To want to keep my child away from neighbors children?

[lionsgorawr]

Hi all, facing a bit of a dilemma here. My neighbor who lives two floors up from me has 4 children, who frankly, are just wild. Discovered recently that they had found a birds nest and stomped on all the eggs..They also have constant problems with head-lice...Latest case has been so bad all the children have had their hair cut really short. The mother is on her own with them and just lets them run wild, doesn't really seem to be any discipline what-so-ever with them.
They must chap my door 5 times a day asking if my DD (who is only 14 months) can "come out and play" and if we say no, they proceed to go into our garden and peek in our living room window! (We live on ground floor)
I used to take DD out the front to watch them play as she used to laugh at them acting silly for her but lately after seeing some of the statuses their mother has posted on facebook about them, I'm rather reluctant to let DD near them. I know I should probably mention something to the mother but am too scared she takes it the wrong way and things become hostile, especially since we have to share a stair with each other.
I'm just really beginning to loose my patience with it all as I can't even come back from the local shops without them all crowding around the buggy and asking whats in my bags...It makes me feel really uneasy.
Basically, I just don't know what to do about the whole situation and could do with some advice as DP is starting to get annoyed with the constant door knocking. They sometimes even do it when they fine well know DD is not in the house (having seen her go away with ILs etc)...Sorry, I know this is all a bit muddled up and probably doesn't make much sense..Just at wits end with it all!

Kids don't take subtle hints. Just tell them straight!

"no, goodbye" and shut the door.

Works for the little sods near me but then I have to put up with a tantrum from DS.

With the kids just keep repeating, with a smile - "No - she's not allowed out". "No - you can't come in", "No, you cant look in my bags". "No", smile, "NO", smile "No" "No, not today", "no - sorry", "No, bye bye" ....... on and on.

They'll get bored with you, trust me. Been there.

Kids with clean hair get nits.

I had the same thing - we moved to an area with lots of children and I initially liked them knocking on the door for DD (even though she was only a few months old) but when they started walking into my house unannounced, asking to use the loo, or for drinks and snacks, I realised that they saw me as a bit of a soft touch.

In the end I did what you do when you're training a dog - making sure that unwanted behaviour goes unrewarded! So - ignore, keep conversation to an absolute minimum, be unresponsive, and they'll get the message.

Failing that I think you could approach mum in a friendly way to ask her to keep them out of the garden and away from your doorbell, in a 'they're lovely, but I really need baby to sleep' way.

You say they are 'wild' .... How? They don't sound bad kids at all! Just a bit lonely and bored. They aren't being malicious or vandalising the place!

BlackberryIce They are wild because they constantly run round the street screaming...and I literally mean screaming. Our stair is constantly full of their rubbish such as crisps packets, banana skins and bottles of juice. Only just yesterday they found a birds nest and smashed up the eggs, I walked past it whilst taking DD out for a stroll and you could see the chick inside, looks like it was about to hatch. The mother doesn't do anything about it! My next door neighbor is disabled and sometimes cant get his wheelchair down his ramp because the kids have left sticks and stuff on his ramp. I've seen them hit other kids too. So yes, they are wild!