Neighbourhood Children

iguana

My fiance and I moved into our new house last month and since then we've become a bit of a magnet for a group of the neighbourhood kids. They call to the house 4/5 times a day wanting to come in and hang around with me. I'm not entirely sure why, we're in our late 20's and have no children.

I know there is an aspect of novelty around new neighbours, but I'm really getting tired of it. I wouldn't mind if it was occasional, but as soon as I come up the street each afternoon they surround me asking if they can come in. If I say no, 10 minutes later another one is at the door. Each time I leave the house they surround me wanting to know when I'm coming back and if they can come in then.

The main ones are 3 boys, twins of 6 and their 7 year old brother. Their 11 year old brother tends to call over too, sometimes to hang out with me, but sometimes to use my house as a short cut to the playground behind where I live. I can't talk to their parents about it as I briefly spoke to their father in passing but he has very poor english.

I'd like the opinion of some parents on this. Have any of you had your children fixate on a local adult? And if they did would you be a bit suspicious about it? Because if I had kids and they kept going into a neighbours house I'd be a little uncomfortable about it.

Nevyn

Mine are not allowed in other peoples houses and only allowed in gardens of thier friends.
Take a firm line with them and tell them that you are busy.

Hobbes

Sounds like they are robbing your house to be honest. I wouldn't go telling a group of kids how long I am going to be away from the house.

sachamama

Hobbes wrote:

Sounds like they are robbing your house to be honest. I wouldn't go telling a group of kids how long I am going to be away from the house.

Thats a bit extreme. Doesn't sound like that to me. its summertime, the kids are bored perhaps? Its their street, they probably play on it all day and are interested in the people that live there.

The kids will get tired of you if you dont give them what they want, which is your attention. Perhaps if it is driving you really crazy you could call into their parents and let them know what is going on. Its important not to fall out with the parents but if you are being honest about how you feel I dont see why they would take it too badley, especially as you dont have a relationship with them yet.

its important at this early stage to establish what you are and are not comfortable with. My sister in law let the local kids in to play with her kids all the time, her house at times had 10, 15 kids in it at a time. the local creche we used to say about her!! now she is tired of it and wants out but its very hard for her to do as the parents and children dont understand the change of heart and they get cross about it.

so stand your ground!
best of luck

mountainyman

iguana wrote:

...we're in our late 20's and have no children. ... as soon as I come up the street each afternoon they surround me asking if they can come in. ...

it is a compliment, they think you are cool.
However don't let them in at all, not because they are robbiong you but because in the unfortunate atmosphere of moral panic around paedophelia that exists at the moment it isn't wise.

By all means talk to them in the street and when they ask to come in say no.

do you have a cat or dog btw.

MM

iguana

Thanks for the replies. My fiance and I had a talk about it last night. We have decided to tell them in a friendly, but firm way, that they can't come in as we are busy doing grown-up stuff.

I'm still slightly bemused by why they got so attached to me so fast. I guess they are just bored and I'm something new. But when I get home from work I just want to relax and not have 3-5 small children tearing around my house. I'll have enough of that when I have my own kids;) .

Mountainyman, I don't have any animals although we were going to get 2 dogs once we got the fence out the back sorted. I'm sort of thinking about waiting until the kids have gotten bored of us before doing that now though, as we may never get rid of them if they like dogs. Although if they are scared of dogs that could solve all my problems.

luckat

Keep the radio on Lyric FM. Either it'll get rid of them or it'll turn them on to classical music.

Seriously, your approach seems the right one. Be nice to the kids, but encourage them to play where there are kids their own age.

magnumlady

Yep they think you're cool and maybe aren't getting any attention from their parents.
I was the same when I was a kid, used to pester the neighbours who were a young married couple but were so nice to me and used to treat me a lot better then my own parents.

TempestSabre

Theres something very sad in all this.