Joe and the Neighbors

My children love to play with the neighborhood children. I tend to be happier if the children hang out over here. Don't get my wrong, my children are allowed to play at the neighbors' homes. But, our family values are different from other families in our neighbor. One neighbor continually screams and swears at her children. She doesn't talk that way to my children, but I don't want them exposed to that situation regularly.

Joe hangs out with this neighbor's sons quite a bit. Whenever their mom comes outside, Joe walks away or comes home. Joe isn't rude, but he doesn't like to be around her. She eventually figured out what was happening and told me that Joe was afraid of her. I said that she speaks to her children differently than I speak to mine and he is uncomfortable. Don't assume that I think that I am a model parent. I yell at my children upon occasion and have lost my temper many times.

For the rest of last summer, Joe continued to avoid this parent when she was upset. Today, Joe was playing with Buster in our yard and the neighbor called him to the fence line. She explained that she wanted him to know that she had changed over the winter and no longer yelled at her children. She told Joe that he no longer needed to be afraid of her. Then she turned to her child and began screaming and swearing at him because he had let their dog out of the house accidentally. Joe saw a lot of humor in the situation. I don't think that she won him over. :)

Socialization

My youngest two girls spent several hours playing with some long-time homeschool friends today. We have know this family for 12 years and my older children used to have play dates with their older children. Our older children have developed different interests, but the younger children are fast and firm friends. A wonderful thing about this is that I get to spend time with a long time friend.

We met at Bounce Land and the children all played together, while Alison and I talked. One thing we discussed is how we have changed as parents from when we first met. She has become more strict and has higher expectations, while I have relaxed. I no longer worry about all the small stuff. Or at least not as much as I did in my younger days.

When my family moved a year ago, I knew that I would miss my friends and family from the Battle Creek area. A short time after we moved, my friend Alison moved about 1/2 an hour from where we moved. What a blessing to be able to still get together with another homeschool mom from the early days of our homeschooling.



Paige, Chloe and Alison posing at the bottom of a slide.



Another photo of the three girls. When the girls first began to have play dates, I was concerned about the odd number of girls. Frequently, someone feels left out. These three girls play together very well. They look out for each other and make sure that everyone is included. It was so sweet to see the three of them caring for Chloe's younger brother.





After playing at Bounce Land, we went to Chloe's house and had lunch. I'm so proud of myself for trying new food. Sushi and spring rolls have both been tried. Why did I wait so long to try them? YUM!

Socialization

I'm ready for school to start. Not our home-school, but the public school. My children enjoy spending everyday playing with the neighborhood children. The children need to spend time developing friendships, learning how to cope with various social situations, and getting lots sunshine and fresh air. I just need a break from other people's children.

Don't get me wrong. I like my children's friends. They are nice children. After months of 20+ children around each day, I begin to feel claustrophobic. Saturday, I kept Paige and Allie in the house all day. Silly me assumed that the neighborhood children under 10 wouldn't come over. I was wrong. Seven 4-6 year old children hung out on my front porch with their older siblings and my older children.

A few months ago, Allie was bit by a neighbor's dog. It wasn't a bad bite, more like a scratch. The neighbor apologized and promised to keep the dog inside when my children were playing with her children. Friday, Paige and Allie took Buster (our Jack Russell) outside. No other children were outside and we chained Buster in the yard, near his dog house. Ten minutes later, I heard that Buster had bitten the same neighbor's 6-year old. The bite was mainly a scratch and I apologized to the neighbor. The neighbor mentioned that Buster was in her yard. There is a fence between our property and Buster was still chained up. When I told her that he was still chained, her 6-year old explained that he had cut the fence earlier in the week, so that he could get in our yard! The neighbor promised to fix the fence and was very nice about the dog bite. I really need some "family only" time!

We start school next week. I think that we'll do day trips for the remainder of this week....just until the neighborhood quiets down for a while.