hang out house & etc.
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| Sat, 09-09-2006 - 11:42am |
Our house is the 'hang out house' for seemingly all the neighborhood tweens. It use to be mostly boys, but in the past month or so, the girls have started coming over as well. We've always have been popular for some reason. I think it's because we have a 'bike ramp' (homemade by the guys), trampoline, teterball & a really nice wooden swingset with a clubhouse. (They still like to swing) Plus I always snacks. (Thanks to the discount bread store)
Yesterday afternoon, I was working out in the yard (mowing, weed wacking, pulling weeds, watering flowers & etc.) for a few hours. I was mostly in the backyard. I came around to the front to work & there were 6 bicycles in the front yard. So, I went in. In my living room were 9 kids!!! Quinn, Jordan, Jacob, Grant, Tyler, & Codi. Then 3 girls. Jessi, Stephanie & Salena. I about freaked out. They were playing video games & snacking. I'm use to having 6 or 7 guys in the house. (After they all leave, I swear it smells like testosterone in here!)
Then last night, all 9 of these were here + at least 6 or 7 others (it was dark, I couldn't tell who all was here). It wasn't just tweens. Some were elementary kids too. The guys were jumping the 'bike ramps' in our side yard & the girls were just standing around talking & watching the guys. A couple were jumping on the trampoline & a couple of kids were playing teterball. Then around 9:30 the phone started ringing. Parents were calling to tell the kids to come home.
I personally like a lot of kids over here, but I do have a concern. I am looking for a full-time job. When I get one, Quinn is going to have to be alone until I get home. (Hopefully by 6pm Mon. - Fri.) I am going to have to set down some rules. He has a few guys friends that I don't mind coming into the house while I'm away, but I'm going to have to make a 'no girls' rule.
Quinn is an only child so he doesn't have a younger sibbling who will rat on him. I just need to figure out how I'm going to enforce these rules if I'm not around. I trust him, but you know how those hormones are! Right now, he doesn't have too much interest in girls. But his friends that are in the 8th & 9th grades do!!! (He's in the 7th)
Is there anyone here that has an only child that's a 'latchkey' kid that can offer me some advice?

My DD is an only latchkey, but we are not a hangout house. Actually no one in our neighborhood is a hangout house, there is the hangout street, which is on the other side of our court. The neighbors have a basketball net that the kids use but they mostly just play outside. When she comes home she sometimes goes outside to play with the kids on the street, but in the winter she is home alone and that's it.
If you know all these kids parents I would be contacting them and telling them that you will be working and your son will no longer be able to have friends over afterschool until you get home. That way the other parents will know that their kids can't come over. It will be the other parents who sort of monitor it. As well, if you know your neighbors fairly well you could mention you are working and that you would like them to be a back-up and inform them that he's not allowed to have friends over (or only certain ones) and if they could keep an eye out for comings and goings until you are sure things are settled down.
You sound like a popular home which is nice. I don't like having lots of kids over, stresses me out, but I know that way you know who they are with and what they are doing. So I'm torn on that one.
the only advice i can give you is that with a trampoline(amogst other things), its in your best interest to talk to other parents about this..only because if someone gets hurt by that, your liable whether you are there or not..also if you have home insurance, it can make your premium go way up...i learned that back home when my kids werent allowed because of insurance reasons to jump on a trampoline, we had to sign some statement saying we wouldnt sue, and it seems that alot of ppl have that...
wow that seems to be alot of kids and i would go NUTS with them all lol...honestly i would talk to my kids and say im sorry but this has got to stop, you need to ask me for now on who can hang out in or out and if im not home, no one can be here...
even with the ramp you can be held responsible is someone is injured..i know its all in fun and i remember riding a skateboard at the public ramp, but we still had to have parents permission(basically a satement saying we are responsible for our own kids) in order to ride on it..i dont want to seem like a downer i just wanted you to know that in this day and age, its so hard with ppl who are sue crazy...i feel for you and i hope that somehow someone can give you some great advice, good luck!!