[onlymedid]

We have a new neighbor (about a month now) and she is 24 years old. She has a 6 year old son and she yells at him alot and very loudly. The boy (let's call him Cal) cries alot more than any other 6 year old I have ever met.
I have seen him cry over seemingly little things such as being made to come inside for dinner, so I don't know how much of the 'howling' is him just being stubborn.

The problem is that all of the yelling, crying, pounding on the wall (he kicks the wall) and slamming of the door is VERY triggering for me.

I have never heard a slap, but she cusses at him and makes fun of him when he cries. She yells so loudly that I can hear every word she says at times.

I feel like I should do something, but then another part of me wants to just stay out of it and mind my own business as we are moving soon anyways.

I hate this...

i'm SO sorry you're going through this. i'd be triggered too. i get triggered from the neighbor kids screaming gleefully. i can imagine how hard it must be to hear a boy crying when things are obviously not great.

i find myself transported to the past where my own daughter was screaming...she has autism. So i wonder (perhaps unnecessarily) whether there are additional issues at play here.

However, there's no excuse for his mom to berate him. You know what? i think it would be good to call CPS or the equivalent in your area just to report your concerns that the parent may need support. This wouldn't be overly judgmental. Believe me, they do nothing without strong evidence of actual abuse. At the same time, your call could be one documentation of "uh oh". And that's important.

i used to be a state social worker and it takes an awful lot for any action. So, ya know, your call isn't going to be the cause of unnecessary action...but it may just be worth documenting for future reference. Not only will this possibly help this family, but it could help you feel less than powerless.

i hope, whatever you decide, that you find some peace. Best wishes.

[onlymedid]

Thank you, MeSo! I had not considered other issues such as autism. He is a very nice boy and I would hate it if he were being hurt.
Maybe I will make a call to CPS, just to be safe. Thanks for the wishes and the words!

You're very very welcome!

[Kiya]

Sound advice. i concur =)