Someone uses a belt on your grandson and even worse, hard enough to cause injury, and you haven't already called CPS? A step parent should not be using physical discipline at all, and as mkroopy says, this isn't discipline, it's abuse.
If you don't make the call, you are complicit in this child's abuse. Your daughter is already.

My mother beat us with a razor strap, drawing her fully-extended arm back all the way & hitting us as hard as she could for as loong as she could, until she collapsed & panted, & even she didn't leave bruises.

Your grandchild is being beaten.

He's being assaulted.

Since you see the bruises, your daughter must see them too, but she may think she can't do anything about it.

This 'learned helplessness' is an effect & a sign of abuse.

You need to get your grandson to safety, & very likely your daughter as well.

This is not my daughter. This child and 3 sibling are my son's children. He passed away 6 and 1/2 years ago. And I've always tried to keep a good relationship with my DIL. They live about 200 miles away and my DH and I go about every three months to take the four of them on a week end fun trip. It was the last trip while in the pool I asked about the bruises.
I was told it was a belt spanking for telling a lie. I'm concerned about retailiation if I say any thing. And being locked out of their lives. At which point we'll never know about them.
A friend suggested writing the step father a certified notice through our Att. that any time we see bruise again or the others tell us about spanking we will contact CPS. Make him aware we know. Also suggest to tell our grandchildren at anytime they are hurt , being spanked to call us and we
will call 911. There are 13 year old twins who admit being spanked also.
I just don't know what to do. We could be shut our of their lives at the blink of an eye. I'm on good speaking terms with my DIL's mother and am thinking I will step up and give her a heads up as to what I will do so they will be aware.......she lives across the country and may not even be aware of this.....
my heart just hurts for what I'm about to do. But I know someday they'll come back into our lives and know we did what we thought was right.
thanks you for all your kind and harsh words. Both were ncecessay to help me make my decision. I'm call our Att. tomorrow.....
my heart i

Can't help but feel that if you send a certified notice, you'll never see bruises because you'll never see the kids. And the abuse will continue, you just won't know about it, and the kids won't be able to call you either.
"I was told it was a belt spanking for telling a lie." There is no reason that makes beating a child with a belt acceptable.

I suspected a neighbor of abusing her children and reported her to the appropriate dept and they couldn't do anything without some kind of proof. I called the school and I suggested to the school nurse to keep an eye on them.

what colleen said.

Don't send that letter;
it has no teeth, & it'll get you locked out of these children's lives...
& it may make the stepfather angry enough to punish the children for it.

I realize that you're in a pickle, but you can report this to the authorities & the schools anonymously.

I wish you, & these children, the very best.

I think calling the school nurse is a good idea. You can be honest about fear of not seeing your grandchildren if you report it. If/when she sees suspicious bruises & child admits how they got them she has to report it to the authority. If you are in a position to take the children if they are taken away you can let the nurse know this. When she reports this they come to the school, talk to the child, check injuries/bruises and call the parents. No child should have to live where they are being abused. Your DIL may be being abused too and to afraid to leave. Knowing she has options might help her.

Our Atty. Advised us against a letter to step father and. Instead one to the school nurse advising of the spankings and bruises. she is by law required to talk to our grandson and report to CPS if she finds marks or bruises. in addition GS will know he can go to her to report bruises. atty. Helped to compose letter and said this is the best way.
thanks for you support and help

I'm so glad;
I bet this isn't the first time (s)he has heard of this kind of thing.

keeping all of you in my thoughts & in my heart.

I really hate to say this but if he is bruising the kids, what is he doing to your DIL? Can you talk to her and offer a safe haven if she and the children are in need of one?

I would look into guardianship if you think they are being abused and the mother is not able to or willing to stop it. They are your grandkids and you have established a pattern of visitation so that even if you can't get guardianship, you may be able to obtain court ordered visitation because it's been happening. I'm sorry for the loss of your son, but thankfully you are watching out for his children. Good luck to you.

My Remarried before my 4th Birthday. She married a divorced man with

a son. My step - father whipped me with the Belt right out of his jeans.

My mother also learned how to punish my step - brother and I. I got punished

during my youth. There were bruises on my bottom. Some of my fellow Boy

Scouts saw the bruises on my naked bottom at a bath house when when went

camping away from home. I was embarrassed. I said nothing. I was afraid of

my step - father for years. My Mother told me, that he slapped her when I

was a boy. It had something to do with his son. If I had I been older when my

Mother remarried, I would have told My Mother, Momma, I'm out of here.

They had one son together. He was born after my 6th Birthday. My Step -

brother had just turned 4 when my half brother was born. My Step - father

was mean. I saw him break a switch to whip my step - brother when he was

a little tot. i could do nothing about it.

Mother was divorced, and she remarried before she had been divorced a

year from my Dead beat father. She only dated my Step - Father for four

months before she married him. My Mother and Step - father weren't over

being hurt. My Step - father's former wife had just divorced him. He remarried

too soon. I don't wish my childhood on no child. Honestly I think, that a Step -

Father who whips his Step - son or Step - daughter with a belt and leaves

bruises needs a dose of his own medicine. His needs to be knocked in the

floor or have his bottom busted. Let him sit in jail for a while. The Mother

should get some wise sense before she remarries in today times.