OMGInvasive!

The apartment complex kids came over to watch me planting tomatoes. Then it was like because I talked to them it meant they all could come inside my apartment. Some of them without asking! They just opened up the back door and marched on in!

They asked to play on our computers, to play with my jewelry making stuff, to do this and that and where did this come from and can I have that...

I have never seen such invasive children!!!! Didn't their parents teach them manners? I would never have DREAMED of asking a stranger if I could have something of theirs... these guys just blurt it out.

I don't know if their parents are just in the dark about what they do when mom and dad are not around... but if they know that their kids are invasive and they are ok with that I just kinda wonder...

I want to teach my son to respect people and their homes. That you ask to come in, that you don't just pick things up without asking, that you don't ask if you can have things unless they are offered to you.

I wonder if these kids are just that starved for attention. Maybe they do this because their parents don't give them things to DO. They all seem interested in my Making stuff. my yarn, my wire, my beads, my sewing machine... Maybe I can get some cheap art stuff and have an art day with them. Some of those foam shapes and popcicle sticks and have them make puppets and put on a show.

Or get out the crayons and some paper and ask them to draw pictures. Or I can pick up some yarn from garage sales (or get it donated off of Craigslist) and show them how to make friendship bracelets or how to crochet (if i can find some hooks that are not my personal ones. I know that mine would just end up going missing if I let them play with them.)...

I feel bad that I think these kids are missing out on something in life. Maybe its something as simple as better parenting, or use of imagination. Maybe they need something to DO... if their parents would compensate me financially, say, 10 dollars a kid.... I could set up a weeks worth of hour long craft projects... one a day for 7 days. Popcicle stick puppets. pipe cleaner animals, pony bead jewelry, friendship bracelets, hand sewn stuffed dolls and animals, paper mache piggy banks..... I could think up SO MUCH STUFF to do with them for super cheap. Maybe I will just DO the paper mache stuff. That is easy. A bag of water balloons for the form, newspaper and then the flour and water and elmers glue gunk and some cheap paints for when its dry. We can make them on the porch and hang them from the railing to dry for a couple days. They can paint them, make noses for the pigs from cardboard toilet paper rolls, and a tail out of pipe cleaner, or ribbon, or whatever stringy thing there is.

Ooooh, I could show them how to press leaves and flowers.... that is fun.

I just think they need something to turn their little creative minds toward.

I hope my kiddo will not be invasive and beggy like these kids are.