I too, have the shorter cycles, even more cramps thing. If it would stop, that would be great, but these just seems constant (even though I know it is not.)

Well, fuck me. I just saw the horrible mom across the street hit all 3 of her children (1 at a time) with a leather belt on the front porch. So I called 911. The dispatcher said the police officers would want to talk to me first, which is fine, but it's going to be pretty clear to Garbage Mom that I'm the one who called the police. But I guess I don't care about what she thinks, because Jesus Christ, you don't beat your children. And getting hit with a leather belt really fucking hurts. The little girls had short little uniform skirts on, with bare legs, and she hit them on the legs.

Fuck that woman. I hope she burns in hell.

What was weird was that the dispatcher asked "Was this normal discipline, or something else?" And I get that the dispatcher probably meant, was she beating the absolute shit out of the kids, or did she just ("just") hit them once?

But come on. Physically striking your children is not "normal" discipline, and fuck anyone who thinks so.

Oh Steph, how horrible. Thank you for calling.

Jesus. Fuck her.

And WOW, does this make me feel like Permit Patty. The family is black, and I *really* hesitated to call the police, because I don't want to be the catalyst of more racist behavior on the part of LEOs. (The police officer is white; he got here quickly and was very personable. [edit: Very personable to ME, Whitey McWhiterson.] He's over at Garbage Mom's house now.)

But I also can't stand by while children (they're 5, 6, and 12 -- she beat a 5-year-old girl on the bare legs with a leather belt) are physically abused in front of me. I will not. I don't care if Garbage Mom is pissed.

Good for you, Teppy!

Even if it were the first time you witnessed the abuse it would be right to call, but this is far from the first instance.

You are not Permit Patty. She beat them with a belt. Nope.

Even if it were the first time you witnessed the abuse it would be right to call, but this is far from the first instance.

Yeah, I called the time I witnessed her kicking her son through the front door into the house after dragging him up the steps. And I felt like Permit Patty then, too.

Well, no. I don't feel like Permit Patty, because I know that what Garbage Mom is doing is fucking WRONG. But I *do* worry about contributing to a situation where shitty racist behavior happens because I called the police on a black family, even though it was for legitimately wrong behavior. I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best, and this country fucking sucks when I have to hope that the police don't do something horrific when they're supposed to be protecting these kids. (AFAIK, it all turned out fine. I didn't hear any commotion, and the police officer is gone. After he talked to me, as he was crossing the street to Garbage Mom's house, he and I could both hear -- from behind the closed front door -- Garbage Mom yelling and swearing at the top of her lungs. And I thought, yeah, I made the right call here.)