Not every parent can be what their children need to grow into happy and healthy human beings. There are many things that can stand in their way of doing right by their kids, and sometimes parents don’t even notice they’re doing more harm than good, which forces others to step in.
This woman did exactly that after she could no longer stand watching her sister-in-law endanger her kids. However, in the process, she ruined her own marriage, as her husband and his family started resenting her for it.
Not every parent can do right by their children
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As it happened with this mom, which pushed her SIL to call CPS
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Bad parenting is characterized by actions that harm children’s development and well-being
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At this point, it’s common knowledge that the parenting journey doesn’t come without hiccups or mistakes. And while most moments of frustration, error, or confusion are nothing to worry about, others can have a long-lasting impact on children. That said, it can be difficult to notice the signs when parenting choices are starting to become negative.
According to experts, bad parenting is characterized by actions that harm children’s development and well-being. Some things are automatically considered bad by everyone, like physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect that most of us attribute to bad parenting. Without a doubt, such behaviors should be immediately addressed with professional help.
But there are also less obvious signs of bad parenting, like a lack of supervision, failure to address deviant behavior, and inconsistent discipline. Parents who prioritize their own interests over their children can harm their children without overt abuse or neglect, too.
Bad parenting practices can negatively affect a child’s mental, emotional, social, and physical development, emotional regulation, and their relationships with others. Often, these unresolved issues persist in adulthood, further affecting their quality of life.
Unfortunately, bad parenting is quite prevalent, with studies finding that 15.2% of children experience maltreatment and up to 50% of parents use ineffective parenting styles, such as authoritarian, permissive, or uninvolved approaches.
Good reasons to call CPS include physical and sexual abuse and neglect
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Sadly, in more extreme cases, children get stuck with parents who put them in danger without a way out. The only way they can be helped is if an outsider notices they’re being abused or that their well-being is being threatened in any other way. In case that happens, they can contact Child Protection Services, which has the power to intervene in the parent-child relationship.
However, many hesitate to report parents to CPS, as they fear that their observations might be incorrect. To this, Ellen Smith, a clinical associate professor and child welfare training coordinator, says that it’s not the caller’s job to determine whether abuse or neglect happened. Instead, their role is to provide information to CPS so they can keep an eye on certain families or confirm the claims. That said, they have to have some substantial evidence to back up their statements. If there’s no substantial evidence, CPS doesn’t start an investigation, as there’s nothing to investigate in the first place.
Good reasons to call CPS include physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Children in dangerous situations might have signs of injury, flinch or raise their hands in a defensive manner, live in an unlivable environment, or spend long periods of time without proper care. However, it’s worth noting that if a witness sees a child in situations that put them in immediate danger, they should call the police instead of CPS.
Commenters assured the woman that she was doing the right thing
Meanwhile, some even shared similar stories
