protected

Yep I do think that's the most ridiculous comment I've seen on Mumsnet and that takes some doing.

Are YOU the mother in question @WhaleyAwesome

@Imnewhere1991 - Nope, I am not.

And if you've just read something and don't know what it was, I don't think your opinion is going to matter to me!

Great debating technique well done

There is no debate. I'm right, you are not. You are demonstrably and obviously wrong. Why would we debate anything?

@WhaleyAwesome

.I cannot understand how you think children or teenagers carrying kitchen knives is fine as long as they don't threaten anybody!

Because the child is outside their home with a parent there - they aren't going further away - the fact the OP could be heard when asking the child and the mother was OK with it, it was a innate object (rubbish) - it doesn't ring alarm bells for me.

(I mean one of ours regularly has a saw outside - what would you think of that?) It's one of those flip gardening saw things - they are building (yet another) something or other for wildelife out of collecting sticks.

Maybe I need to check my neighbours aren't reporting us?

Your comparison is not quite the same. But if your child took the saw into the street and started stabbing things with it, then yes I would have a problem with that. Whilst your DC sound very adept with cutting tools, it could very easily fall out of their hands and into those of a child much less skilled or with entirely different intentions.

@ManifestDestinee

Great debating technique well done

There is no debate. I'm right, you are not. You are demonstrably and obviously wrong. Why would we debate anything?

Luckily I am part of a team which needs common sense and I contribute to the decisions about how to support these families, so where it matters my opinion is valued and often regarded as correct.

I AM RIGHT YOU ARE WRONG AND I WILL NOT EXCEPT ANYTHING ELSE

Are you the eight year old in this thread by any chance? Actually said 8 year old sounds more mature than you...

[quote WhaleyAwesome]@Imnewhere1991 - Nope, I am not.

And if you've just read something and don't know what it was, I don't think your opinion is going to matter to me![/quote]
😳🙄

And yes @WhaleyAwesome I would report your child having a saw outside.

@Besswess88 You do realise that as the OP (who's not returned) has given us all the details of the SS and Police involvement in the past then the only appropriate option for the majority of mumsnet is that you swoop in personally and remove said child from their parents?

Absolutely no other intervention would be suitable.

Luckily I am part of a team which needs common sense and I contribute to the decisions about how to support these families, so where it matters my opinion is valued and often regarded as correct

I really hope that is not true, because they deserve better.
Also, that makes no difference, kitchen knives are not cutlery. That's not a matter of opinion, just check a dictionary.

@op I think you're right to be concerned about a child treating a knife like a toy and going around vandalizing while the mum acts like it's normal. I also think - wait, hang on, there's someone in my bins stabbing my old cartons - WHALEY, NO, NO, PUT IT DOWN. THAT IS NOT A TOY! Hold on, I'm going to have to get the broom again, honestly, it's worse than when the cats get into it, at least they don't try to justify it!

@Imnewhere1991 that's good, do you report everyone with a saw outside?

Man, you most spend a lot of time reporting people.

[quote WhaleyAwesome]@RockingMyFiftiesNot No a knife is not a weapon - it may be used as a weapon, but in the vast majority of house holds, and work places and incidents where they are being carried on the streets (ie Chefs carrying knives to work because they are expensive and Chefs are pretty fussy about using their own knives) - they are not weapons.[/quote]
lol and said 8yo child with knife in street is in possession of this information

[quote WhaleyAwesome]@Imnewhere1991 that's good, do you report everyone with a saw outside?

Man, you most spend a lot of time reporting people.[/quote]
NO because you are in the minority. I'm lost for words 🙄

@Muchasgracias Mother of said child in the street was aware.

Oh right, because of the previous involvement, said mother is not allow to make decisions about what their child can and cannot do in your eyes?

@Imnewhere1991 Thank god. i mean I was with the minority in the brexit vote too - look where the majority vote has left us?

Nothing wrong with being with the minority - you one of those who always follows the crowd by any chance?

The people saying report, what exactly would they expect Children’s Services to do with this, esp if there is no previous history?

[quote WhaleyAwesome]@Imnewhere1991 Thank god. i mean I was with the minority in the brexit vote too - look where the majority vote has left us?

Nothing wrong with being with the minority - you one of those who always follows the crowd by any chance?[/quote]
Stop trying to derail the thread.

AIBU to report this to social? I'm shocked and felt sick when I saw them to the point I watched from my window incase they stabbed them selves.

You saw someone in the street with a knife and didn't at least call 101?

Jesus wept. Common sense is rapidly becoming a rare thing on MN lately 🙄

Wait what wind back a couple of pages. Did whaley suggest this might be for a cultural reason?
What cultural reason is there to take a sharp kitchen knife aged 8 and stab at rubbish with it?

@Imnewhere1991 it was you who brought up the fact it's bad to be in a minority in your view - not me.

@QuarantineQueen no I didn't I said in some cultures knife skills are developed a lot earlier than they are here - and thus parents are more comfortable with their children handling knives.

As several people have pointed out - if the OP was genuinely worried - she should have intervened or reported it straight away. This situation would not have concerned me, but if it had - I would have done either of those options.

Neither was done.

“Mum, I’m bored.”

“Well go outside on the street with a knife and practice your stabbing skills on the rubbish bags.”

“Okay, will do.”

And you’re asking if YABU? Of course you’re not. Your neighbour sounds deranged.