The neighbours kids. Here's one for you.
In our old house we had a fabulous family who lived next door with 2 little guys the same age as our little guys and we kinda had an easy weekend mix of them playing at and trashing our house, before they'd run back together, to the neighbours where they'd all do the same playing and trashing there. There seemed to be an unspoken "hour or so" rule, where one of us would go and retrieve our children and this would carry on a few times during the day. Noone ever felt we were imposing our children on each other. It always just worked seamlessly.
Now our new house, hmmm, there is a little guy who lives next door, in between my guys age, and a nice little kid. Problem is, he seems to come over and stay for hours, like half a day hours. Blimey. What to do? Everyone is happy, they all play nicely, it keeps my guys happy, but I still feel a bit ripped off. Not once have my guys been asked over or even seen inside their house. The parents just leave him with us, and get on with their day, without their only child, while we add another to our crazy mix.
What do you think....? Is there an unspoken rule that you either need to a) retrieve your child b) attempt to retrieve your child or c) offer up massive amounts of gratitude and compliments for looking after their child so beautifully.
I'm guessing d) All of the above is the right answer to that!
Do I need a chill pill or am I on the button?
Ooooh. I've been there. Little lad used to knock on the door when my baby twinnies were sleeping (every day...) and I'd tell him we'd come to his and get him when they were awake.
ReplyDelete10 mins later he'd be back again... I'd tell him again... he'd rattle the letterbox, bang on the door and then run around to the front and jump up in front of the bay window if I tried to ignore him (sleeping twins are very precious!).
He took to running alongside my mother of a people carrier as we drove home so he could head us off at the pass and I couldn't just pretend to be 'out'.
Then he'd saunter in, demand food (distinct lack of manners, that always gets my goat), play with our stuff, trash the house and FINALLY leave when I had had enough...
I took to leaving his boots outside the front door so his mum, should she care to look, could see where he was. Her house was along from ours and she couldn't see our house from there. He was 3 at the time. Once I went to TELL her where he was and couldn't get her... cos she was in the back garden sunbaking and didn't hear me...
Then an astute friend asked me, who is this child? Who is the mother? And what happens if he has an accident in your house, under your care when the parent doesn't seem to have 'authorised' his (long and regular) visits...
Yikes. Good point.
You have hit the nail on the head - I always have thought I have enough kids of my own I don't need to add the neighbours kids for long periods of time - good luck.....
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