'That is neglect': My ex leaves our 6yo at home for hours while at the gym

"He says it's okay because she's under strict instruction not to eat while he's gone so she can't choke..." the concerned mum wrote in a now-viral thread. 

In a chilling forum post that's now gone viral, a woman opened up about a deeply concerning situation involving her ex-partner leaving their young child at home alone for hours at a time on multiple occasions.

The mum expressed her worries over the safety and wellbeing of their six-year-old daughter, who is being left unsupervised while her dad goes to the gym.

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"Often he's gone for a couple of hours or more"

While the ex-partner argues that leaving the girl with "strict instructions not to eat" (so she doesn't choke) is acceptable, many commenters strongly disagreed and pointed out that there's a whole host of other things that could go wrong. 

Ultimately, people urged the mum to take immediate action and let her know this situation is severe negligence and potentially even abuse. 

Image: IStock

"My ex leaves our young child home alone too often and too long," the woman wrote. 

"Sometimes he's gone for just an hour, but often, he's at the gym for a couple of hours or more. 

"He says it's okay because our daughter knows she's not allowed to eat when he's not home, but I'm concerned. What should I do?"

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"Six is way too young to be left alone"

The post quickly gained thousands of comments, with forum members giving their opinions on the situation. 

One user urged the poster to seek legal help and report her ex to the appropriate authorities. 

This sentiment was echoed by many others who emphasised that she should get child protection services to intervene or at least, do a welfare check. 

"Six is way too young to be left alone, if you have a lawyer, give them a call and tell them about it," the top comment read. 

A different user admitted, "I have a six-year-old and hesitate to run out to the street for a moment or to our parking garage. She'd be terrified home alone for hours."

"Call CPS. I'd also be going for full custody," advised one woman. 

"Endangered, starving and lonely"

"This is jaw-droppingly irresponsible," chimed in another. It's absolutely neglectful." 

"Endangered, starving and lonely - that’s how he's leaving your child for hours at a time," added someone else. 

Then this user pointed out that the sole instruction 'not to eat' barely scratches the surface. "What if a fire started in the home, could she get herself out of the property?" they said.

Another person listed many other potential dangers: "What if someone breaks in? What should she do if she feels scared or unsafe? What other rules does she have? Can she reach someone on the phone if she needs to?"

Originally published as 'That is neglect': My ex leaves our 6yo at home for hours while at the gym