You are here

Bruises/scratches on SD

MdMom's picture

Other than documenting these bruises/scratches I find on SD (never anything ordinary... I wont doc scratched knees, or any 'ordinary' bumps or bruises) but every two weeks or so (I've noticed a pattern in my documents) SD will come home with a bruise on her lower back or like tonight, a scratch on her chest and upper back and also a sizely bruise on her shoulder.

BM usually has an excuse for every unordinary bruise, but I'm wondering if it comes down to a custody battle between BM and FDH would documentation be enough. Also should I be doing more than just documenting this?

MdMom's picture

SD is 3. When FDH confronts BM about them she will usually say she ran into a wall or door. They have no pets and BM will usually say she got scratched by SD's younger half brother.

When we ask SD how she got them she will usually say I don't know, or tell us a stories involving some kind of monster hurting her.

We are not in a custody battle as of now, but we want to be prepared if it ever comes down to it. Cause BM and her BF have threatened it before.

SD doesn't seem fearful when we take her to BM, but she often tells us she doesn't want to go. But when the time comes to drop her off she's fine with going.

jumanji's picture

Even with documentation/pictures - what PROOF do you have of how they were caused? W/o thst? your docs/pix are rather meaningless...

overworkedmom's picture

Has your BF taken her to a doctor about this? Documenting is good, but if you suspect abuse you need to do more than write it down.

Patsy's picture

I will tell you my two neices when they were 3 and 4 would get bruises in the oddest places. They were in my care full time. I knew there wasn't anything going on abuse wise. When we had a visit from the DFC, nothing was reported to them it was just to see how they were adjusting, and one neice had a bruse on her collar bone. Thankfully the Social worker did not blow it up. She talked to her and her older sister and my neice were able to show her how it happened. I frankly asked if she was not able to show you that what would have happend she replied "Oh Mrs. Patsy I can see they are in good care and show no fear of anyone in this home. If she wen't able to show me I understand that a 3 year old can get bruises in stange places." I would say unless she shows fear of her mother or anyone else there then they will most likely not take the pictures and documentation seriously, but they would show up to check on it with or without documentation. If you are concerned ask CPS if they will check on it.

MdMom's picture

We have contacted CPS about the bruises and scratches, and also about some of the things SD has said to us. Ie. One night she was crying and asked FDH to give her the medicine that makes her stop crying. When he asked BM via email about it she didn't reply. So he called CPS and they told him he needed to talk to BM about it, and they weren't gonna get involved. Because SD could have been talking about a piece of cheese, or candy... Or when SD came home with a huge gash on her forehead, BM made up a story of how SD fell outside and hit her head on the ground, SD told us she ran into bleachers at a baseball game, we asked where BM was and SD said she wasn't there, again CPS was called, and they said that SD was most likely making the story up and they weren't going to investigate.

This is why we document now, so if we go to court we at least have something to show the court.