Quote:
Originally Posted by shuamort  Our kids get a week off after school and then they're all in day camp from 8am-5pm until mid-august. That's helped. But dinner is a different story and we always give our kids a heads-up that we're giving them dinner in twenty minutes and announce that their friends can come back afterwards if they'd like (then ten minutes, 5 minutes, etc) so it gives them time to wrap it up with their friends until after dinner.
It might be harder to set up the boundaries now, but explaining the situation to your kids first might help. They, in turn, can tell their friends. You might want to have the kids do picnics (depending on age, etc) and pack your kids lunches and have them encourage their friends to bring their lunches too and they can eat outside together and still hangout. |
The picnic idea is a good one.
I just feel bad. The one child's mother works and dad doesn't live with them. During the day he's under the care of his teenage sister. I think she's supposed to be watching him but she's NEVER to the best of my knowledge ever called him to come in for lunch. Whenever we go somewhere I call his mom at work and get permission for him to tag along. The other boy, I have no idea what goes on at his house. I just know he's out all day and doesn't seem to ever have to go home. On forth of July, no lie, this kid was at my house from 11 AM to 9:30 PM. On 4th of July! I've never spoken to his parents and for that reason he never gets to go swimming or anything with us. His mother and her boyfriend are never reachable. I feel like no one is watching the child so I better look after him. Then there's a boy who's according to his parents old enough to look after himself during the summer. He's 9. So both parents work and I suppose I could send him home but I know he will be sent home to an empty house to make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something. I guess I just have to get use to my "summer gang" so to speak.
I can't wait for school to start back up.
