We live in a wonderful neighborhood with lots of other children around. This can be a blessing at times when the kids are looking for a playmate, but I have to admit that sometimes I do wonder if it would have been better to live somewhere else where kids were not knocking on the door all day everyday. It really makes it hard to stay in a routine, or to keep my kids attention for long because as soon as someone knocks on the door they jump up and want to run outside to play. Sometimes it is wonderful because it gives me time to clean up or just sit on the front porch and read, but I am finding that too much time playing with friends really interrupts my day with the them. As my kids get older, I find this a challenge.
When my children were smaller, a friend would knock on the door, and 2 or more moms and their kids would enjoy sometime outside together. The kids would play the moms would talk, and when playtime was over the kids would go in with mom and we would play again another time.
Now as my kids get older I find that the kids in our neighborhood just run around all day long with out any real direction or adult interaction. I am trying to figure out how to deal with this. Some might think that I am keeping them from learning independence, but I am just not sure it is healthy for them to have self directed play for long periods of time with other kids. As kids get older, I find that parents stop playing with them, and expect them to entertain themselves. This seems to be the case in our neighborhood anyway.
My real problem here is not what other parents do with their kids (or don't do I guess) but just that it is really hard for my kids to concentrate on anything that I am trying to do with my own kids, if all the neighborhood kids are out running around and my children really want to be with them. It is really disturbing when my kids and I are right in the middle of a game of UNO or a craft project, and the door bell rings. All the sudden they are no longer interested in what ever we where doing before, they now just want to go outside. If I tell them no and make them stay in, then they are upset and still will not go back to enjoying what ever it was we were doing before. The past few days I have been trying to take the kids somewhere out of the house for a good part of the day so that I don't have to deal with it. Like yesterday we went to the pool, today the skating ring, and I am already thinking up a day at the beach tomorrow, but to have to leave my own house to get the full attention of my kids seems a little aggravating. I am praying about it, but could really use some good advise if anyone has any.
1 comment:
God has placed you there for a reason. Just like He did on Quay Loop. Remember how much impact you had on your next door neighbor's kids? Maybe praying that God will bring the kids He wants you to minister to. There's a balance becuase you don't want them over every waking minute. I know we had "family time" and when kids came over we would go to the door and say, "Dad says it's our family time. We can play later, or tomorrow.....( whenever) " i'll be praying.
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