To think I have already apologised enough for this?

[HereForAdvice95]

My son is 6 and has autism. We have just moved into our house around a year ago and only know the neighbours to say hi and bye when we see them and that’s about it.

DS travels to school on a bus that collects and drops him off and they park right outside next doors house. Usually there is only one school bag so I use one hand for that and my other hand to hold his because he has a tendency to bolt and run off.

Last week he came home with quite a few bits because he had some extra school activities (swimming etc) and I couldn’t grab his hand quick enough when he got off the bus so he ran off - when he has done this before he just goes straight inside the house but when I turned around he had actually ran into next doors house (we have those doors where unless you lock the handle from the inside you can just walk straight in from the outside).

I went and got him straight out and apologised over and over to the neighbours - I also made him apologise - and because he has never done something like that before I sat him down afterwards and explained why he couldn’t do that - firstly for his own safety because some strangers are not very nice in the world and secondly because the people in the house might not be very happy about it and feel very upset and angry about it. He has no awareness of what is right and wrong at the moment or awareness of any dangers or anything like that because of the severity of autism.

The neighbours were clearly not very happy about it at the time which I completely understand - they know he has autism as they sometimes stop and chat to my parents outside when they pop over - however still now nearly a week later they just ignore us when we see them and very cold and stand-offish.

AIBU to think that okay even though it wasn’t ideal, they should be a bit more understanding towards DS’s additional needs and get over it considering the amount of times we have both apologised for this isolated incident?!

I think you are projecting a bit and seeing things in their reaction that isn’t there.
You don’t normally have much to do with them beyond a hi and bye, so how could they really be cold and standoffish with you?

Personally I wouldn’t like it if a child I don’t know very well ran into my house. If I was tired it could actually be quite scare to just hear someone thudding down your corridor before you realise it’s a child.
I also don’t sit in the house in the middle of the day with my door locked so I don’t know why so many people are blaming the couple! Is that really a thing? None of my friends or family like themselves in their own home except for bedtime, but not the middle of the day.

Its done, you have apologised, you weren’t that close anyway. Just move on and try to forget about it, it’s not a massive deal really.

Perhaps someone who was sat relaxing in their own home and didn't have a clue what the hell was going on when a child and his mother suddenly burst into their home invited? The only time I lock my door is when I go to bed. I feel safe enough in my community not to live in a permanent state of fear that burglars might burst in and I should lock myself in even when all the family are at home with me. Why on earth should people have to keep themselves lock in day and night? It's ridiculous to suggest it's the neighbours fault be Aude they should lock themselves indoors.

Exactly. I think half the people replying live down Dickensian cobbled streets where Jack the Ripper breaks in if you don't live in a constant state of terror and keep locking yourself inside 24 hrs a day. Thankfully we don't all live in such a paranoid world.

This is a timely thread for me!

My 9 year old autistic son was dropped off by a new taxi today at the wrong house (they'd been told number X instead of Y by the LA transport team 🙄). Apparently when the door was answered he ran in, upstairs and got in the bed. Am currently mortified and wondering if I should pop round and explain, I don't know them at all but feel awful about it while also feeling it isn't mt fault, my son's fault or the taxi escort's fault.

Please don't worry about it, you can only avoid it happening again 💖

you can only avoid it happening again

Apparently not.

Take no notice of them, it's their problem if they can't move on. X