Question by Pregnant with Baby #2: Would you call the child abuse hotline on a friend?
I just got the child abuse hotline and now I’m really regreting it. My friend from highschool got drunk last night, took xanax (maybe mispelled, but it is a prescription drug that really makes you loopy) and drove for over an hour with her two year old in the car. She works over nights and sleeps all day while he wonders around the house alone. She leaves him alone in the bathtub while she goes outside and smokes and talks with her friends. I was honestly just worried about her son, but now I feel so ashamed. I tell my husband everything, and I’m too ashamed to tell him even this. The lady on the phone said that she couldn’t do anything unless the child had been injured already, which blows because I wanted to prevent an injury. She is a good friend, but she is a horrible mom. Her son has asthma and heart problems and she still smokes around him. He is two and doesn’t say even 1 word because noone ever talks to him. I am so sad for him, but now I feel terrible.
The child abuse hotline said they could investigate, but they really couldn’t do much unless the child had already been injured. My friend is also on parole, and I could call her officer, but I feel that would be wrong. I fear for this child’s life if he stays with her. I have tried giving her advise, but she is kinda slow. I really just don’t want to talk to her anymore because it bothers me so bad. I bring her son gifts and milk when she runs out. When she calls for help, I can’t say no to her child. She is doing drugs, so if I called her officer they would do a test and she would go to jail. The child would be better off with a grandparent (she comes from a good family, we were neighbors growing up), but I don’t think I could send my friend to jail.    Read more...