A few hours ago, I posted about discovering that my neighbor had left her 9- and 11-year-old kids home alone for the week. The situation was serious, and yes, I called the cops. After making the call, I deleted the post, but here’s your update.
Everything I mentioned earlier was 100% real—no exaggerations, no fiction. I knew reporting her was the right thing to do, but I needed a little push to follow through. My hesitation wasn’t about whether the call was necessary but rather about timing. This woman is extremely confrontational, and she will absolutely know I was the one who reported her. I’m almost certain she’ll try to start something when she gets back.
That said, I’m an adult, and I can defend myself if it comes to that. But no child should be left alone for almost a week without basic necessities.
I called the non-emergency police line, and they arrived in under five minutes. As the officers were upstairs talking to the kids, the mother called my phone three times in a row. I turned it off and decided I’d play dumb if she tried to confront me.
One of the officers later came back down to thank me for calling. He explained that they were removing the kids from the home and contacting CPS. Meanwhile, the mother tried to claim over the phone that she had “arranged” for me to care for her kids in her absence. What?! That’s the furthest thing from the truth.
I wasn’t even aware the kids were alone until the 11-year-old son locked himself out of the house and I had to buy them toilet paper the day before. I’m struggling to make ends meet myself and can’t be a free on-call babysitter. The whole thing is infuriating, and I’ve lost sleep over it.
While I know I’m not the asshole for making the call and I’m confident I did the right thing for those kids, the emotional toll has been overwhelming. The police took the kids out of the house right away, and though it feels unsettling to be the person who set this chain of events in motion, it was the right thing to do.
Now I just need some emotional support. My anxiety is through the roof, and I’m locking my doors and windows in case she comes after me. I’ll stand by my decision, but this is all a lot to process.
