Question
Our boys 8,7 and 5 play outside both in our yard and in neighbors yards (who have kids they play with) They love being outside and I LOVE not having to sit out there and monitor their play. My neighbors don't feel the same way. The adults are almost always outside micromanaging the kids. We have held strong and not given in to the pressure to be out there "monitoring". Our kids know that what the adults say, goes. They are pretty good kids. We started having trouble with one set of neighbor kids. The boys in that house have no rules, don't respect adults, ruin property and are pretty aggressive and physical. One gets mad very easily and lashes out physically. Our kids seem to work out their problems with all the other neighbors on their own, but with that family we always have to get involved. We feel like our kids are at their worst when around him (and his siblings). Our kids are not perfect and they push buttons, but we don't like his behavior or our kids behavior when they are together. We told our kids they can't play with them anymore. They still have to be polite and kind but no more playing. They parents got upset and said our kids are leaving their kids out. They said the solution is for us to be out more "monitoring". We said no. I refuse to helicopter my kids. I also don't want them to behave poorly when around their kids. Did I do the right thing? Should we be out more when the kids are outside? We are not trying to be mean to them, we put the problem on us. But since we are totally alone in this parenting journey where you put your marriage first and make your kids independent and responsible we are struggling with guilt.
