Stop kids from knocking at dinner time

[Anonymous]

How do you handle neighbor's kids coming and knocking on our door to ask DS to play? We both work out of home and by the time we get dinner on the table, the kids in the neighborhood start to play. We have politely told the kids 'Larlo can't come now because we are eating' but they don't seem to remember the very next day. Should I talk to the parents directly? I feel a bit embarrassed bringing it up.

[Anonymous]

You tell the kids that larlo will not be coming out after 6pm or whatever time and to not knock. If they knock, ignore

[Anonymous]

Keep telling them and they'll finally understand.
No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Put a sign on the door. One side says "Okay to play", the other says "Not today." No confusion there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Keep telling them and they'll finally understand.
No big deal.

Agree. That's how our parents handled it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Keep telling them and they'll finally understand.
No big deal.

Agree. That's how our parents handled it too.

And if you know it's them, don't answer the door.

[Anonymous]

Be happy your son has friends. Many kids don't. Think about it.

[Anonymous]

That's the most honest response I've read tonight! I knew a few kids growing that never had friends, makes for a sad childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be happy your son has friends. Many kids don't. Think about it.

+1million

[Anonymous]

I had a neighborhood friend growing up that ate dinner every evening at 6:00. One time I knocked apparently during dinnertime, and her mom said "We have dinner at 6:00 every evening. Larla cannot play then." From then on, I knew not to knock if it was close to 6:00 or just after.

I vote for being straight up with the kids who knock, and be grateful that you live in that kind of neighborhood. How old are the kids? Do you eat at a set time every night (that might help)?

[Anonymous]

Thing is we eat at 6:30 and most of these kids eat earlier. So when hears them knocking, DS stops eating and tantrums. It is late by the time we are done and it is time for bed. Ds plays a lot in school and after-care, so he is also tired and cranky at that time.

[Anonymous]

NP with same problem. Our 20016 neighborhood is filled with the entitled narcissistic sons of entitled narcissists--so telling them no directly, repeatedly does not work.

It's just a power trip for the boys in our block. They repeatedly try to interrupt our dinner schedule and then as soon as my son is out here with them--10 minutes later--the neighbor kid suddenly has to go in because their parent has put dinner on their table. It's like their parents rule is important and ours isn't in their minds--they feel entitled to be entertained on their schedule only. Their parents are self absorbed tools and their kids are just the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thing is we eat at 6:30 and most of these kids eat earlier. So when hears them knocking, DS stops eating and tantrums. It is late by the time we are done and it is time for bed. Ds plays a lot in school and after-care, so he is also tired and cranky at that time.

It sounds like the kid behavior you need to change is your DS's, but also that what you need to communicate to peers is that he can't play on school days, not at dinner time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP with same problem. Our 20016 neighborhood is filled with the entitled narcissistic sons of entitled narcissists--so telling them no directly, repeatedly does not work.

It's just a power trip for the boys in our block. They repeatedly try to interrupt our dinner schedule and then as soon as my son is out here with them--10 minutes later--the neighbor kid suddenly has to go in because their parent has put dinner on their table. It's like their parents rule is important and ours isn't in their minds--they feel entitled to be entertained on their schedule only. Their parents are self absorbed tools and their kids are just the same.

Wow. What a misinterpretation. If your dinner or shortly after your dinner is interrupted it is because you allow it. If their dinner isn't interrupted it is because they don't allow it.

I agree with the PP poster that says to put a sign by the door that says okay to knock or not okay to knock.

[Anonymous]

Can you outsource? We pay our nanny OT to stand at the door and shoo the kids away. Totally worth it and saved our family dinners.