Neighbor kid on the roof!

[1stluvispooh]

Ok here's the story of today:
I was outside in my back yard DD went around to the front yard and a few minutes later I followed her to see if she was playing or if she had gone inside like I thought she did since there were no bubbles floating my way or sounds of basketball or biking going on. So I round the corner of the house and I see our neighbors son age 8 on top of the roof of his house. It's a 2 story house. I calmly start walking towards the house, there is 1 house between us. The boy scrambles down runs into the garage, closes the door and goes inside. I go to the door and hear the vacuum going and grandma (who lives with the family so she can be babysitter) telling the boy's sister, 12, to get the door. Boy says no that wasn't the door. So I move so they can see me standing in the window by the door. So they let me in I tell grandma that the boy has been on the roof. She says, this roof? Again? He did this last year! I don't know what to do with him he broke the tree outside too. She just didn't seem that upset. My kids would have gotten a "talking to" and been grounded from something. Granted I don't know if this happened when I left but she just seem to take it with a grain of salt.

As a side note yes I know he did this last year. The neighbor between us found him and told grandma. The other neighbor also said that the next time he found the boy on the roof he was going to call the cops.

You don't need to speculate. Yes he's ADHD. I use to say he was the poster child for ADHD until a friend thought he literally was the poster child for ADHD He has and IEP at school, as does my DD the same age and unfortunately they usually wind up in the same class. It's really sad the parents are uninvolved when they are at home and grandma has given up. Not that I blame her she's already raised her children. Unfortunately his sister gets stuck with a lot of the responsibility of her brother.

Ugh it's just so said. I feel like he wouldn't get into so much trouble if they spent more time trying to focus his energy constructively. They had him in softball but stopped going because they had a couple of rain days. They just don't seem to care with him.

 

[SandrA9810]

I loved being on the roof of our house... only 1 story though. There was a tree growing on the corner of our house that literally acted like a ladder for me. I didn't start doing it until high school. Go up there to hide. I tried it once from another tree on the other side, but got stuck on one of the branches really high up and my g'father had to come rescue me, of course that was when I was younger (sometime before 13).

But I was always a monkey, climb/hide in anything and everything possible.

 

[SandrA9810]

My aunt also had a small attached storage closet to her town home. We used to be able to climb out of the bathroom window on to it, then climb down the meter box, on to the AC unit and on to the ground.

Kids are kids... probably needs a good jungle gym. There's nothing quite like being "taller" and seeing the world below you or how far you can see up high. Why do you think people go mountain climbing??

 

[Cool-Beans]

The grandma took her eyes off the kid just like you had taken your eyes off of your kid. You can't watch kids 24/7, especially when there is more than one of them to watch. And sometimes kids do stupid stuff like climb out on the roof.

While I wouldn't encourage kids to play on rooftops, I'd also mind my own beezwax about how the neighbors raise their kids. Ditto their babysitting arrangements.

But most of the DIS would call CPS at the very least and probably the police.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Oops. New rule.

Ok here's the story of today:
I was outside in my back yard DD went around to the front yard and a few minutes later I followed her to see if she was playing or if she had gone inside like I thought she did since there were no bubbles floating my way or sounds of basketball or biking going on. So I round the corner of the house and I see our neighbors son age 8 on top of the roof of his house. It's a 2 story house. I calmly start walking towards the house, there is 1 house between us. The boy scrambles down runs into the garage, closes the door and goes inside. I go to the door and hear the vacuum going and grandma (who lives with the family so she can be babysitter) telling the boy's sister, 12, to get the door. Boy says no that wasn't the door. So I move so they can see me standing in the window by the door. So they let me in I tell grandma that the boy has been on the roof. She says, this roof? Again? He did this last year! I don't know what to do with him he broke the tree outside too. She just didn't seem that upset. My kids would have gotten a "talking to" and been grounded from something. Granted I don't know if this happened when I left but she just seem to take it with a grain of salt.

As a side note yes I know he did this last year. The neighbor between us found him and told grandma. The other neighbor also said that the next time he found the boy on the roof he was going to call the cops.

You don't need to speculate. Yes he's ADHD. I use to say he was the poster child for ADHD until a friend thought he literally was the poster child for ADHD He has and IEP at school, as does my DD the same age and unfortunately they usually wind up in the same class. It's really sad the parents are uninvolved when they are at home and grandma has given up. Not that I blame her she's already raised her children. Unfortunately his sister gets stuck with a lot of the responsibility of her brother.

Ugh it's just so said. I feel like he wouldn't get into so much trouble if they spent more time trying to focus his energy constructively. They had him in softball but stopped going because they had a couple of rain days. They just don't seem to care with him.

 

[HelenePA]

I loved going on my roof too! Until I fell off and broke both arms at once.. It was a very boring summer! The police came to my house and went thru my bedroom looking for a suicide note.. Oh I can laugh about it now but I'm sure I took a few years off my parents life! and no I wasn't trying to kill myself.. Just trying to get some sun while sitting on my roof. It probably wasn't one of the smartest things I've done in my lifetime.

 

[1stluvispooh]

I loved being on the roof of our house... only 1 story though. There was a tree growing on the corner of our house that literally acted like a ladder for me. I didn't start doing it until high school. Go up there to hide. I tried it once from another tree on the other side, but got stuck on one of the branches really high up and my g'father had to come rescue me, of course that was when I was younger (sometime before 13).

But I was always a monkey, climb/hide in anything and everything possible.

I should have explained how he gets on the roof. He climbs on the garbage can, swings over to the downspout, shimmies up the downspout, swings he legs up onto the roof, and there he is. The kid is a great athlete I don't understand why they don't have him in a sports camp of some sorts. Something this kid needs structure!

 

[1stluvispooh]

The grandma took her eyes off the kid just like you had taken your eyes off of your kid. You can't watch kids 24/7, especially when there is more than one of them to watch. And sometimes kids do stupid stuff like climb out on the roof.

While I wouldn't encourage kids to play on rooftops, I'd also mind my own beezwax about how the neighbors raise their kids. Ditto their babysitting arrangements.

But most of the DIS would call CPS at the very least and probably the police.

Trust me I do. You don't even know the half of what has gone on with the kid that I know of!

 

[1stluvispooh]

I loved going on my roof too! Until I fell off and broke both arms at once.. It was a very boring summer! The police came to my house and went thru my bedroom looking for a suicide note.. Oh I can laugh about it now but I'm sure I took a few years off my parents life! and no I wasn't trying to kill myself.. Just trying to get some sun while sitting on my roof. It probably wasn't one of the smartest things I've done in my lifetime.

Exactly! And around here grandma would have child endangering charges against her!!! People I know have had this happen for a lot less!

 

[Cool-Beans]

I should have explained how he gets on the roof. He climbs on the garbage can, swings over to the downspout, shimmies up the downspout, swings he legs up onto the roof, and there he is. The kid is a great athlete I don't understand why they don't have him in a sports camp of some sorts. Something this kid needs structure!

Why, because you say so?

There could be a gazillion reasons the kid isn't in a sports camp.

Can't we all just be content to raise own kids our way and leave others to raise their kids their way?

There are PLENTY of kids out there who actually need the help of strangers. They wait every day to be adopted. Why not go adopt one? Why sit around checking out what the neighbors are doing and spreading the gossip? If you really want to help kids in need, get to it. Go start helping. If not, leave it be.

That's my advice.

 

[doxdogy]

Look on the bright side, he didn't try my trick. My brother who is number of years older then me, gave me his old parachute when he got out of the Army. My mother comes home from work one day to find myself and friend on the roof with the parachute. You got it, we were going to jump off the roof holding the parachute.

She yelled to get down off the roof (I am sure there was colorful language used) and explained that the parachute would not have worked. Needless to say the parachute was cut up and put in the garbage.

 

[SandrA9810]

To some of us, you seem like the odd one for never trying it yourself as a kid. The other half is like you...

It was probably a smart thing to warn the g'mother for it. But we can't really question the parent's motive of punishment. Most people would be appalled by my mother's way of handling certain situations, especially me going to school. But I've turned out alright, and got a high school diploma in the end, even some college.

Kids are very daring. Nothing is really going to surpress that need for pushing the limits. Eventually the boy will learn that he can't get up that way when the spout can no longer hold him. Hopefully it breaks a little closer to the ground. Don't be surprised if he found a new way.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Don’t ride your bike off a ramp that’s more than three bricks high
Don’t take that candy from the store if you ain’t got the dime
Don’t pick a fight with a little guy that doesn’t talk that much
Don’t pick up a cherrybomb thinkin’ it’s a dud
And don’t sneak out of a 2 story house usin’ bed sheets for a rope
Don’t ask me how I know

(Chorus
Sell your truck while it’s still runnin’, save the Jesus off the dash
Say a prayer when you feel like cussin’, save your money - pay with cash
Forget your pride, buy the roses, if you’re sorry tell her so
Don’t drink the water in Mexico
Don’t ask me how I know

Don’t quit your high school football team halfway through the season
Don’t bust your buddy in the nose when you know he didn’t mean it
Don’t lose a girl you love at home for a night in Panama City
Don’t rush off the phone when your Mama calls - you ain’t that busy
Ya oughta make that drive to say goodbye to your grampa ‘fore he goes
Don’t ask me how I know

This thread made me think of the bolded part of this song. And I just happen to like the second bold.

 

[S. C.]

The grandma took her eyes off the kid just like you had taken your eyes off of your kid. You can't watch kids 24/7, especially when there is more than one of them to watch. And sometimes kids do stupid stuff like climb out on the roof.

While I wouldn't encourage kids to play on rooftops, I'd also mind my own beezwax about how the neighbors raise their kids. Ditto their babysitting arrangements.

But most of the DIS would call CPS at the very least and probably the police.

Which is exactly why if I see a kid doing something dangerous I will bring it to the adults attention.

 

[antmaril]

When we were about 12, my best friend (lived next door) and I used to cannonball into her ABOVE GROUND pool from the roof of her detached garage. My father came home from work early one day and let's just say he wasn't happy

Never did that again