Age differences

my street is full of kids of all different ages, the great part about living in a suburban area. well, my kids are ages 6, 3 & 2, and they frequently play with one family in particular just a few houses down. (ive posted about them before, but im slowly able to tolerate them in small doses) well i only allow one of them in my house at a time, because i already have 3 kids, i'm a single mom & can only supervise so many things at once. i used to allow 2 or 3 of them inside (there are 5 kids total in that family) and quickly learned my lesson with that.

personally, i feel it's appropriate that my kids play with the younger children there, the twin girls that are turning 7 this weekend or the 8 year old.

when we're all outside, well obviously it doesn't matter who comes over to join, we're outside.

the 10 year old girl is always getting jealous about me not letting her inside to play, or letting her sleepover like i do the younger girls, or have dinner with us. even the 12 year old boy gets upset when i don't let him inside to play with my YOUNG daughters.

i don't get it... why would children those ages even want to play with my kids? i get that they probably just want to play with their stuff, they don't have a lot of stuff at their houses. but really, at 10 & 12 i had no interest to play with kids that younger than me, that i remember anyway.

am i being bitchy about this, i mean, would you allow kids that are 5+ years older than your kids come inside to play, or kids that are older and of the opposite sex?

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Asked by tnm786 at 7:36 AM on Nov. 14, 2012 in Parenting Debate

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I think it's all about the toys and "He/She gets to go in and play. It's not fair"
my son is 11. He looks at the 2,3,4 year olds like they're an alien race,lol. He has no interest in them at all

Answer by butterflyblue19 at 7:39 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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if i trusted them, sure. if i were there and watching things, sure.
if not to either, no.

Answer by dullscissors at 7:41 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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Well, I don't have much experience with kids that age yet, but growing up the only time I played with anyone that much older or younger than me it was a game of football, basketball, baseball, a group activity with cousins. I kinda think they may just want to play with your children's stuff. At least that's what seems to me.

Answer by mommy_jules at 8:09 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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"full of kids of all different ages"

so then there are other kids that are their age they can play with, right? If that's the case, then I would find it somewhat odd. But if all the kids on the street are younger than they are, I don't think it's all that odd. For a long time, my oldest son was the oldest boy in our neighborhood, so he was playing with a boy his little brother's age, because that was their only playmate.

Also - is this family liked by the rest of the nieghborhood? Maybe these older kids want to play with yours because you and your kids are the only ones that would play with them? When I was a kid, there was a family in our neighborhood that was seriously screwed up and their kids clung to me because I didn't know their history - well, until my parents found out and said I couldn't play with them anymore. No other kids would play with them, because they all knew what went on in their house.

Answer by wendythewriter at 8:13 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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Being that my daughter is 11, no I'm not interested in her playing with boys 5+ years older than her! :). But when they were young it really didn't bother me. My dd still loves to go over and play with her cousins that range in age from 3-9. And yes she even plays with just the 3 yo cousin at times. I also have a 2 yo dd and a 3 yo ds and its not rare that the friends of my 11 yo dd and almost 13 yo ds will spend a little time playing with my little ones if my older one(s) aren't home at the time.

Answer by missanc at 8:16 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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yes, i can think of 4 other 10-12 year olds on my street other than them off the top of my head, so we aren't the only house with children on the street.

i think large part of it may have to do with their wild/crazy behavior, because ive posted a few times about them. but like i said, one on one in small doses they can be tolerable. i just don't feel it's appropriate for children that old to come into my house and play with my kids. it's weird to me i guess. i didn't even really want the 8 year old spending the night, i only allowed her to once, and it was obvious that they got bored quickly. she is soon turning 9 and my 6 year old literally just turned 6.

Comment by tnm786 (original poster) at 8:38 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
Credits: 131958 Level 41 Parenting Debate Minor
I don't think it's about your kids, it's about sibling rivalry. Mom and dad are probably (don't know) not paying enough attention. I vaguely remember your issues with these people.

Answer by adnilm at 8:43 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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I agree with asnilm, it's more about sibling rivalry ! They would like the attention from someone else too because maybe they don't get it at their own place.
Oh and my 13 y/o loves to play with his 5 and 2 y/o brothers (and their toys).

Answer by ajc03 at 9:07 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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Well I don't consider younger siblings or cousins the same thing as younger kids on the block. Family is different.

Comment by tnm786 (original poster) at 9:14 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
Credits: 131958 Level 41 Parenting Debate Minor
Well I have sisters who come over, they are my dds friends. They have an older brother who plays video games with my dh when they play with my girls. If I ask them over for dinner I ask him. If I take them bowling I take him as well. I wouldnt let him come over and just play with my dds but we do inclued him in when we do extra stuff. He likes when we do holiday crafts, bake, go out. All together I have six children when they come over I can handle it they are all 7 and up and listen other than my youngest who is 4. But I feel that if the younger ones are your dds friends you do t have to include the older ones it's just nice to do that sometimes.

Answer by skinnyslokita at 9:57 AM on Nov. 14, 2012
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