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I would call the wife a selfish mother endangering her own son. People who are telling the letter write to loosen up a bit have no idea how bad the level of hoarding the letter writer is describing. it's not just a pile of unopened mail on the kitchen table. It's 'I can't run around freely like a kid naturally wants to because the whole room is full of crap!" For the sake of the son, I would say the letter writer should call the fire department and the child welfare authorities. It's not safe for a child to live in a home like that. Not just psychologically even physically. Can you imagine how much germs it's collecting in that house? What if there is a fire? Can they run out fast enough with all these obstacles? If the child dies or gets hurt in the fire or any injury caused by the mess, the letter writer will be legally responsible for keeping a child in an unsafe environment regardless of it's the mother who is hoarding.
As a father, the letter writer is responsible in every sesne to provide a healthy and safe physical space for his child to live in. If he fails to do that, he fails as a father. If the mother fails to see that, she fails as a mother. There is only so much a child should pay for the selfishness of a parent. But putting the child's well-being at risk is not an acceptable solution. If I knew the address or name of the letter writer, I'd call the fire department and chid welfare organizations myself.
The child welfrare organizatons take the children away from the parents for reasons less dangerous than this situation. why not this one? The grandparents are right to worry and they should take action if the letter writer is too scared of his wife to deal with the issue head on.
seriously, people! wake up and try to grow a spine and tell the selfish parent to get lost and shape up. What's up with Cary? yes, hoarding is a disease and we should tolerate it and support them in their way to change. blah blah. You don't have all the time in the world for the kid to grow up. He only gets one chance to grow up without becoming a hoarder or constantly stressed out. And if there's a fire in the house and the kid dies in the fire, will Cary take accountability for the life lost?