How much would you tell new neighbours about your situation?

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For most of my life I've lived in a traditional nuclear family set up, so whenever new neighbours have arrived I'd have said "Hi welcome to the neighbourhood, I'm Jane, DH is Chris and the boys are John and Peter".

Now I am widowed (for a few years) and I have one adult son left at home, plus a BF who is here quite often.

So, if I'm introducing the residents it's me, a widow and DS2, but they'll see BF coming and going...

I don't need to be told I'm over thinking, I'm not really, it just occurred to me it will be different this time.

Absolutely nothing. They're not my friends.

I can’t think of a reason to tell them anything.

Why do you need to tell them anything much?

Just a cheerful "hello, I am X, hope you're doing well here" if/when you happen to see them out and about. No need for your life story.

Hi I'm Abigail my fur friend is called clover I might say my partner Dave is around some weekends if you see a random man coming in and out (haha) dependent on the vibe.

I don’t think I’ve ever introduced my whole family to neighbours. I just introduce myself, if they ask if I have kids I’ll tell them. Usually they meet DP at some point and he introduces himself. So it maybe that they have no expectations

This, other than a brief “hail fellow well met”. What else is needed?

I you want to introduce yourself (and you don't have to) just say "Hi I'm Jane, I live next door". If you want, you could add "John lives there too".

Hi there, I'm Orange and live at number 27, nice to meet you. Bin day round here is Tuesday by the way, in case you wanted to know!

None of their business really but I’d stick to who permanently lives in the house so you and your DS

Nothing at all

Hi, I'm Extreme, nice to meet you.

Then as you get to know them the other family names come up in conversation. Or not if you don't progress beyond the initial intro in which case it doesn't matter.

We met our neighbours when viewing the house, they just said I'm bob and my missus is called Sue.

In your situation I wouldn't feel the need to mention being widowed or your BF, I would introduce yourself and say your grown up son Joe lives here too.

As per almost everyone else.

"Hi I'm Laura. Welcome to Church Street. Have you moved far?"

Then possibly "Just knock on if there's anything you need to know. Bin Day is Friday, early, so get your bin our Thursday night.. See you around."

I’m a Southerner so I have no idea what the problem is.

Speaking to neighbours?

I’ve never introduced me or my family to neighbours. I’ve not even talked to our next door neighbour and he’s been there almost a year. No idea who he is.

Come to think of it, no idea if he’s alive.

I don't know why you'd contemplate introducing total strangers to a frequent visitor to your house? If you become friends, they'll meet him naturally, surely. If not, there's no need.

Or are you imagining the new neighbours twitching the nets and saying ''Er fancy man's here again!'?

Honestly, I would probably just say hi I am Jane. I live a few doors up.a

I wouldn't enlighten a stranger who just happens to have moved in next door of anything personal.
I also wouldn't expect, certainly I wouldn't hope, that they would feel inclined to do the same.
Most people I think, don't want to know, I think in today's fast moving world there's no time for curtain twitchers.

I've never introduced or spoken about household members who are not present unless a question is asked or they volunteer info about themselves.

It's all natural meetings, if they meet and chat they introduce themselves. They don't a need a full life story straightaway.

Interesting. I haven't haven't moved in 20 years and my last change of neighbour was 10 years ago. Before that I moved quite a bit and every time, neighbours made a point of "catching" us to say hello and introduce themselves and family members.

The neighbour who died, meaning we shall have new ones, put a card through the door introducing themselves and left cake on the doorstep when we moved in!

Another sign of changing times I guess.

I moved the week before Christmas 20+years ago to a very small cul-de-sac, I put a Christmas card through the neighbours doors, ‘Merry Christmas from X and Y’ job done.

I don't think it's changing times, I haven't moved for 25 years and when we did move in I don't recall anyone introducing their whole family or actually calling at the door, we'd just introduce ourselves as we met outside, and then a Christmas card with all the names on, same as now. Similar in previous houses. I get on well with all the neighbours, we're not one of those streets where no one knows each other but we aren't in and out of each others houses, just chat outside, take in parcels etc.

This. They don't need to know and it doesn't matter what they think.

Exactly like my small street. Not friends, but friendly neighbours and thank God for them in recent weeks when my husband became very ill at home and needed major surgery! Lots of offers of help with shopping etc.