Friend Concerned for Woman and Her Young Daughter
Dear Abby | August 17th, 2025 | Letter 2 of 2
DEAR ABBY: I am acquainted with a single mother of a 4-year-old daughter. The mother is depressed and suffers from a circadian rhythm disorder. They don't go to bed until 4 to 6 in the morning and sleep until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Because of their sleep schedule, there are no daytime activities for the child. During the winter, the little girl saw only an hour or two of sunlight each day. The mother doesn't want her daughter to attend preschool because of their sleep schedule. This will have a detrimental effect on her daughter. Her circadian rhythm will be out of sync when she does go to school. Is this considered neglect? The father is a friend of mine, and he agrees this is a problem. Can you offer suggestions? -- BYSTANDER IN OHIO.
DEAR BYSTANDER: Yes, this is considered neglect. That child has received none of the social or intellectual stimulation that children normally do. The father needs to step in, assert himself and, if it's possible, rally the grandparents for help. There is medical help for both circadian rhythm disorder and depression, and the mother should be urged to give it a try, if not for her own sake, then for her daughter's.
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