Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:peanut butter, as tried first time in US. I like US by the way, and would never want to go back, for those who are about to ask me that. But this love for peanut butter is unexplainable. It gets stuck to your teeth. It has very oily texture as they add oil to it. And why on earth one needs peanut butter in this land of food abundance? It makes you so fat and it does not leave any room for anything else as it's so very filling. God, I like peanut and cashews and chestnuts as nuts, but make them into paste? I don't have anything against avocado, BTW. And look at our kids, they are kind of overdeveloped for their age and often overweight. Peanut butter indeed. You cant even grow so much peanuts unless you use tons of chemicals which in their turn affect your overall health.

It’s fine not to like peanut butter, but frankly your post was quite rude. I guess that’s Central European bluntness for you.

I think it's tongue in cheek. Lighten up, people.

Anonymous wrote:peanut butter, as tried first time in US. I like US by the way, and would never want to go back, for those who are about to ask me that. But this love for peanut butter is unexplainable. It gets stuck to your teeth. It has very oily texture as they add oil to it. And why on earth one needs peanut butter in this land of food abundance? It makes you so fat and it does not leave any room for anything else as it's so very filling. God, I like peanut and cashews and chestnuts as nuts, but make them into paste? I don't have anything against avocado, BTW. And look at our kids, they are kind of overdeveloped for their age and often overweight. Peanut butter indeed. You cant even grow so much peanuts unless you use tons of chemicals which in their turn affect your overall health.

It’s fine not to like peanut butter, but frankly your post was quite rude. I guess that’s Central European bluntness for you.

Anonymous wrote:You honestly can’t control all of it and you don’t know what kind of personality your kids will have but I agree I would definitely not get a pool because that is a lot of responsibility and work.

But when my kids hang out it’s because the household is relaxed the kids have things they want to do including indoor and outdoor things and always a lot of good snacks

Also I get to know the kids and I’m nice with them and they also seem to like my dogs

But also I leave them alone to do their own thing and I don’t micromanage

Agree with all of this ^^. I like the bustle and energy of having kids over and it shows. We have a small yard, but lots of fun stuff to do outside regardless, and we have a front room that is dedicated to the kids' toys. It's just welcoming and obviously kid-friendly, and I am also hands-off for the most part (though I am quietly keeping watch just in case). And yeah, you cannot overestimate the power of snacks.

— Hangout house mom

Do you really want to be The Hang Out House? Are you ok with 1:1 hanging out with boyfriend/girlfriend in a nice, comfortable, private space?

Just thinking back to my HS boyfriend's house and how he had the entire lower level all to himself: his own BR/BR, entrance. Great party house. Sometimes his parents were home, sometimes they weren't...

Anonymous wrote:peanut butter, as tried first time in US. I like US by the way, and would never want to go back, for those who are about to ask me that. But this love for peanut butter is unexplainable. It gets stuck to your teeth. It has very oily texture as they add oil to it. And why on earth one needs peanut butter in this land of food abundance? It makes you so fat and it does not leave any room for anything else as it's so very filling. God, I like peanut and cashews and chestnuts as nuts, but make them into paste? I don't have anything against avocado, BTW. And look at our kids, they are kind of overdeveloped for their age and often overweight. Peanut butter indeed. You cant even grow so much peanuts unless you use tons of chemicals which in their turn affect your overall health.

Peanuts have their own oil. Have you seriously never seen peanut butter be made? You can grind your own from fresh peanuts at some stores. You sound like a shrew.

Growing up the hang out houses had a few things in common.
1. Walkable from junior high and high school
2. Can walk from the house to a few other things - ice cream or pizza, library, movie theater. This made it a staging place to meet up before a movie or after a school event.
3. Parents that were around but not intrusive. I was not allowed to go to houses with no adults home. The best moms were around but didn’t insert themselves into conversations. A good example is the poster who said she doesn’t comment when her kids’ friends swear.
4. A semi-private space to congregate - a basement, rec room, screened porch
5. Parents who have a few common sense rules but don’t get uptight. My mom was super uptight always hovering - so we rarely hung out. My mom is anxious and always worrying that something will get broken or messy. My friends called my house “the museum” because they were scared to touch anything.

Anonymous wrote:In my circles, it's the parents who say yes, actively invite other kids over, and have made an effort to meet other parents. Starting in preschool, they were the parents who made the effort to make all of the kids and parents feel included.

Parents allowed kids to go over for play dates and then sleep overs because the parents weren't strangers.

This is why we are the hangout house. I always said yes to playdates even at very young ages. Kids feel welcome and at home here. We have rules and I enforce them, but with a kind approach. Good snacks, basement for them to hang out in, limits but not hovering. I am happy my kids want to be home and I can get to know their friends. I grew up living in the hangout house and I am happy to continue it.

Anonymous wrote:Get MILFY

I'm not sure this response got the recognition it deserves. Too funny! (and if you have boys, probably a bit true!)

What a strange thing to aim for and to be worried about in advance.

We are not the hang out house. One of my kids is an introvert, and he’d absolutely hate it if people were always at our house hanging out. And the other kid is extremely social, but loves to go to other people’s houses. She has told me that she feels she spends enough time at home, so it’s fun to go elsewhere. She does have a hang out house that she goes to, but she even admits that she isn’t sure that friend likes having the home everyone comes to.

So I guess my point is that I hope OP - in her determination to be the hang out house - actually pays attention to what her kids want. Not all kids want to have their friends constantly hanging out at their house.

Anonymous wrote:peanut butter, as tried first time in US. I like US by the way, and would never want to go back, for those who are about to ask me that. But this love for peanut butter is unexplainable. It gets stuck to your teeth. It has very oily texture as they add oil to it. And why on earth one needs peanut butter in this land of food abundance? It makes you so fat and it does not leave any room for anything else as it's so very filling. God, I like peanut and cashews and chestnuts as nuts, but make them into paste? I don't have anything against avocado, BTW. And look at our kids, they are kind of overdeveloped for their age and often overweight. Peanut butter indeed. You cant even grow so much peanuts unless you use tons of chemicals which in their turn affect your overall health.

I'm also in Europe and your post is absurd. Because we invented Nutella and it is widely used across Europe now the same way peanut butter in the US. And Nutella has all the qualities you describe plus more sugar than peanut butter. Idiot.

I for one love the Reeses peanut butter cups.

Full kitchen, good internet, and stay one floor away from the kids as much as possible.

I haven’t read this whole thread, but nobody should be hanging out at any houses these days!! Hope that when the pandemic is over your kid still has friends. Meanwhile, they should be hanging out on FaceTime!

Anonymous wrote:Dear God, what if a kid is allergic to peanut butter and eats it at your home, with no grown ups, and has a reaction. i hope you teach your kids first aid basics, and when to call 911.

Are you serious? We are talking about teenagers. If a teen who has a potentially fatal allergy decides to tell no one and eat it anyway-well that’s a kid Darwin was getting one way or another

Dear God, what if a kid is allergic to peanut butter and eats it at your home, with no grown ups, and has a reaction. i hope you teach your kids first aid basics, and when to call 911.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:peanut butter, as tried first time in US. I like US by the way, and would never want to go back, for those who are about to ask me that. But this love for peanut butter is unexplainable. It gets stuck to your teeth. It has very oily texture as they add oil to it. And why on earth one needs peanut butter in this land of food abundance? It makes you so fat and it does not leave any room for anything else as it's so very filling. God, I like peanut and cashews and chestnuts as nuts, but make them into paste? I don't have anything against avocado, BTW. And look at our kids, they are kind of overdeveloped for their age and often overweight. Peanut butter indeed. You cant even grow so much peanuts unless you use tons of chemicals which in their turn affect your overall health.

HAHA! Peanut butter was invented in Georgia and highly promoted to bring economic wealth to that state. It’s also easy to ship and store for the military so people got into the habit of eating it. It doesn’t go bad in lunch boxes. Things like that.

Dp Actually they think it was created in Peru or Brazil in South America. First came to US at the St Louis fair. Here is the information again

https://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/history-peanuts-peanut-butter.htm