I have a situation and I'm not sure where to address my concerns and seek assistance, no matter the hours I've spent surfing the net for guidance. My 6 year old child is predominantly in my care, and visits with his father two weekends a month. His father rents a small granny flat from a work mate. It has recently come to light that when my child spends the weekend, his father sleeps in the granny flat at the rear of the main house (it's seperate with no internal access) and my child sleeps in the main house (the work mates), often all alone as the mate works away. A 6 year old, in a house all alone for two whole nights!!!! It has me reeling and heart broken at the same time. Anything could happen and his father would be unaware until he woke the next day. My son has told me he has gotten up during the night and played video games for hours, he has also told me he makes his own food if he gets hungry, including boiled eggs because he sometimes can't wake his dad, or its too dark to go outside to his dad's granny flat. I have spoken to his father and he assured me that he would be sleeping in the main house going forward, but this last weekend, when questioned, my son advised he was all alone in the house again. I'm not sure who to talk to, what to do from this point. I do not wish to stop visitation as I believe a child should have both parents in their lives where ever possible, but I can't allow him visitation whilst this continues. It's not safe, and definitely not in my child's best interests. We don't have a parenting plan or anything like that in place, if one was made up, can housing situations be a part of that? Do I speak to child safety? Legal aid? Sorry guys, my head is spinning and I'm just going round and round and getting nowhere but flustered.
6 Replies
Stop the overnight visits immediately. This is extremely dangerous , his father may as well not be there at all
That child is alone for far too long at night .
Initiate family mediation now. Stop over night visits until mediation takes place.
Your exes judgement is terrible! Your son would have been better off sleeping on a mattress on the floor than in the house.
So unsafe!
I’m pretty sure this would fall under child endangerment. Stop visitations all together and request to go to mediation and get a proper parenting plan put in place and have this issue clearly documented.
My son is 6 and I would not be allowing this to happen. He must be so scared!! Definetely follow the others advice and stop visits immediately. Alarms bells too that he can’t wake dad! Hope it all works out for you Mumma xx
Oh god no, don't send him again. That's enough. Dude needs parenting classes and supervision, that's irresponsible and child endangerment.
You can dictate anything you wish to in a parenting plan so yes this absolutely can be included. Although you do not wish to stop visitation, your child's safety must come first, always! You'd kick yourself if something was to happen and would never forgive yourself for not intervening.