neighborhood delima

**jenloveschip2001** · 03-12-2007, 10:34 AM

We just moved into our new home. We love the house, but we are still adjusting to the new neighbors. Where we were living we didn't have any neighbors. We live on a very small dead end country road and there are kids all over the place. The neighbor on the right has 6 kids and the one on the left has two and there is a little boy up the street. When there is no school the kids all play together and ride bikes to each others house. Our house has become pretty popular since our kids are the new kids on the block. Even when we aren't home the neighbor said that the other neighbors kids were at our house playing with the toys. Don't get me wrong I love kids, it does help intertain mine but I think I really miss my privacy. If I go on the porch I have kids comming to talk to me. I usally let my kids go out and play with the neighor hood kids because the feel like they are being punished if I make them stay in or if they can't play with the other kids. I have meet both the parent on both sides and they seen nice. It is kind of funny because one of them we just found out is my sister in laws new mother in law. They moved in the same weekend we did. Does anyone else have lots of kids in there neighborhood? Any advise for having some privacy? Do you think it is good or bad to have all the kids in the neighborhood playing together. I told my children that it was ok to play outside with them but to never go in there house. There little girl comes in our house and plays with my daughter but none of the other come in and there dog comes in my house to sometimes. The dog is a little house dog and is fully house broke. Any Advice Please!

**Darlene** · 03-12-2007, 10:48 AM

Just like with other relationships you need to set boundries. Sorry kids, when we are not at home nobody is allowed to play in our yard and with our things. There is the insurance issue where you would be liable for injuries etc and it's just not the way to behave.
It's ok to say I you want time for yourself, "nice to see you so & so but Mrs. B would like some time to herself" "Sorry so & so the kids can't play right now, we are having family time, come back at 3" Or you could also spread word across the lands that~ red flag in the flagpole means stay away, sunshine yellow come on over, lol.
Good luck!

**tigo** · 03-12-2007, 10:55 AM

Darlene is right on. You need to set boundaries up front.

**FrugalMomof3** · 03-12-2007, 10:59 AM

I agree, you have to set boundries, even saying the things Darlene mentioned they should understand ... but it will take some time since now they are used to just coming over and doing this or that. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

**Dancing Lotus** · 03-12-2007, 11:21 AM

I really like the flag idea

**Michelle68** · 03-12-2007, 05:01 PM

I'm also with Darlene on this. We have LOTS of kids in our neighborhood and sometimes it seems like they're ALL at our house or in our yard. For the most part, I'm fine with it because at least I know where our son is and what they're doing. Sometimes you do have to set boundaries, though. Most of the time, the kids have to play in our yard, not in the house. Sometimes we tell them that we're going to have "family time" and our son won't be playing that day. And we have told the kids that there's no reason for them to play in our yard if our son is not outside or home. Just don't let them all drive you crazy.

--Michelle

**kabin63** · 03-12-2007, 06:56 PM

I agree with Darlene, but...LOL I was raised in a family of 6 kids. I was probably like a lot of them always wanting to play....:-) Set the boundries and the kids will adjust, but be glad that yours have other kids to play with. Mine didn't have many kids to play with when she was little and that is one thing I am sorry about.

**pita1213** · 03-12-2007, 08:52 PM

been there and done that. setting boundries will help a lot. we used to live on a dead end street with 3 other families with kids. ours seemed to bet he house to play at. we also had the problem of kids palying at our house when we weren't home. i set the rule of no one playing on our swing when we aren't home. there was a problem with one family so i also had to set the rule of my kids couldn't play at their house, they had to play at mine. my son got punched in the face when the other little boy and a friend were fighting over a game. i told the father i wanted some sort of explination of what happened and which ever one hit my son owed him an appology. my son got a really bad black eye out of it. i never heard anything from either parent about the incedent. couldn't even get the little boy to tell me what happened, just had what my son said. i just decided it was better if they were at my house where i knew they would be supervised. if i was in the house and they were outside, i still knew what was going on since all the windows were open. in the winter, i was outside with them to make sure someone was around if them slipped on ice and they stayed out of the street.

sometimes it was a pain to always have kids around, but at least i knew where they were and what they were doing.

oh one other rule we had to stop knocking on the door bright and early saturday morning, they weren't allowd to come over in the morning until the front door was open. i usually had the front door opened when we were home so they knew if the door wasn't open we weren't home or were busy. once it was open they could some see if the kids wanted to play.

**IntlMom** · 03-12-2007, 09:56 PM

Lots of kiddos on the block is a blessing and a curse. It's great cause the kids always have someone to play with. It the pits cause it really cuts into your privacy,......I have gotten to where I dread winter ending, cause it means all the kids are going to be back out.......the worst is when they come over and play hide and seek in the house.....and want me to play! It's cute for a moment or two, but they don't get wearing out their welcome - we have to continue to remind the kids in the neighborhood to not jump on our tramp when we are not home.