Where do you draw the line between bad parenting and child abuse/neglect?

This sounds like abuse/neglect. Call Child Protective Services NOW! They can determine if he should be removed from the home. If they don't, at least she will be put on notice that someone is watching.

My heart aches for this child. He is lucky to have you caring about and looking out for him.

Bad parenting is not disciplining your child, but still taking care of their basic needs, like food and cleanliness.

Neglect is not feeding your child, not keeping them clean, not keeping them healthy, not giving them a good healthy start in life.

Abuse is where a parent hits or otherwise physically or mentally hurts a child, and more than just a light tap on the bottom or hand to show that the child has been naughty and the parent doesn't want them to repeat that behaviour. Abuse is unnecessary hitting.

What you're seeing is neglect and abuse.

Dear Ashley, My heart goes out to you. Keep trying to get CPS to listen. Go to the newspapers if you have to. Tell anyone who will hear what you have to say. Write to your local papers, politicians, child protective agencies - - anyone and everyone. Also, try to get the child's mother to consider getting help with her alcoholism. Perhaps if she deals with some of her own issues, she'll someday realize what she's doing to her son. I wish you all the best with this heart-breaking situation and I know what you're going through from my own sad experience. It's not easy having to sit back helplessly and watch this unfold. CPS needs more workers and better methods to deal with all the poor children who are being abused and neglected all over this country. It's a disgrace. Good luck.

You need to do what is in the best interests of the child, and then you need to try to work the system so that the child isn't given from one neglectful parent to one neglectful grand parent. You might not be related, but the situation that this child is in right now is not good and you know it. Perhaps you should consult with a family law attorney and find out what legal recourse you have. Good Luck.

This is not a case of simply bad parenting, this is most definitely child neglect/abuse. My heart goes out to Payton, that is so tragic. He needs to be taken out of his mother's care immediately so as to start getting the love and care that he needs.

Please, try to call someone about this immediately, do not wait. This is a situation that could turn tragic.

I will say but 2 things.First be careful what you post and how you post it.Slander can leave you open for liability and a law suite.Second is this if the situation is this bad visitation or not it should have been reported a long time ago.Failure to report can again come back upon you.Re port it and if need be let D.H.S.know you would be willing to offer aid and help if they see the need to intervene.

I'm glad to see you are calling Child services....try to work with the state to see if you can get Payton into a good home....try getting a lawyer and see if you can get him or something but try to make sure the grandma doesn't get the little boy...she is a good portion of the reason why your sister is the mother she is.

oh my God!! readin this is just breakin my heart.. i know it goes on.. but oh my god.. that poor baby boy.. i hope you and your mom can do somethin about it.. you are family, so maybe you can go to a lawyer.. get a damn good one!!! fight for custody of that child.. she is unfit!!!!!!! and since you are family you might have a good chance i would hope .. dont' give up on that little boy.. he needs you and you obviously care and love him too.. he's gotta get out of that.. that is neglectful .. abusive and he should not should not be there or in any risk of danger from anyone.. people have got to come together at times.. help the ones that can't do it themselves.. i so wish you the best.. and am prayin that little boy does not get hurt any more!! in any way!!! fight for him is all i can say.. take care..OK.. you've had so many tellin you the same thing.. please please please now.. go see what you can do.. get professional help now!!!!! i could not sit still in front of a computer another minute.. knowin that child is bein so mistreated and you have the power there now to help his life.. abuse/neglect will stick with him for the rest of his entire life if you do not go do somethin to stop it now!!! am gonna be thinkin bout this all day.. go do somethin now and get that boy in a safe place... please.. wishin u the best.. take care.

This is child abuse and neglect. Your sister has major problems and needs help. You need to get help for Payton as soon as possible. He is being damaged physically and mentally. He needs lots of love to help correct all the wrong she is doing to him. Please make sure social service knows that your family wants to take care of him and ask if they can get help for your sister.

Spanking can be good if done out of love to teach a child right from wrong. Your sister is not even showing any love to this sweet child! I pray he gets the help he needs!

I'm a former CPS caseworker, and I can only echo the advice of others. I'm so glad you're calling CPS, because based on what you've written here, this sounds like a horrible case of abuse/neglect. In my state, we always tried to place with family or friends first, in those cases when the chlid had to be removed from the home. Your nephew is very fortunate to have you to be concerned on his behalf.