On the whole, I really enjoy our neighbors.  But there is a little 6 year old across the street from us who has been a little bit of a challenge.

He receives very little supervision from his parents.  Example: he has a bike without training wheels which he can't ride.  So he comes and demands O share his bike with him.  I like  my kids to practice sharing, but...

When he comes to play trains, he commandeers J's battery-powered train.  J, torn between being a good host and wanting to play with his train, tries to get this boy to take turns.  The boy says, "Well, if you don't I won't be your friend any more."

The boy also has a battery-powered truck, which he drives up and down the street without helmets or any regard for the danger of the real cars.  This week, he was trying to convince O to tell me that it had seat belts (it doesn't) and that it's safe (it's not) so I would let O ride with him.  O refused.

I am torn between wanting my desire to let my children deal with a little peer-unpleasantness in a setting where I can come to the rescue before it gets out of control, and wanting to put my foot down and say, No, he can't play.  I feel like this boy can be a little sand in our oyster shell-- a little bit of negative peer pressure we can counteract and debrief as it happens-- to harden us to worse peer-pressure later.  Anyone have experience in negotiating through these muddy waters? 

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Posted by Christinethecurious

Dear Annie,

Being the Christian Cool-Aid Mom (even if you don't ever serve cool-aid because of the artificial everything) is really hard. Often the neighborhood problem child is attracted and repelled at the same time because your house had YOU in it - a caring adult who is in charge. In my neighborhood, the late Summer was when the kids a little older than B showed up, because they were bored, and we had non electronic stuff to do, art supplies, science kits, a patch of yard so shady no grass can grow so the kids are allowed to dig holes...but one or two kids always go off in a huff because I won't let them do X,Y or Z.

Lately they don't come because they are old enough for football, so they don't have much time. (Either that or they have air conditioning and electronic games)

I'm used to thinking of play outside time as my time, but when the other kids come, I have to be around more, one has threatened to hurt M, so I don't really trust him. So, its one of those improptu mission opportunities, but a really hard, annoying one!

guess all we can do is pray more, and make dinner early.

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