I Told My Sister I’d Report Child Neglect If She Ever Leaves Her Baby at My Place Again

For most people, siblings are people who will support us no matter what and will be on our side. However, sometimes they might misuse our kindness, and we find it hard to stand our ground. One of our readers got into a big family struggle. Her sister has been using her as a free babysitter. One day the reader didn’t want to put up with it anymore and even threatened her sister to call social services.

Our reader sent us a message.

Thank you for reaching out! We have some advice that could be helpful in your current situation.

Suggest hiring a nanny for her.

Clearly, your sister can’t keep up with her “important things” and taking care of her baby. Tell her that she can hire a babysitter or take her child to a daycare. It’s much better than leaving her son with a complete stranger in the apartment lobby.

If money is the issue, she might want to ask other family members for help who are less busy. There are also some “parents morning out” events that can be cheaper than babysitters.

Call the police.

If your sister leaves her child unattended again, don’t hesitate to call the police. Make sure you do it on the non-emergency number. You can also ask your neighbor to do the same if they have to babysit her child in the lobby again. If this doesn’t scare your sister, maybe you really need to make that phone call.

Do not apologize.

Obviously, your sister doesn’t respect your boundaries and is being inconsiderate of you. You weren’t “harsh”, you were protective of her child. You can’t just leave a 4-year-old child alone with a complete stranger.

Calling social services isn’t rude, it’s basic safety. She might not realize how dangerous it might get, or she doesn’t want to think about the consequences, which makes her an irresponsible parent.

Talk to her husband.

Explain to her husband what happened and let him know that his wife needs help. She abandons her kid, and she might be struggling with her mental health. Make sure you also document the abandonment and show it to her husband or social services. If he can’t help in this situation, feel free to call authorities and don’t be ashamed of your “stern” talking.

If you like reading personal stories, check out this article. Our reader got into the reality of parenting a teenager, especially when it comes to striking a balance between honesty and support. She called her daughter “average-looking” and her daughter got offended.