We moved into our neighbourhood 10 years ago. The neighbors on one side of us are a family with three children. When we moved in the children were 6, 8 & 11 so they are now 16, 18 & 21. We don’t see too much of each other but when we see each other outside we’ll waves etc. My husband and the dad will chit chat; on rare occasions (maybe 3 times a year) the mom will come over to chat to me or I’ll see her out there and go over to her. This is the part I think strange: For the entire time we’ve lived here when the mom and I are chatting at least one of her children are always with her. If she comes over to tell us something one of her kids is always with her. She will start long discussions about her job, never inappropriate really but not something you really talk about with children around either, but there they are glued to her! She will talk about struggles, problems, etc and I’m always so uncomfortable because I just want to say to the kids “why don’t you go play?!” But I obviously wouldn’t! I have one ds who got along with the kids great so they could have run off and played right in front of us. Now that her kids are young adults they Still do this! We’ve never really had a proper conversation in over 10 years because of this. The children were great kids and even greater young adults, all very friendly and high achieving. After all this time I’m starting to wonder if IABU or this is really as strange as it seems? I’m friendly (not overly), approachable and (not openly) nosy!