Anonymous wrote:Y’all are crazy. What’s wrong with being part of this kid’s village? Kids today text - they don’t drop by the house and sit at your kitchen table anymore. As long as your conversations are things you’d share publicly then why wouldn’t you reply to these things? Kids need multiple people invested in them. They see you as a good and safe person. Be that person. All you other posters are so afraid you are making the world so small for your kids.

I don't have kids in OP's demographic so I don't have advice. So while I understand some of the fears expressed, this PP right here really hits me in the feels. I think helicopter parenting has helped kill the village. It's not the only cause but it's part of it.

Anonymous wrote:Y’all are crazy. What’s wrong with being part of this kid’s village? Kids today text - they don’t drop by the house and sit at your kitchen table anymore. As long as your conversations are things you’d share publicly then why wouldn’t you reply to these things? Kids need multiple people invested in them. They see you as a good and safe person. Be that person. All you other posters are so afraid you are making the world so small for your kids.

You do you but you should not keep your kid in the dark that most adults he doesn’t know well would think this is weird and rude.

Y’all are crazy. What’s wrong with being part of this kid’s village? Kids today text - they don’t drop by the house and sit at your kitchen table anymore. As long as your conversations are things you’d share publicly then why wouldn’t you reply to these things? Kids need multiple people invested in them. They see you as a good and safe person. Be that person. All you other posters are so afraid you are making the world so small for your kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need to block anyone, that's a crazy suggestion. But by not answering the daytime random questions about how your day is going etc it will discourage them from continuing and then they'll stop. I also think this is quite obvious to anyone with half a brain.

OP here, that last statement hurt my feelings. I have an entire brain. I just don’t have much experience with iMessage and other people’s kids.

I apologize. I think I was feeling enraged by all the sheep suggesting you block these poor kids. It was mis-directed. Sorry.

Anonymous wrote:My son texts my best friend. Why is this weird?

Op isn’t a family friend who the kid has a years long close with relationship. It’s normal to text aunts and uncles, dear family friends you know well. This is weird and irritating though.

My son texts my best friend. Why is this weird?

Sounds like a really annoying kid, in any case.

Anonymous wrote:I might try “Aiden: you are texting the wrong number. This is larlo’s mom.” And then block! I wouldn’t tell his parents

I wouldn’t block, but that’s a good tactic.

If it was me, I would say “I don’t know, maybe ask your parents’ opinion?”

Anonymous wrote:I might try “Aiden: you are texting the wrong number. This is larlo’s mom.” And then block! I wouldn’t tell his parents

I would do this, but don't block if you have to drive the kid and know if he is running late. If it continues, I might text again and say "I think this is meant for your friends." If it does not stop tell parents.

+1 to the idea to start a new group chat, just for the carpool and tell everyone to reply to that.

If you get a random text during the school day, don’t respond. If anything, wait until after school hours and say, This Larlo’s mom, not Larlo. Nothing else. No need to tell the parents because it may be an innocent mistake.

One of DS’s friends moms cell got mixed up as the kids contact and kept getting shared. This poor mom kept getting added to group chats. She would always reply, this is the mom, not him. please take me off. It kept happening as they shared contacts and was totally innocent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need to block anyone, that's a crazy suggestion. But by not answering the daytime random questions about how your day is going etc it will discourage them from continuing and then they'll stop. I also think this is quite obvious to anyone with half a brain.

OP here, that last statement hurt my feelings. I have an entire brain. I just don’t have much experience with iMessage and other people’s kids.

I think the PP is a b1tch with toddlers.

Anonymous wrote:OP, create a carpool text group. Include all kids and parents. Only communicate with the kids on this thread, as a group, including all parents. Block the kids on any other text threads.

OP again, thank you for this! This is brilliant!

Anonymous wrote:It’s really weird behavior for a tween so I would wonder what the deal was. I would start a new text chain with his parents included and if he ever texts you directly reply to the kid and his parents. (If it’s a normal text, completely ignore nonsense.)

OP again, this is what I’ll do. Thank you. Problem solved.

Anonymous wrote:You don't need to block anyone, that's a crazy suggestion. But by not answering the daytime random questions about how your day is going etc it will discourage them from continuing and then they'll stop. I also think this is quite obvious to anyone with half a brain.

OP here, that last statement hurt my feelings. I have an entire brain. I just don’t have much experience with iMessage and other people’s kids.

It’s really weird behavior for a tween so I would wonder what the deal was. I would start a new text chain with his parents included and if he ever texts you directly reply to the kid and his parents. (If it’s a normal text, completely ignore nonsense.)