What an odd problem this is

[DisMN]

I just got back from a neighborhood coffee group and the main topic of conversation was this certain family who moved in a little over 1 year ago.

They have 4 boys. The neighbors are complaining loudly about them because of the way the yard and house look. The yard isn't kept well groomed, there is a tall fence blocking the view of the now trashed back yard and the boys are noisy and boistrous.

Everyone has a problem with these new neighbors because of these issues. I don't. You wanna know why? The boys are.........


.


.
prepare to be shocked. .....

.
.
.
don't read further because there's horror ahead.....

.
.
.
.
those boys.......
the parents actually allow those boys to.......


OMG I don't know if I can say it....
.
.
.
the boys are PLAYING!!!

There. I said it.

The yard is full of wood, sawhorses, hammers, nails, a shabby, child-built playhouse AND a small goofy looking tree house that just barely peeks over the fence. The yard is full of holes dug with strange contraptions peeking out of them. There is currently NO grass growing in the back yard and not a whole lot of care is taken to spiffy up the front either.
The boys scream and holler and I often notice LOTS of running around the yard, even the FRONT of the house where everyone in the neighborhood can SEE them.
Once in a while those lousy parents let them stay outside in sleeping bags ALL NIGHT LONG so screams of laugher occasionally pierce the air well after midnight. Can you believe how bad these parents are and their homeowner skills are just awful.



I have to say those boys really look and sound like they're having a ball and I am more than a bit jealous. I just wanna join 'em!!
I have noooooooo idea what to say to my angry neighbors though. Any advice would be welcome. LOL LOL

 

[babyrich]

How about reminding them of a time when all children played outside.........

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ask them how they had fun when they were these boys' ages? If they didn't (have fun) or don't remember, tell them to ask their parents.

We didn't have the fence when I was their age, but we played. Outside. We ran around, we made noise, we built things - nothing permanant... we even played in the (side) street.

 

[Mermaid02]

I just got back from a neighborhood coffee group and the main topic of conversation was this certain family who moved in a little over 1 year ago.

They have 4 boys. The neighbors are complaining loudly about them because of the way the yard and house look. The yard isn't kept well groomed, there is a tall fence blocking the view of the now trashed back yard and the boys are noisy and boistrous.

Everyone has a problem with these new neighbors because of these issues. I don't. You wanna know why? The boys are.........


.


.
prepare to be shocked. .....

.
.
.
don't read further because there's horror ahead.....

.
.
.
.
those boys.......
the parents actually allow those boys to.......


OMG I don't know if I can say it....
.
.
.
the boys are PLAYING!!!

There. I said it.

The yard is full of wood, sawhorses, hammers, nails, a shabby, child-built playhouse AND a small goofy looking tree house that just barely peeks over the fence. The yard is full of holes dug with strange contraptions peeking out of them. There is currently NO grass growing in the back yard and not a whole lot of care is taken to spiffy up the front either.
The boys scream and holler and I often notice LOTS of running around the yard, even the FRONT of the house where everyone in the neighborhood can SEE them.
Once in a while those lousy parents let them stay outside in sleeping bags ALL NIGHT LONG so screams of laugher occasionally pierce the air well after midnight. Can you believe how bad these parents are and their homeowner skills are just awful.



I have to say those boys really look and sound like they're having a ball and I am more than a bit jealous. I just wanna join 'em!!
I have noooooooo idea what to say to my angry neighbors though. Any advice would be welcome. LOL LOL

I think you should print this off and put a copy in everyone's mailbox.

 

[indimom]

When the neighbors see you over there digging holes and building a pirate ship out of spare lumber, tell them you decided "If you can't beat them, join them."
Sounds like the neighbors need to lighten up and learn to enjoy life a little more.

 

[Hannathy]

This country would be a better place if more kids were allowed to be kids like that!!!

I think I'd be sending cupcakes or cookies over to those boys.


I bet they even are allowed to ride their bikes.

 

[TEENEE]

Your post made me smile. I would love to be so carefree again. They sound like a great family. Those kids will be the ones that make the most of their lives because they are learning how to entertain themselves and solve problems. Good for those parents.

 

[DisMN]

What's even more comical is that our neighborhood, while *nice* and all, we do NOT live in a community with new houses and manicured lawns. The dandylion is as much a flower as a tulip in most of our yards.
I thought it was really nice and polite when the noisy neighbors put up the fence so we wouldn't HAVE to see the messy yard! LOL

I have said that it didn't bother me but they look at me like I have a screw loose. Shut up...I do not. Ok maybe a little bit. LOL
Could it be that these women, a decade or two younger than me, didn't have that outside play experience to know this is normal?

 

[DisMN]

This country would be a better place if more kids were allowed to be kids like that!!!

I think I'd be sending cupcakes or cookies over to those boys.


I bet they even are allowed to ride their bikes.

Bikes? What bikes?
The bikes are in pieces all over the yard.

I do believe they're working on building some kind of 5 (yes, I said 5) wheeled go-cart but DH and I really can't tell what it is yet. I'm anxious to see what it turns out to be! LOL

 

[C.Ann]

Priceless!!!

At soon-to-be 12 yrs.old, DGD still runs around outside playing; riding her bike; playing hide-and-seek; fishing with her mom; climbing trees; having salamander races (yes - with real salamanders up here); playing yard games with her grandpa and her best friend down home..

It's an absolute disgrace! She should be sitting inside - playing video games - chatting with friends online - updating her status on a Facebook page - sulking in the yard while she chats it up on a cell phone or sends 100 text messages in a day to say, "Hey"..

I don't know why her parents insist on letting her run around and play - enjoying her childhood - being creative - rather than insisting that she be all wrapped up in social networking and "playing" via gadgets and gizmos.. Some should call CPS..



Is it any wonder that childhood obesity is shooting through the roof when even the neighbors complain about kids actually playing and being physically active??

Not sure how old your neighbors are, but if they never developed the art of playing outside and being creative, tell them to ask their grandparents if this is something they should be all up in arms about.. At least they're not out vandalizing the neighborhood!

 

[JessicaR]

Neighborhood coffee group? Designed to complain about others no doubt. Bleck! Let the boys play!

 

[Hannathy]

What's even more comical is that our neighborhood, while *nice* and all, we do NOT live in a community with new houses and manicured lawns. The dandylion is as much a flower as a tulip in most of our yards.
I thought it was really nice and polite when the noisy neighbors put up the fence so we wouldn't HAVE to see the messy yard! LOL

I have said that it didn't bother me but they look at me like I have a screw loose. Shut up...I do not. Ok maybe a little bit. LOL
Could it be that these women, a decade or two younger than me, didn't have that outside play experience to know this is normal?

I think you are right. I remember a few years back on this board all the younger women talking about how their kids couldn't even be in a fenced in back yard unless an adult was watching them constantly and no reading a book while you sat there didn't count. Walk around the block! They would just faint. Climb on the monkey bars or like I said actually ride their bikes.

I am very glad that I live in a neighborhood where the kids still walk to school and play outside back and forth between yards all day in the summer.

Remember having to be home when the street lights came on?

 

[ckay87]

I so agree with you. I remember that this was one area where DH and I did not see eye-to-eye when the boys were younger. For example, I remember that they and their buddies had pulled old lumber out of a dumpster and brought it home to build a clubhouse one summer. I was like...sure, whatever, just don't ask me to help! Of course, it didn't go so well, but I didn't hear from them for DAYS . But then DH had a small fit because of the mess .

They are 14 and 17 now and spend way too much time indoors anymore. Oh, they do have one little project that remains in the yard. The "Chair-iot," an old office chair, with the legs removed; spray painted and modified to include some kind of skateboard contraption on the bottom. It's pretty fast!

 

[CharliNye]

This is awesome! I keep seeing these issues pop up everywhere lately, I have a term for it but it's rather vulgar so I won't use it here.

I just see sooo many mothers(especially ones a bit younger then me, I'm 40) who won't let their boys be boys. And they have them in every structured class known to man from the time they're 6 mos old. I'm talking women with money and some poor, hippiesh types. I don't have my kids in ten classes in the park district etc and I'm looked at like a freak.

I had a great childhood, we ran free, went to the park, made noise, hung out at our friends to all hours. Even at the age of 10. My neighbor two doors down is afraid to let her 10 yr old daughter walk the <gulp> TWO blocks to school by herself this year. Because something may happen. I mean REALLY? She DRIVES her or picks her up all the time. It's ridiculous. We live on a cul de sac in a pretty mundane, normal neighborhood.

Everyone is so uptight and afraid to let kids be kids these days. I let mine run wild and make noise sometimes. I don't expect them to be perfect. Sure my 13 yr old son hibernated half the summer(he's shy and hasn't made any friends since we moved here last year), but I threw his butt outside whenever I could.

I know women who won't let their boys "roughhouse" or have action figures because that's too violent. BUT they can have structured playdates up the wazoo and only do happy things. I swear in ten yrs we're going to see some of the worst group of weak little boys(my son's stepmother is turning her 5 yr old into this little mama's boy, he is NOT allowed to roughhouse and when he wants to and tries to engage his brother his mother FREAKS OUT).

I think your neighbor boys sound charming OP.

OH and I was watching part of this movie this morning while kids slept, Now & Then, with Demi Moore etc. It was flashbacks of these 4 girl best friends in 1970. Oh my god the horrors, they were playing red rover, and having jelly ballon fight with boys, and biking ten miles away on their own. And sitting in diners having root beer floats together. And just having fun without mom watching them all the time. I loved it. Too bad today's parents are too scared to ever let kids do that. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and had a blast.

 

[FireDancer]

But OP, how are those kids going to score a 2400 on their SATs before entering kindergarten if they spend all day playing and no time studying?

We were outside all the time as kids. We had woods around our neighborhood and we spent a lot of the summer in there hiking, biking, building forts, wading in the creek, and coming home filthy. As long as we were in before dark no one cared. It was a lot of fun and I feel sorry for kids that are tethered to their front porches, or worse televisions, because their parents think they are just too delicate to get dirty.

 

[3doodlebugsmom]

I love this family!!!

 

[dislaney]

How about telling them to MYOB!!!

Kids should be able to play!!

 

[dogluva]

This is awesome! I keep seeing these issues pop up everywhere lately, I have a term for it but it's rather vulgar so I won't use it here.

I just see sooo many mothers(especially ones a bit younger then me, I'm 40) who won't let their boys be boys. And they have them in every structured class known to man from the time they're 6 mos old. I'm talking women with money and some poor, hippiesh types. I don't have my kids in ten classes in the park district etc and I'm looked at like a freak.

I had a great childhood, we ran free, went to the park, made noise, hung out at our friends to all hours. Even at the age of 10. My neighbor two doors down is afraid to let her 10 yr old daughter walk the <gulp> TWO blocks to school by herself this year. Because something may happen. I mean REALLY? She DRIVES her or picks her up all the time. It's ridiculous. We live on a cul de sac in a pretty mundane, normal neighborhood.

Everyone is so uptight and afraid to let kids be kids these days. I let mine run wild and make noise sometimes. I don't expect them to be perfect. Sure my 13 yr old son hibernated half the summer(he's shy and hasn't made any friends since we moved here last year), but I threw his butt outside whenever I could.

I know women who won't let their boys "roughhouse" or have action figures because that's too violent. BUT they can have structured playdates up the wazoo and only do happy things. I swear in ten yrs we're going to see some of the worst group of weak little boys(my son's stepmother is turning her 5 yr old into this little mama's boy, he is NOT allowed to roughhouse and when he wants to and tries to engage his brother his mother FREAKS OUT).

I think your neighbor boys sound charming OP.

OH and I was watching part of this movie this morning while kids slept, Now & Then, with Demi Moore etc. It was flashbacks of these 4 girl best friends in 1970. Oh my god the horrors, they were playing red rover, and having jelly ballon fight with boys, and biking ten miles away on their own. And sitting in diners having root beer floats together. And just having fun without mom watching them all the time. I loved it. Too bad today's parents are too scared to ever let kids do that. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and had a blast.

I am 43 and it is not just the young mothers. My neighbor has a daughter the same age as my daughter, 7, and she is close to 50. Her daughter cannot leave her sight. She is not allowed over my house by herself. No way. She needs to be with her at all times. The little girl is actually turning into a rebel. Another mother is my age and won't let her kids play outside by themselves at 7 and 8 in the backyard. She supervises all play. Her boy is out of control because she give him no space. She would not send them to camp-too young. They go to a daycare when she works with all babies.

Luckily, the rest of my neighborhood is like me. They just play. The kids work out problems themselves. They camp in the back yard and ride their bikes. They sometimes walk to the store when they can scrounge up money. They go in the wood and the boys play with air soft guns. Nobody cares. Nobody's kid had thieir eye shot out (yet). I am happy my kids have friends who play because childhood is short and my happiest memories were of me playing and not doing something structured.

 

[ENSOCK]

I agree! My DS11 and DS16 have the run of the neighborhood. They are allowed to ride bikes, have air soft wars or do anything within reason outside. (as long as no one gets hurt) They both have cell phones and know to answer them when I call. We have had very few problems in the neighborhood and nothing major. Let them have fun!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Having been a real "tomboy" I built forts, played stick ball, rode a bike collected bottle caps, turned skate boards and wooden crates into scooters
Sometimes really miss that rollerskate key on the string around my neck raised my kids the same way...what great memories..outside from sun up to sun down missed so many dinner times those kids are seriously lucky to be raised with this freedom..I agree print out your post and go stuff the mailboxes