Neighbour has two children aged 6 and 8. Rarely does anything with them and all Summer the children spend most of their time watching us over the fence and asking to come in to our garden. I have children and all the usual toys in the garden. They don’t have any toys in their garden because the mum says they’re too old for toys in the garden and she likes her flowers. I feel sorry for the children but I’m not prepared to provide childcare for her children. I’ve lived next door for two years. Last summer she told me she was disappointed and I’m not the neighbour she thought I was going to be. She has a husband.
Now the weather is warming up her children come home from school and are allowed to play out unsupervised until about 8pm. I’ve spoken to her about it and she says they’re growing up and need more space....so they’re allowed to play out in the street. She rarely checks on them. Tbh they’re a pain in the bum, they play in other people’s front gardens and the mum doesn’t seem to be remotely bothered. It feels very much a case of she just wants them out of her way. And no she isn’t WFH she’s watching TV.
Is this normal parenting to children of 6 and 8?