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A new family moved in a couple of doors down the street. It's actually two families. I've met the dad, and one of the moms, but I haven't met her sister, the other mom. My dd and two of the kids from the new family have been playing, sometimes in their yard, sometimes in my yard.
Last weekend (or maybe the one before, time flies), all 3 kids were playing in our yard. At about 4pm, DH and I needed to go run some errands. I told the kids that "In 15 minutes, ya'll have to go home because we have to go out." The neigbor's children said that they had to stay "until 10, or 2". I sort of laughed because I thought they had misunderstood (the younger one, age 7 had said this). I explained that 10 was past my dd's bedtime, and 2 was the middle of the night. I went back inside preparing to leave.
A bit later, I said that they would have to go home in 5 minutes. Again, I was told that, no, they had to stay here until 10! This time, the older boy (age 8 or 9) said it. I explained again that 10 was past my dd's bedtime, and that we were about to leave, they couldn't come with us and they couldn't stay here by themselves. I also went inside and told my husband about all this.
When it was time to go, we went outside and gathered up our daughter. My husband told them firmly that they had to go home now because we were leaving soon (dd needed to change clothes). They reluctantly left, walking toward their home.
These kids also came over one day (before this incident) and said that they had to stay with us because their mom was going to work. I felt very put upon. I had not been asked if I was willing to keep these kids. I had things to do including taking dd to dance class and couldn't see keeping these new acquaintances busy and out of trouble at the dance studio lobby. I haven't even met their mom. I politely declined.
Now, these children haven't been back to play with my daughter since then. I'm wondering if I offended the mother somehow by refusing to be responsible for her children, without haveing ever been asked by HER to do this. Of course, it may just be that summer has started, our schedules are different now, dd is taking much more dance in the evenings, and maybe we just haven't been home at the same times.
I'm not real comfortable talking with these neighbors. They are definately NOT AP, a very different lifestyle from ours. I've met the dad and one of the moms, but not the other mom (who, I now beleive, is the mother of these two children).
Also, the little 7 yr old girl has told us some very questionable things. She has a surgical scar on her chest/abdomen, and she told my daughter that she couldn't eat certain types of meat (I am vegitarian, dd is becoming more so, and that has come up in conversation between the two girls), but the little girl's dad (or maybe her uncle - I'm not sure which children are his and which are his SIL's) is a meat cutter for a local grocery store. My dd told me that the girl doubled up in pain while playing with dd. But when I told my dd that I would ask the girl's mom about this, she told me that the girl said not to talk to her mom about it. Huh? One last thing, the little girl has told us two different names, similar to each other, but different. We're still not sure what her name is.
Is the child making things up? Should I talk to her mom about this? Or is this just childhood make-believe and I should let it go? Would a parent REALLY tell 7-9 yr old children that they "have to" stay gone until night?! I'm getting weird vibes from this family. What is you take on this situation?
Thanks!
Ann-Marita
Last weekend (or maybe the one before, time flies), all 3 kids were playing in our yard. At about 4pm, DH and I needed to go run some errands. I told the kids that "In 15 minutes, ya'll have to go home because we have to go out." The neigbor's children said that they had to stay "until 10, or 2". I sort of laughed because I thought they had misunderstood (the younger one, age 7 had said this). I explained that 10 was past my dd's bedtime, and 2 was the middle of the night. I went back inside preparing to leave.
A bit later, I said that they would have to go home in 5 minutes. Again, I was told that, no, they had to stay here until 10! This time, the older boy (age 8 or 9) said it. I explained again that 10 was past my dd's bedtime, and that we were about to leave, they couldn't come with us and they couldn't stay here by themselves. I also went inside and told my husband about all this.
When it was time to go, we went outside and gathered up our daughter. My husband told them firmly that they had to go home now because we were leaving soon (dd needed to change clothes). They reluctantly left, walking toward their home.
These kids also came over one day (before this incident) and said that they had to stay with us because their mom was going to work. I felt very put upon. I had not been asked if I was willing to keep these kids. I had things to do including taking dd to dance class and couldn't see keeping these new acquaintances busy and out of trouble at the dance studio lobby. I haven't even met their mom. I politely declined.
Now, these children haven't been back to play with my daughter since then. I'm wondering if I offended the mother somehow by refusing to be responsible for her children, without haveing ever been asked by HER to do this. Of course, it may just be that summer has started, our schedules are different now, dd is taking much more dance in the evenings, and maybe we just haven't been home at the same times.
I'm not real comfortable talking with these neighbors. They are definately NOT AP, a very different lifestyle from ours. I've met the dad and one of the moms, but not the other mom (who, I now beleive, is the mother of these two children).
Also, the little 7 yr old girl has told us some very questionable things. She has a surgical scar on her chest/abdomen, and she told my daughter that she couldn't eat certain types of meat (I am vegitarian, dd is becoming more so, and that has come up in conversation between the two girls), but the little girl's dad (or maybe her uncle - I'm not sure which children are his and which are his SIL's) is a meat cutter for a local grocery store. My dd told me that the girl doubled up in pain while playing with dd. But when I told my dd that I would ask the girl's mom about this, she told me that the girl said not to talk to her mom about it. Huh? One last thing, the little girl has told us two different names, similar to each other, but different. We're still not sure what her name is.
Is the child making things up? Should I talk to her mom about this? Or is this just childhood make-believe and I should let it go? Would a parent REALLY tell 7-9 yr old children that they "have to" stay gone until night?! I'm getting weird vibes from this family. What is you take on this situation?
Thanks!
Ann-Marita