to think this isn't the way you make friends?

[TinfoilHattie]

Just had a random child at my door asking if I have children. She's about 10. She said she'd just moved in up the road, doesn't know anyone and wants to make friends.

One one hand I'm admiring her confidence and initiative (and she's now chatting quite happily with my two and making plans to go to the park), on the other hand I'm thinking what the heck is she doing knocking on random people's doors????

Not the safest but besides loitering around, how else is she meant to meet them?
I think it's more likely that her parents have seen your kids and have said to her, 'why don't you knock and introduce yourself.'

That does seem a bit odd!

I wonder if her parents know?

Knocking on random doors is not the way for 10 year olds to make friends. Go to the park or what about school etc? Or a hobby group or the community centre. I would try and find where she lives and maybe flag this up to her parents.

Yes, go and chat with her parents just to make sure she doesn't do this habitually. And to welcome them to the area.

Did she go to any other doors or just randomly yours?
Do you have children? She's maybe seen you from afar with them plucked up the courage to come and that's her ways of asking.

Yes, go and chat with her parents just to make sure she doesn't do this habitually. And to welcome them to the area.

I think that's ok of her. She must have seen your kids

Just saw that you do have kids. She's probably seen them out playing and that was her roundabout way of asking

I'd guess that she already knew you have kids as she'd seen them, but 'do you have kids?' is just what came out of her mouth.

She must have known you already have kids.

I am sure she knew you had kids and wanted to meet them and this was her way. I think it's quite sweet and an impressively proactive approach. I would make an effort to check in with the parents as well, because that's appropriate and also gives you information.

I suspect she saw or another neighbour told her that you have children of much the same age, and the knocking and question was the best way a ten year old could think of to make contact. But it might be nice to pop down and meet her parents in any case.

After interrogating my 11 year old I have gleaned: she only moved in last Friday and lives round the corner. I haven;t seen her or her parents before, I did know the people who lived in her house previously so I suppose they may have mentioned our kids. She said she had been told to "go out and make friends".

It;s all ended well - the three of them are off to the park, having picked up another wee girl who lives just across the road and is the same age as this new girl.

I remember doing this as a kid when we moved to a new neighbourhood! I turned out ok

I think it's nice.

She sounds nice

She does seem lovely. My two are slightly different ages so they've taken her off to introduce her to another girl in her year at school. She is at a local school but I don't think she's planning to move to the nearest one, so she won't know many of the kids nearby. My children will speak to literally anyone thoguh so they're probably telling her all the family secrets on the swings.

I think it's lovely.

We have new neighbours. My children know they have children and I would have no problem with them knocking to meet them.

I am pretty sure the child would not have knocked without knowing you had children.

I still remember the excitement when a family moved in a couple of doors away from us and all four children appeared at the end of our back garden asking if we would be their friends. We played together for years and I'm still in touch with one of them.

It sounds as though they'll all have a lovely time together. I'd want to say hello to the parents though.

I think it's nice. Once two children knocked on my door, about age 9 and 7, and asked if I had any children living with me who would like to join their little science club. I didn't have DCs then but thought it really sweet they were trying to find friends.