Hi MN
You lot have always been brilliant so I have a question for you about how to prove that my nasty narc of an ex is leaving my very vulnerable 9.5 year old DS alone in the house on a regular basis.
I found out quite by chance one day that my ex (very messy divorce - some of you may remember the thread about my ex speeding at 140mph on the German motorway with my DS in the front seat and me and baby DD in the back) leaves my DS on his own in the house.
I have looked at govemernment guidance and whilst there's nothing in statute per se about a specific age that a child can be left alone, it definitely says it's an offence to leave a vulnerable child and certainly under 12 is not appropriate.
My DS has a neurological disorder and doesn't walk well, he''s not dextrous, he has trouble holding things and is a little bit "palsied" in how he moves his arms due to tumours pressing on parts of his spinal cord. Apparently his father has left him on his own (he is 9.5 and DD is 5) on occasions such as when he doesn't want to go out but DD wants to go for a bike ride, so ex takes her and leaves him by himself in a huge three storey four bed house with no landline (and no phone) that I know of. Or when DS is poorly and at home with ex (it's 50/50 - long long battle in court to try and prove that ex isn't appropriate - we ended up in refuge and I still lost) and ex has to collect DD from school, DS is left by himself while ex collects her from school. This happened as recently as this Friday.
I'm beside myself and seething and have no idea how to prove it. Ex is a conniving and gaslighting piece of work, and I know he would twist and belittle the DC....my little boy hasn't got the physical ability to get out of a sticky situation but even if he did I think 9 is too young. What if there's a fire? Or he tries to get something high up and something falls on him? Or a stranger knocks on the door and he lets them in.....
Honestly, it's mind boggling the scenarios that run through my mind....
AIBU?? Honestly?? I don't think I am and I'm seriously worried about my children. Help! He also had the DC from Christmas morning to NYE morning and didn't notice an infected sore on DD leg (nor did he bath them more than once during that period of time).....