Dear Queenie,
My daughter has a friend that lives near us that always comes over to our house to play but my daughter never goes to play at her house, and the little girl never goes home until we make her go, not at suppertime or even bedtime.
Queenie, I don’t like to throw her out when it’s time for her to go, but what can I do?—Disgusted mother
Dear Mother,
There may be a very good reason this child is reluctant to go home. Her parent(s) may be abusive, stoned, drunk or just not there.
Since you say the child lives near you, try walking her home once or twice to get an idea of what her home is like. Then, if you think her situation may be unfit, you might consider notifying the Court of Guardianship and letting them take it from there.
