I'm sorry but neglect is child abuse, and I hate seeing parents that allow their children to be put in harms way because they don't want to actually parent.

So this couple has 2 boys, a 5 year old and a 3 year old.

Their idea of "parenting" is locking them in their rooms with a TV (and when I say they lock them in the room, I mean the door is shut and there's a child proof thing on the handle on the inside so they can't open the door) while they go play video games or whatever.

The 3 year old has found out how to get out, and on multiple occasions managed to leave the house completely without them knowing. So to fix this issue, instead of watching their child, they installed an alarm on the front door. Well. Even with that apparently they don't pay attention enough.

About a month ago, I find out that the 3 year old managed to leave the house, walk down the road to the neighbor's house, climb up a ladder and was about to get into A POOL by himself before they found him. The parents were mad at the NEIGHBOR for leaving the ladder in the pool!

And now tonight, the child managed to "run away" and was missing so long they finally called the cops. Thank GOD they found him and he is safe.

But seriously, how many times do you have to lose your TODDLER before you realize maybe you should look away from the TV and pay attention to your kid??

Do I need to contact child services or do you think the cops will after tonight? Someone has to do something, this baby is going to end up hurt, or worse.

*Edit*

So I know this couple through my SO, he's friends with the dad. When I first met them, I knew they weren't really spending time with the boys but I didn't know that it was to the point that they were being locked in their rooms or any of this. It just seemed like every time I went over there, they would make it sound like it wasn't that bad. Like, they'd laugh it off and say things like "Yeah baby boy likes going outside on his own, you know how toddlers are. We get to him before he leaves the yard though." So at that point, definitely sounded to me like bad parenting, but not really anything that child services would take too seriously. And they installed the alarm on the door, so I figured it would stop. And they stopped talking about it, so I assumed it did. We aren't super close and I don't have kids yet so I didn't feel it was my place to hound them about how they raise their kids. And then the pool incident happened, and they let slip about how he's managing to sneak out past having his door locked with the child safety lock on the inside and the alarm. And at that point I knew the situation was more than bad parenting. I honestly don't know why I didn't call then. I should have. And then yesterday happened, and I know they are not going to fix the situation themselves, and the next time he may not come home safe and sound. So I've decided I'm going to contact children services and report what I know today, and hopefully these boys will be looked after better. Thanks everyone for the responses, it helps knowing I'm doing the right thing.

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