Neighborhood kids

Perhaps cut it off at the pass with the only outside rule? Take your kids to the library to choose movies to have on hand?

I feel sorry for our neighbors having to listen to me trying to get the toddler out of danger and the 6 yo to stop trying to "help' me parent the toddler.

[houseelf]

Laura,

Um...I'm sorry. These situations are difficult. We're working through one of these right now.

Wowser. We are having a slight issue with a family of 8 kids ranging from 2 to 12 who have free reign of the neighborhood without the slightest hint of supervision. Seriously, the 2.5 year old rides his bike down to the park by himself and then proceeds to ask any nearby adult to put him in the swing and push him! He fell and hit his head and the adults didn't know where to take him home. We found out that he lives almost two blocks away.

Anyway, our townhome is right by the nieghborhood park and one of the youngest children (4) constantly asks to come inside our house to use the potty even though there is a port-a-potty on site and I've never met her parents. Ummmmm....I'm slightly uncomfortable with this.

Of course, my 6 y.o. now wants free reign of the neighborhood. I had to explain to him firmly and these children delicately that DS wasn't allowed to go beyond our driveway without a grownup. It is one of our first lessons in different houses/different rules.

This problem may resolve itself because DS is going to Ohio and Tennessee with his grandparents for three weeks on Sunday. *Ufda*

Kelly

Ugh. How is that job looking?

We're still in school here but I'm anticipating a similar problem in a few weeks. Our neighbor has our number memorized and apparently no monitoring of when or to whom she makes calls. No is in infrequent word -- unless it is the child taking to the parents.

My plan is to stay busy, make plans out of the house, and be the ogre parent who has half a nut and can no.

Seriously, we have noticed more undesirable behavior from being around this kid on a consistent basis. I am SO glad that they will not be in the same class next year.

Wow. Gotta say I am blessed with great neighbors (except the jackass who complains about my dog barking for 2 minutes while I finish peeing ... but I digress).

I like the "outside only" rule. I can't imagine being the mom who says to herself "cool - the kids are hanging out next door for the 14th day in a row". I love that my neighbor and I take turns -- but we do THAT -- we take turns. Both of us fall all over ourselves to acknowledge that our kids being at the other's house can mean WORK for the other one, and are sure to handle it pretty evenly.

Good luck!

[SueC]

We are blessed with great neighbors as well. It's pretty much a given among the parents here that the kids will only play outside unless there is a specific invitation. If the kid's parents aren't considerate enough to tell their kid not to go in your house, I'd just tell the kid myself that we aren't having friends inside.