Little kids came into our house when they knew we were not home
By Breelyn
@spicysweetie21 (2573)
United States
August 20, 2009 11:10pm CST
This is a long story, but please read everything because it is important to understand the whole picture. We have a lot of children in our neighborhood, and their parents just send them out everyday during the summer to just play outside everyday, and they come onto our porch and one particular group of siblings :a 7 year old girl, a 5 year old girl, and their 2 year old brother. They come and we talk to them, they don't have much and so we give them snacks and juices sometimes. Well the 7 year old has gotten pushy lately.
Today, was the 7 year old's birthday, we got her a balloon and a gift. An hour later, my mom and I went to go get ice cream, we forgot to lock the sliding glass door, and you can see an open bag of Hot Cheetos through it. We come back, and we see the 7 year old eating cheetos and she grins and says "I have cheetos at my house,look" (they are hot cheetos that she is eating) . I think nothing of it, wish her a Happy Birthday. I go inside and see a trail of Cheeto crumbs leading to the sliding glass door, and see that it was unlocked. I quickly put two and two together, I was furious, I went down, confronted her, first she lied, then she confessed, and just the day before, her and I had a discussion over how it was wrong to take something without asking....she did not say sorry for coming in when she knew we were not home because she had seen us leave, she just said "well you should have locked both of your doors "
she was teary eyed though. I had to go upstairs and calm down before I went to her mother, it was about 15 minutes later, and I also had figure out how to say it to the mom because she speaks little english.....I went and the mom says "I had a talk with her about it", this little girl went into our house without any permission, and knew no one was home, lied to my face about it all twice, and the mom let her outside to play a mere 20 minutes later
What would you have done in my situation? Should I be as mad as I am? She knows what she did was wrong, but she has not apologized and keeps making excuses for it? Am I right to be so mad???
she was teary eyed though. I had to go upstairs and calm down before I went to her mother, it was about 15 minutes later, and I also had figure out how to say it to the mom because she speaks little english.....I went and the mom says "I had a talk with her about it", this little girl went into our house without any permission, and knew no one was home, lied to my face about it all twice, and the mom let her outside to play a mere 20 minutes later
What would you have done in my situation? Should I be as mad as I am? She knows what she did was wrong, but she has not apologized and keeps making excuses for it? Am I right to be so mad???3 people like this
9 responses
@Amberina (1541)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I would have been mad too. I mean what if she had tried to make something on the stove or done somthing else that may have caused a fire or hurt herself in some way? You guy would have been in trouble an may even been sued by her parents. If it was my house I would leave notes by every door reminding me to lock the place up no matter how long I would be gone. Better to be safe than sorry.
2 people like this
@spicysweetie21 (2573)
• United States
21 Aug 09
There really would be no way that the parents could sue us because they would have been in the wrong because they are responsible for their kids, they just let their kids wander around wherever, and why should we be in trouble for her coming onto our property when we weren't there and didn't lock the sliding glass door, its our place and those kids, no matter how much we like them, are not our responsibilty. I get your point, and it was a simple mistake, I would have felt horrible if something had happened to them, but there really would be no way that we would have been in trouble.
2 people like this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
21 Aug 09
I would definitely keep my doors locked, and because of the little girls behaviour, I would not allow her OR HER MOTHER into my house again. To have privacy and private property violated like that is wrong. I would also let the police know that this mother is not taking care of her child. It is the mother's responsibility to teach the hcild not to tresspass on other people's property.
1 person likes this
@idowrite72 (2213)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I think you are right to be mad but it is obvious that there are alot of things that contribute to the fact of her going into your porch that way. Her mother not being totally aware of things, the child being only 7, the child NOT being taught the proper things to do at home. Perhaps you should take the child in and totally explain to her that if she would like to be your friend that she needs to apologize to you because that is the right/proper thing to do. She is old enough that she should understand that. My thoughts are that it is not entirely her own fault and that she just might have been hungry. Just don't stay angry with her or you will lose the wonder of a child and you already know how wonderful they are or you wouldn't be involved with them in the first place!
@spicysweetie21 (2573)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I can understand you thinking all of that, first off, no she wasn't hungry because just before we left we gave her some cookies for her birthday and she is kind of a chubby girl, she gets fed at home. And just yesterday I had a 15 minute discussion over how it is wrong and called "stealing" to take things without asking, and have had discussions before about how its wrong to lie. They are wonderful, but I don't deserve to be taken advantage of and that is what she did, she knew that if she had just waited until we got home and asked us for the cheetos, I would have given her some. I explained to her why what she did was wrong, and she wouldn't apologize. I am not angry with her, but I will not give her my trust until she apologizes, I will be polite and curt, but nothing like I was until she acknowledges that what she did was wrong. I know I will lose the wonder of a child, but I also will not let such an action slip by because it won't teach her anything but that I am too soft. Her mother is too soft, if I have to be strict, I don't like it, but someone needs to be.
@srganesh (6340)
• India
23 Aug 09
What you have done is right.I would have acted like that if I were in your shoes.How can we tolerate the idea of somebody trespassing inside our home,when we are not there?Even it is your fault not to close those doors,it is not an excuse for her to steal like that.Your complaint to her mother will stop her from repeating this in the future.She should know what she had done.It is better form you to stop playing with her anymore.
@daliaj (5674)
• India
21 Aug 09
Yes, I understand that it makes you mad. I will angry to be in such a situation, but I won't take the effort to talk to her mom. I will tell the girl that she lied and it is not a good habit. I will also warn her that I will tell it to her mother and tell her not to repeat this kind of activities. I might not tell her mom; I just leave it thinking is only a matter of some Cheetos and nothing expensive.
@spicysweetie21 (2573)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I already told her mother, and it was not about the Cheetos, it was about her coming into someones home when she knew they were gone and taking something, what if one of my cats had gotten out, and I had come home and not even realized that they were gone, my cats are inside cats and if they ran out, could be run over because they will freeze when scared. I know she is little, but she knew what she did was wrong, her mother did not punish her, and she did not apologize, next time I see her, I will try and explain, but I need a real apologize before things go back to the way they were. It was a break of trust, I don't care about the Cheetos, it was the breaking in, then lying, then refusing to apologize.
@windymyre (210)
• United States
25 Aug 09
Yes, I think you are right to be mad! The mother is lucky that you didn't call the police. This girl needs to be taught some manners before she gets older & thinks that this type of behavior is acceptable. Is there a father & does he speak better English? Maybe you could talk to him?? I could go on & on all day about this topic! We have terrible neighbors & unruly children drive me crazy! (short trip for me!) :)
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
21 Aug 09
You have every right to be mad! I would be livid and very upset. It could have been so much worse, what if she had gotten into something and decided it needed to be cooked? A fire in the making!
Im taking it that the mother either didnt think it was a big deal or just doesnt really care. Either way it isnt good for the children either. As for the child making excuses and not apologizing, I know it would be nice for her to do so but she is 7 and by the sounds of it doesnt have people that really care. She did cry so her action shows that she knew she was wrong and sorry. Yes the excuse of, well you should have locked both doors would really make me mad to. If you showed her how upset and not just mad but disappointed you were hopefully she will understand how wrong it was and is.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
23 Aug 09
Well, there's several sides to this...first, I'd be upset too simply b/c I don't like anyone in my home when I'm not here. Second, the kid knew you left and intentionally went in, then had the nerve to tell you that you should have locked up better. And third, that they kid never apologized. Sorry to say, I'd start putting some rules with these kids or shooing them away when they come around. I'd also start locking my house up TIGHTLY when I leave. If it happened again, I'd turn it into the cops...maybe the mother would listen a little more if an officer was reading her the riot act and the kid would realize how serious it is.
[b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
**STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
@sunsetandcamden (2)
• United States
21 Aug 09
This same thing happened to me. Our neighbor came in while we were gone to play Xbox. At first, I didn't think it was a very big deal, but then I started thinking about all the things that could have happened. If he were to get hurt or something and the parents had no idea he was there unattended. Or if he broke something. Or if his younger siblings started doing it. It is very dangerous. And then it just made me mad. You have every right to be mad, but more at the parents than at the child. I would definitely be more cautious and less likely to be so friendly to these children. It's the parents job to know where the children are at all times, but also to teach children to respect other people's property. If the parents don't do that, it's hard to blame the kids, but you also don't have to put up with it when you've done your best to talk to them about it.
