Dear Irresponsible Neighborhood Parents,
When I became a parent, I fully expected that one day neighborhood children would eventually come to my house and ask to play with my kids. Which is no big deal, except I didn't think they'd start coming to my door at the age of FIVE.
I don't know who these kids are, I don't know where they (meaning YOU) live, and I've never met YOU. Call me an overprotective parent, but I don't let my children wander the neighborhood to go to people's houses I don't know. Your kids want to play with mine? Cool. Walk them over, knock on my door and introduce yourself. We'll probably exchange phone numbers. I might ask you where you live (since you obviously know were I live already), in the odd event your child might need something, or have an emergency.
But you didn't do any of those things, did you?
You see, I have this weird idea that if children are playing in my yard, I'm responsible for them. Which, strangely enough, is the reason I'd like you to notify me that they would like to come. But your children show up in my yard and I might not even know if they're there for awhile. Ever ask a five year old the names of his or her parents? Guess what they'll say? MOMMY AND DADDY. So looking you up is out of the question. Moreover, I'm not traipsing across the neighborhood with 4 children in tow looking for your house. In fact, one of you (because there is more than one of you that do this) stalks me for the sole purpose of sending your child into my yard. Without showing enough respect to ASK FIRST. You then somehow thought you had the right to act indignant when I yelled at you. My kids weren't even here. So what you thought your 5 year old child was going to do was beyond me, but you'd better consider it an act of compassion and generosity that I didn't call the cops on your ass. Which, next time I might, because I refuse to be held responsible for something I had no control over should something happen to your child.
I'm not your free babysitting service. It's that simple. Perhaps you thought that by not approaching me I wouldn't expect reciprocity. You're right, because I would never leave my precious children with an irresponsible douche bag such as yourself.
When I became a parent, I fully expected that one day neighborhood children would eventually come to my house and ask to play with my kids. Which is no big deal, except I didn't think they'd start coming to my door at the age of FIVE.
I don't know who these kids are, I don't know where they (meaning YOU) live, and I've never met YOU. Call me an overprotective parent, but I don't let my children wander the neighborhood to go to people's houses I don't know. Your kids want to play with mine? Cool. Walk them over, knock on my door and introduce yourself. We'll probably exchange phone numbers. I might ask you where you live (since you obviously know were I live already), in the odd event your child might need something, or have an emergency.
But you didn't do any of those things, did you?
You see, I have this weird idea that if children are playing in my yard, I'm responsible for them. Which, strangely enough, is the reason I'd like you to notify me that they would like to come. But your children show up in my yard and I might not even know if they're there for awhile. Ever ask a five year old the names of his or her parents? Guess what they'll say? MOMMY AND DADDY. So looking you up is out of the question. Moreover, I'm not traipsing across the neighborhood with 4 children in tow looking for your house. In fact, one of you (because there is more than one of you that do this) stalks me for the sole purpose of sending your child into my yard. Without showing enough respect to ASK FIRST. You then somehow thought you had the right to act indignant when I yelled at you. My kids weren't even here. So what you thought your 5 year old child was going to do was beyond me, but you'd better consider it an act of compassion and generosity that I didn't call the cops on your ass. Which, next time I might, because I refuse to be held responsible for something I had no control over should something happen to your child.
I'm not your free babysitting service. It's that simple. Perhaps you thought that by not approaching me I wouldn't expect reciprocity. You're right, because I would never leave my precious children with an irresponsible douche bag such as yourself.
3 comments:
Bravo! I couldn't have said it better. Gone are the days where everybody knows everybody and the trust of letting your child run to the neighbors like when I was a child. M stayed in our yard with the neighbors children playing with him between both yards but that's has far as they went. I knew the parents and they knew us. I wouldn't dream of just letting him go to another house without first knowing where and second who the parents where and checking with them first.
Wow, 5, really? That just scares me!! Unbelievable! Good for you!
Good for you! I can't believe the audacity of some people.
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