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[Hekate]

431. Mopinko, I'm so sorry for you getting all this judgmental flack

The situation you describe is unsafe for the kids. You finally did something about it. People at DU are entirely too ready to pile on without reading the whole post or considering what it's like to live next to a situation like that.

When I was 10 y.o. I had 3 younger siblings, and the folks would leave me in charge so they could go grocery shopping without all of us in tow. I was highly responsible for my age, but it was suboptimal. The brother closest in age to me would get in my face (this got much worse as the years went on) and my 4 y.o. sister had a full-on screaming tantrum as soon as the car left the driveway. Every time. Did I tell? Not on your life.

I was 12 when I was deemed old enough to do real babysitting, and was the go-to girl for that job in the neighborhood from then on. The summer I was 12 a woman hired me to watch her 2 kids for 40 hours a week while she worked. >smh< But 10? Not really.

>sigh< As an adult living in apartments I encountered way too many stray children and children whose caretakers or moms would scream or use demeaning language. When my kids were babies there was a 5 y.o. whose mama would shut her out of her apartment when mama's gentleman caller was there. I used to tell the little one to come over to my place anytime.

Sometimes I used to call Child Protective Services ..... Not once did it ever have an effect on the situation that I knew of.

Mopinko, I believe you are trying to do the right thing in a thoughtful manner. Your tenant is probably exhausted and at her wits end. I hope she and her kids can finally get the help they need.