Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Neighbours girl...very odd behaviour in the street yesterday!? WWYD

11 replies

ascouser · 31/08/2009 15:29

There is a family a few doors away from me. They haven't been in the neighbourhood very long and I wouldn't know the mum and only see the dad passing. They have 3, 1 boy eldest, 2 girls.
They have the curtains closed on all windows at all times and they keep the childrens toys in the front garden, bikes, scooters etc.
The smallest girl walks the streets pushing her dolly and pram in all weathers, pouring with rain with no coat on many occassions. She is about 7 or 8 and has knocked at my house to play with my DD1 a couple of times. DD won't now play with her coz she says she's 'wierd'.
Yesterday I was watching her out of the bedroom window, she was bumping her pram up on the kerb to get into her garden and the dolly fell forward in the pram. She pushed it back into place an then it fell foward again.
well. she laid in2 this dolly punching it , got it out of the pram by the legs an it went above her head an ponded it to the floor a couple of times, more punching and finished by throwing it the garden.
now, i think this is a bit more than disrespecting ur toys.

but what do u think? who wld u tell?
apologies for the typing...snot ridden 6mh old in other arm!!!!!!

OP posts:
LuluMaman · 31/08/2009 15:33

i;d be more worried about a child of 7/8 walking unsupervised in all weathers, than her smacking the dolly. DD has been known to do similar and she is certianly not witnessing anything terrible in our home.

i would do nothing yet. but keep an eye on things.

clop · 31/08/2009 16:58

What LuluMaman says makes sense.

VeronicaMars · 31/08/2009 17:09

I agree.
Too many sad stories in the news lately, I don't think there is anything wrong with being nosey or keeping an eye.

Original poster
ascouser · 01/09/2009 21:47

Thanks everyone. Will keep an eye out. All three children were out this afternoon in the pouring rain just playing! Am I just a soft Northener who doesn't let her daughters get soaked ?!

OP posts:
LuluMaman · 01/09/2009 21:50

i'm a northener, not a million miles away from you judging by your name, ascouser, and we are usually a bit hardier!! my DCs love splashing about in the rain but i would not let them walk around for hours in the rain, aimlessly
sounds like they are pretty hardy souls, and i would just keep an eye ouy

pruneplus2 · 06/09/2009 02:41

FWIW, my kids have never smashed a dolly or otherwise in the face (as far as I know!) but they DO go out in all weathers...

I was woken at 0730 recently (on a much longed for lie in, I might add, on a bloody Sunday) by one of my DC's screeching with delight bouncing on the bloody trampoline in the back garden (outsode my sodding bedrooom window) in proper torrential rain wearing PJ's DC's are 8 and 11 btw. Bouncing wet PJ wearing DC claimed it was "Best 20 minutes EVER in life EVER"

I may try it in next torrential downpour!

xxx

seeker · 06/09/2009 06:25

Mine go out in the rain too - they love being soaked!

I would be a bit concerned about your dd not wanting to play with this other child - could you ask her about why not? What does she mean by weird? What do you say when she comes to the door?

HelenaBonhamCarter · 06/09/2009 07:09

I hesitate to disagree with Lulumama on anything but this does sound as though she may possibly be subject to neglect.

Have you ever seen her parents? Does she have smaller siblings?

You could mention any concerns you have to your HV - I would be doing that myself, sorry if that sounds like Im nosy or pre-judging - just that I'd be concerned. Mainly about her being out a lot in all weathers and your dd saying she is 'weird' - children are sometimes good arbiters of 'normal' behaviour and what might indicate abuse/neglect/other.

Hope you manage to help her if she does need some x

HelenaBonhamCarter · 06/09/2009 07:13

I remember refusing to play with one child when we were about 5. There were loads - a real mixture of kids on our estate.
But one was as you might say, a bit odd - he would turn up begging to come in and play, handing us flowers taken from our own garden as a 'bribe' he was that desperate. We said 'sorry' a good few times after initially trying to forge a friendship with him, because he was just so desperate and not particularly nice to play with - and he gave up.
Later my mother told us he had several siblings, all of whom were shouted at all the time and treated very roughly by their mum...the boys would go out to play wearing their sister's cast off dresses, they were so poor. not to equate poverty with abuse, of course - this was a case of both in extremes. I don't know the details but I do know he's the only child I've ever refused to play with, I think it was because I couldn't bear the utter pity I felt towards him.

HelenaBonhamCarter · 06/09/2009 07:16

...and I wasn't aware of the dress afaik. So it wasn't the poverty, we were all pretty much on the breadline. It was the fact he would get angry and growl at us if we said we didn't want to play, and the way we felt so bad for him emotionally.

belgo · 06/09/2009 07:17

Very hard to say. Could all be normal - I often keep our front curtains closed because the glare of the light means you can't see the TV.

I have known my girls to abuse their dolls, this is normal, but putting everything together I think you are right to be concerned. As HelenaBonhamCarter says, you can speak to your HV.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page