So there is this neighbor girl. We will call her A. She has lived across the street for quite a while off an on. Her grandma and a bunch of other relatatives share a duplex. So it was quite a while before I realized she didn't live there. the kid is a terror. I cought her busting out my windows one day. She was six. rocks in one hand, doll and stroller and diaper bag in the other, plastic high heels on her feet. good heavens. ok. So I decide I can call the cops on this little vandle or just sick it up and always keep her in my line of vision. I chose the second. She grows on you. kinda like an adorable fungus. She is about 8 1/2 now. Practically lives over here. I feed her frequently. she keeps clothes over here. (my children are not allowed in her family's house. I don't really know about all the men over there and what I do nknow is no good)
So last year she actually moved in across the street. Her dad was already in prison and her mom had just gone to jail. something about her auntie lived with them and went upstairs and killed a guy but when they saw the house they were living in her mom went to jail and they lost their home. Not sure about the finer details. (the murder charges were dropped. turned out to be a drunken accident and then he passed out. he would have been fine but since he was too drunk to get to the hospital he bled to death. he wasn't stabbed, just grazed himself on the knife. anyway the distric attorney essentially decided this was all to stupid and ruled it a completely accidental death and gave the auntie time served for her involvement or something). And mom is an alcholic.
So the other day it was like 8PM on a school night and A shows up at my house and asks to come in and play with the girls. I tell her no. She says, well no one is at any of my houses and the doors are locked. I think they went to the soup kitchen to eat. well ok, can't let a seven year old hang out in the dark in this neighborhood. So then she asks if she can have something to eat. no one to watch her. no one fed her. grrrrr.
So then again she is over playing. Ok A time to go home. she says, No one is home. I say go check. surely they are home by now. Sent my oldest dd with her to walk her home (her and her mom were living a block or two up the street) no one there. she she leaves a note "sleeping over be home tomorrow" eight years old. barely. and a small 8 at that. So then I send her across the streeet with a note for her grandma telling her where A was and leaving my phone numnber. ask her where T, her 14 year old sister is. "Oh she went drinking with my mom" do I need to even start with what all is wrong with such a short sentence. I guess T was supposed to be watching her but mom needed a designated driver or drinking buddy or something and grandma and the aunties went to play Bingo but who can blame them. No one told them they were babysitting. In the mean time I have abducted a minor and said good night prayers with her and tucked her into bed. without anyones permission. I don't even know if that is legal. Grandma comes over around 11, apologizes, explains T was supposed to be babysitting, I assured her a sleepover was fine if she was ok with it. She was. She is a good lady.
I don't know if I mentioned this but A is the youngest of like 6 kids (and like 10 step siblings). T is the only one I know. Her mom looks 12 but clearly is much older. I don't think any of the guys at the house across the street are her brothers so i don't know where they are but they are clearly not taking responsibility for her.
So tonight, 7:30, knock on the door. I open it up irritated and start with "no they cannot play. it is late and dark and cold" she almost cried. She looked up and asked if she could come in because she didn't have anywhere to go. of course come in. and hour later she asked if we had any left over supper because she was hungry. She had been out playing and when she came in everyone was gone. ITS FREAKING 5 BELOW ZERO OUTSIDE!!!!!!! and then when her family did decide to come and get her at 9 they were irritated that iot was taking so long. really? irritated because you had to go find the BABY!!! the one you ditched. the one you didn't even know was missing? You are lucky you found her in my house and not dead in a freaking snow bank. mOK so I am a little mad. It is cold. like really cold. below zero with high winds on top of it. Not even safe to be playing in really. and she was cold and hungry. and she could have died. what if I wasn't home? what if I hadn't opened my door?
OK so up until this point I have been here for her. and have been happy to do so. she is like a daughter to me. BUT this was dangerous. Like her grandma I cannot sit artound all day waiting for someone to dump her on me. and what if I am not here one day and she has no where else to go. I hate calling social services. Do I have any other options? What if I call and they do nothing? this poor kid has no one responsible for her. Her alcohoilic mom is not going to do it. She just isn't. Her sister can't be responsible. She is only 14 and is getting sucked into the mess the rest of the family is in. and her grandma is old. and is still taking care of a bunch of disfunctional adults and several other grandchildren.
urgh, I am so frustrated. A is so sweet, and smart and it makes me mad to see her treated this way. I am scared for her. at the same time I am worried that if I call social services things will only get worse.
can someone just tell me what to do....because I just don;t know.
So last year she actually moved in across the street. Her dad was already in prison and her mom had just gone to jail. something about her auntie lived with them and went upstairs and killed a guy but when they saw the house they were living in her mom went to jail and they lost their home. Not sure about the finer details. (the murder charges were dropped. turned out to be a drunken accident and then he passed out. he would have been fine but since he was too drunk to get to the hospital he bled to death. he wasn't stabbed, just grazed himself on the knife. anyway the distric attorney essentially decided this was all to stupid and ruled it a completely accidental death and gave the auntie time served for her involvement or something). And mom is an alcholic.
So the other day it was like 8PM on a school night and A shows up at my house and asks to come in and play with the girls. I tell her no. She says, well no one is at any of my houses and the doors are locked. I think they went to the soup kitchen to eat. well ok, can't let a seven year old hang out in the dark in this neighborhood. So then she asks if she can have something to eat. no one to watch her. no one fed her. grrrrr.
So then again she is over playing. Ok A time to go home. she says, No one is home. I say go check. surely they are home by now. Sent my oldest dd with her to walk her home (her and her mom were living a block or two up the street) no one there. she she leaves a note "sleeping over be home tomorrow" eight years old. barely. and a small 8 at that. So then I send her across the streeet with a note for her grandma telling her where A was and leaving my phone numnber. ask her where T, her 14 year old sister is. "Oh she went drinking with my mom" do I need to even start with what all is wrong with such a short sentence. I guess T was supposed to be watching her but mom needed a designated driver or drinking buddy or something and grandma and the aunties went to play Bingo but who can blame them. No one told them they were babysitting. In the mean time I have abducted a minor and said good night prayers with her and tucked her into bed. without anyones permission. I don't even know if that is legal. Grandma comes over around 11, apologizes, explains T was supposed to be babysitting, I assured her a sleepover was fine if she was ok with it. She was. She is a good lady.
I don't know if I mentioned this but A is the youngest of like 6 kids (and like 10 step siblings). T is the only one I know. Her mom looks 12 but clearly is much older. I don't think any of the guys at the house across the street are her brothers so i don't know where they are but they are clearly not taking responsibility for her.
So tonight, 7:30, knock on the door. I open it up irritated and start with "no they cannot play. it is late and dark and cold" she almost cried. She looked up and asked if she could come in because she didn't have anywhere to go. of course come in. and hour later she asked if we had any left over supper because she was hungry. She had been out playing and when she came in everyone was gone. ITS FREAKING 5 BELOW ZERO OUTSIDE!!!!!!! and then when her family did decide to come and get her at 9 they were irritated that iot was taking so long. really? irritated because you had to go find the BABY!!! the one you ditched. the one you didn't even know was missing? You are lucky you found her in my house and not dead in a freaking snow bank. mOK so I am a little mad. It is cold. like really cold. below zero with high winds on top of it. Not even safe to be playing in really. and she was cold and hungry. and she could have died. what if I wasn't home? what if I hadn't opened my door?
OK so up until this point I have been here for her. and have been happy to do so. she is like a daughter to me. BUT this was dangerous. Like her grandma I cannot sit artound all day waiting for someone to dump her on me. and what if I am not here one day and she has no where else to go. I hate calling social services. Do I have any other options? What if I call and they do nothing? this poor kid has no one responsible for her. Her alcohoilic mom is not going to do it. She just isn't. Her sister can't be responsible. She is only 14 and is getting sucked into the mess the rest of the family is in. and her grandma is old. and is still taking care of a bunch of disfunctional adults and several other grandchildren.
urgh, I am so frustrated. A is so sweet, and smart and it makes me mad to see her treated this way. I am scared for her. at the same time I am worried that if I call social services things will only get worse.
can someone just tell me what to do....because I just don;t know.
