My fault–I skipped a step up there. The mother had to find out about FG’s involvement in that scenario from somewhere, and it was almost certainly from her daughter–who, I imagine, told her mother about the conversatoin as a defense against her mother’s harangue when she got home and discovered daughter and friends hanging out there. The mother’s comment that I quoted above would be an appropriate response to her daughter’s defense of, “But FG saw us out there and didn’t say anything!”
Daniel
Perhaps you should have indignantly objected to the charge that you wanted to give them drugs and sleep with the teenagers. You’re no drug-pushing child molester, and how dare she ever insinuate that sort of thing! And even if you wanted to have sex with them, you’d take them inside, not do it on your neighbor’s front lawn!
THEN see if she ever repeats her request to you.
I have to admit that the incident described in the initial paragraph - concerning the group of kids, didn’t really concern me. In fact, tho the mother’s request was awkwardly phrased, I was actually glad to hear it.
To clarify, I’m coming from a position where a significant number of kids in the neighborhood are - IMO - little shits with too much money and inadequate parental supervision. And if you dare correct/confront a kid, you can expect a call or visit from an outraged parent reading you the riot act. Far different from my youth when we respected (or at least feared!) adults. Any neighbor could tell you to “Knock it off,” and you dreaded the possibility of a neighbor calling your folks and telling them when you had done something wrong.
Now, of course it is inappropriate to ask you to disperse a crowd of non-misbehaving kids. But, OTOH, if she told you that she had told her kid that they were not allowed to have more than x kids over, and asked you to let her know if you saw more than x. Or if she asked you if she could tell her kid that she asked you to keep an eye out. I don’t see that as “a bad thing.” To the contrary, strikes me as downright neighborly. Pretty much in the category of checking on the house to see that it isn’t being burgled when on vacation. Not to mention picking up the papers and mail, or holding on to a spare key.
Of course, having had my share of asshole neighbors (and perhaps untinkingly having been one myself) these days I’m perfectly content with a relatively anonymous “Hey!” neighbor who maintains the exterior of his property.
And I would never dream of telling a neighbor to watch my kids. The closest I could imagine was - when my kids were younger, if they were playing in a neighbor’s yard and I was making a quick trip to the store, I’d ask the parent if it was okay that my kid stay there for a few minutes.
Only thing I can imagine is that given your age and other circumstances, some of your neighbors may not see you as a real “adult,” with the result that they are treating you more like a highschool-aged babysitter. Certainly doesn’t excuse their behavior, but may explain part of it.
I didn’t see this as a request to supervise (the other instances, yes…and I’d have said “no” if I didn’t want to do it). She’s looking to you to narc them out if they are having friends over when she’s a work or whatever. I still don’t think I would do it unless there was something that looked Very Bad and Dangerous. What the neighbor should have said is, “Do you see a bunch of kids over at my place when I’m at work?” If the answer was yes, she needs to lay down the law or get a sitter.
Aha! How old is the mother? (I’d guess at least 30 with an 18 year old, probably older. I wonder if this is a “he’s a kid, and so de facto baby sitter” thing.
Were you aware at all that the girl was not supposed to have friends over?
:smack:
I mean, Frosted Glass. Jesus, sorry!
First I should point out that I am not quite 22 (wishful thinking maybe).
The mother is about 39. I have worked as a day camp counselor (she does not know this but I am assuming she knows that I coach junior high track because I coached one of my neighbors around the corner) and I have learned to pick my battles with 11-14 year olds. Not being familiar with parent’s rules, I would never attempt to break up a group of teenagers who are not actually doing anything wrong. I used to hate nonsense like this when I was that age so I would not do it to someone else.
I never thought about the “hes a kid” factor. It makes a lot of sense to me when it comes to playing with neighborhood children but less so when being asked to enforce rules.
You’re absolutely right. Some parents see everyone your age as a babysitter - which makes no sense at all. Some parents are lazy, and want to have their kids supervised without going to all that effort.
Did she come across to you sounding like you should have known that the girl was not allowed all those friends? In other words, did she expect you to be a mind reader?
Like I said, I think the woman deserves a Pitting.