ATTN Parents! I need some advice...

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  • AngelsKisses75
    AngelsKisses75 Posts: 595 Member
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    Sounds as though these kids are being given too much unsupervised time for their levels of maturity. Just supervise them!

    And if they've shown a bent for taking things apart and figuring out how they work, that's something you want to encourage. Buy them something cheap at a yard sale that they can disassemble and reassemble to their hearts' content.

    Might want to hold off on the $400 toys, too.

    I agree with this 2601715-xxs.jpg
  • curvygirl512
    curvygirl512 Posts: 423 Member
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    As parents, we're responsible for our children's safety. My rule of thumb, at least when my daughter was five, if it shouldn't be going in their mouths, then it should be out of reach. Garden hose, degreaser, stereo (think wires plugging into outlet). This is no easy feat! Also, we are responsible for providing them with safe options to amuse themselves. Try starting off the day by saying what's allowed or appropriate, then provide those materials. Switch it up before the kids get bored. Sometimes, this is easier said than done, so good luck and don't give up.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your responses! I was waiting to hear some terrible ones like I am a terrible mom or something. lol. We just moved to a very nice new area on Memorial Day. At first I thought maybe Blaine was just trying to fit in or acting out cause of the change. (We just moved out of state) But I do watch my son but I do let him have a little freedom. I know where he is at all times. And if I am inside I can always see him out of the window. I have increased this after the Power Wheel incident. At our old house he didnt have any freedom. There were no kids, I was working and he was in a very structured daycare.

    I guess I am going to have to have a sit down talk with him and explain to him that the way they treat stuff is not ok and we will have to seriously limit the time they play together.

    This neighborhood has extremely wealthy people in it and the only way we got a house is that it was a foreclosure and an extremely good deal. So I guess these kids will be the ones that will be handed the money and never have to worry about it.

    I guess my first warning sign should have been when the 6 year old little girl had a play purse and wallet that were real coach bags....

    Hmm I'm not so sure that wealth equates ****ty parenting. FWIW my DD has two Betsey Johnson purses because they were mine and I gave them to her when I got a new purse. I'll probably give her my coach when I'm done with it too. :wink: I guess I'm just not sure what the income of the neighbors has to do with one watching their child at play.

    I don't think she was referencing their parenting or their ability to monitor them, she was referencing the fact that they didn't mind the expensive toy being dismantled =) the harder you have to work for something, the more you want people to be respectful of it!!
  • Amber030583
    Amber030583 Posts: 490 Member
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    As parents, we're responsible for our children's safety. My rule of thumb, at least when my daughter was five, if it shouldn't be going in their mouths, then it should be out of reach. Garden hose, degreaser, stereo (think wires plugging into outlet). This is no easy feat! Also, we are responsible for providing them with safe options to amuse themselves. Try starting off the day by saying what's allowed or appropriate, then provide those materials. Switch it up before the kids get bored. Sometimes, this is easier said than done, so good luck and don't give up.

    This wasnt an adult stereo it was the stereo in the power wheel.
  • Amber030583
    Amber030583 Posts: 490 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your responses! I was waiting to hear some terrible ones like I am a terrible mom or something. lol. We just moved to a very nice new area on Memorial Day. At first I thought maybe Blaine was just trying to fit in or acting out cause of the change. (We just moved out of state) But I do watch my son but I do let him have a little freedom. I know where he is at all times. And if I am inside I can always see him out of the window. I have increased this after the Power Wheel incident. At our old house he didnt have any freedom. There were no kids, I was working and he was in a very structured daycare.

    I guess I am going to have to have a sit down talk with him and explain to him that the way they treat stuff is not ok and we will have to seriously limit the time they play together.

    This neighborhood has extremely wealthy people in it and the only way we got a house is that it was a foreclosure and an extremely good deal. So I guess these kids will be the ones that will be handed the money and never have to worry about it.

    I guess my first warning sign should have been when the 6 year old little girl had a play purse and wallet that were real coach bags....

    Hmm I'm not so sure that wealth equates ****ty parenting. FWIW my DD has two Betsey Johnson purses because they were mine and I gave them to her when I got a new purse. I'll probably give her my coach when I'm done with it too. :wink: I guess I'm just not sure what the income of the neighbors has to do with one watching their child at play.

    I don't think she was referencing their parenting or their ability to monitor them, she was referencing the fact that they didn't mind the expensive toy being dismantled =) the harder you have to work for something, the more you want people to be respectful of it!!

    Thats how I meant it as. :)
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
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    I love tammykoon's response, that's what I would do.

    I am reminded of a boy my son was friends with when he was at kindergarten, the other boy would get frustrated and then throw a tantrum. Next time we went to the supermarket, my son started to throw a tantrum just like his friend. I explained to him that Christian might behave like that, but it is not acceptable in our family, and he never did it again.

    I also found there was some friction when my son was older and went (on full scholarship) to a private school where his friends has access to many more consumer goods than my children did. My children were chided and made fun of because of the quality/quantity of possessions in our home. The parenting of the other children was not so much the problem, it was the value they placed on their belongings that was different. I am actually grateful that they experienced those tight times because they know how to wait and save for things they want, and they are grateful with what they are given.

    P.S. I've got no idea what a coach purse is ;-)

    GG
  • boomboom011
    boomboom011 Posts: 1,459
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    here is what we do at my house when stuff like this happens

    I tell the kids that we have rules at our house and if you are going to play over here you have to follow the rules and if you dont you will suffer consequences too and that will be you wont be coming over to play. I also tell my kids that they need to remind their guests that there are certain things that are not tolerated.

    if they purposefully break something I make them pay for it but i do not accept monetary payment. They have to clean and do manual labor until i feel the debt has been satisfied.

    By manual labor i mean clean toilets or other household chores. My kids are 5 & 11. We hand out "chores" according to age. It has worked so much better than grounding or spanking.

    Of course every kid is different.
    P.S. I have 2 very well behaved children that I am trying to raise and turn into responsible adults. Its a working ranch around here! lol

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