What to do about a Neighbor

[REDVAN]

Looks like you live in a real winning neighborhood.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Kidnap the children when she isn't looking. Days later you pay a child to drop off an unmarked envelope at their doorstep which contains a ransom note, a key and one of the older kids' fingers.

Demand 300,000 dollars for the return of the kids and lock them in a storage unit in which the contained key opens. Make sure you receive your payment somewhere succluded and thast the police are not to be involved.

She learns to take care of her children, you can afford to move to a new neighbourhood where you don't have to stress about a someone elses brats.
Win-win

I think instead you need to do the whole jigsaw thing so that she'll learn her lesson or die.

"Hello ?????? I want to play a game, for years you've neglected your children and your pets to the concern of others, especially the other that lives across the street. I'm giving you a chance to learn how to care about those that you are responsible for. On the video screen in front of you, you will see your children and your pets playing with matches while surrounded by your favorite clothing outfits soaked in gas. You have about 20 seconds before one of them figures out how to light a match. I've hidden a key at the bottom of that pile of cocaine and since your hands are tied behind your back there's only one way to get to the key. Get high or watch your kids destroying your nice clothes, fashion or drugs, the choice is yours, let the games be . . . "

Sound of horrific snorting for 3 seconds

"Son of a b%tch she just did a pound of coke in 3 seconds"

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think instead you need to do the whole jigsaw thing so that she'll learn her lesson or die.

"Hello ?????? I want to play a game, for years you've neglected your children and your pets to the concern of others, especially the other that lives across the street. I'm giving you a chance to learn how to care about those that you are responsible for. On the video screen in front of you, you will see your children and your pets playing with matches while surrounded by your favorite clothing outfits soaked in gas. You have about 20 seconds before one of them figures out how to light a match. I've hidden a key at the bottom of that pile of cocaine and since your hands are tied behind your back there's only one way to get to the key. Get high or watch your kids destroying your nice clothes, fashion or drugs, the choice is yours, let the games be . . . "

Sound of horrific snorting for 3 seconds

"Son of a b%tch she just did a pound of coke in 3 seconds"

Unfair,

What brand of clothing was it?

If those kids torch my Gucci, Nudies and Von Zippers I'll be damned if those adoption pendings expect me to chase them down the dark, poorly lit streets of Calgary.

[ResAlien]

The same advice as always: Burn their house to the ground.

[Bean]

There is a fine line between being able to reign in other people's stupidity or bad parenting but I believe there should be something the OP can do to a avoid a potentially bad situation. For those who brush off the thoughts of a concerned neighbor, what happens if you're driving to your buddy's house and hit a small child that was neglected or just didn't know to run into traffic? I know Darwinism will "work it out" but I don't want that blood on my hands or bumper.

Of course if a kid gets hit or killed the worry warts get their time in the media saying that nobody cares and how tragic it is to lose a child due to a bad driver... I say #### that, the OP is trying to be kind by being proactive and helping the situation.

I'd suggest speaking to the mom and catch her in the act so to speak as well as making mention of it to other neighbors. By the sounds of it, it isnt an isolated incident and as long as it doesn't turn into a witch hunt OP is trying to better his community; nothing wrong with improving a situation and avoiding a potential bad scenario. Good on yah and I wish I live near more people like you.

/end rant for a guy who lives near an eerily similar situation.

[Huntingwhale]

Write a strongly worded letter to your alderman.

[Sr. Mints]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Write a strongly worded letter to your alderman.

... And if it's John Mar, write it in crayon.

[MotoRacer]

Use capital letters from now on.

[JohnnyB]

I would not speak with her in person. Do that and you are getting personally involved in their lives. Also, should either you or any person in the neighborhood later decide to report her to child services you very likely end up as the target of some very negative emotions when all you've tried to do is help. Either way, you're taking a chance of having your own life suddenly getting all wrapped up in their family problems that you are likely unable to solve and could get very messy.

Still, you obviously believe that this situation is an ongoing danger to the children and animals so I think you are morally obligated to take action. The best option for this is going through a service such as Children's Aid as mentioned above or whatever other services there are like that available in Calgary. They should have ideas of how to deal with it.

[Flashpoint]

It'll be really cold soon. The Children will want to stay indoors. By the time spring rolls around they'll be old enough to fend for themselves.

Steal the dog.

[SeeBass]

Don't you know

Vagina= good parent

Penis= Bad

My brother in law is going through a divorce and this neglect by the mother is killing us as she put up a restraining order on all of us and it took a year for the judge to stop it when he realized her claims were false.
Of course there is no punishment for this woman to make this stuff up and prevent a father from seeing his children.
I have a six year old neice who watches Criminal Minds and the father can't do anything about it.
Two dogs, less than 5 years old, have died at this house in the last two years.
The children spend more times at friends so they can have dinner as there will not be one at home.
Yet this is better than being with dad.

rant over.

[Bean]

If the OP does speak to the woman it is all about how the situation is handled. Hopefully the right tact can be employed however stealing the dog is a hilarious idea.

[simmonjam1]

20 - 30 yrs ago, most of us played outside unsupervised. Nowadays, in our overly paranoid society, it called bad parenting.

[return to the red]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Looks like you live in a real winning neighborhood.

Funny, I live in Paradise Canyon In Lethbridge

Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess it's just really concerning to me because my office is in the front of my house and I see this stuff happening on a daily bases when i'm in the office because she is right across the street from me. I have a feeling that they are getting ready to move though because today I see a trailer parked out front and they are loading stuff onto it, one can hope.

I should mention that I agree that there is nothing wrong with letting your kids play outside but many of you seem to have missed the part where I said the kid was only 2 years old, now if you feel that it's fine to let a 2 year old wander around unsupervised outside then all the power to you but I know sure as hell don't feel comfortable doing it or seeing it.

[taco.vidal]

I don't know about you but I at two yearsold I wasn't allowed to play on the roadway unsupervised. Read the OP.

Originally Posted by simmonjam1

20 - 30 yrs ago, most of us played outside unsupervised. Nowadays, in our overly paranoid society, it called bad parenting.

[llama64]

We require licenses for driving, guns and a host of other things.

Yet we don't for parenting. Still boggles my mind that any idiot can have a child.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by return to the red

Funny, I live in Paradise Canyon In Lethbridge

Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess it's just really concerning to me because my office is in the front of my house and I see this stuff happening on a daily bases when i'm in the office because she is right across the street from me. I have a feeling that they are getting ready to move though because today I see a trailer parked out front and they are loading stuff onto it, one can hope.

I should mention that I agree that there is nothing wrong with letting your kids play outside but many of you seem to have missed the part where I said the kid was only 2 years old, now if you feel that it's fine to let a 2 year old wander around unsupervised outside then all the power to you but I know sure as hell don't feel comfortable doing it or seeing it.

You will all have to move soon, that neighborhood is sinking! Your problem solved. I might be more worried that the toddler would get eaten by the coyotes around there.

Anyway sucks that it likely has a daily effect on you, being that you can't help witness it. If I saw a neighbours child on the road I would go get the kid and take him/ her home.

Difference may be that I know all the families and children in the 15 or so houses around us. Harder if you are not on speaking terms I guess. Suppose in your case I would try to get to know the family.

Tell the mother you saw her child on the road, the fact a neighbour tells her this might inspire her to more care.

[joshux]

call child services, easy :S

[joshux]

dont need to be a hero

[shermanator]

You mean you DON'T live in New Brighton?