Apartment kids

So we love the apartments we are, sure they are small, but small can be good. One thing that I find interesting though, the kids around here.

Malaki has made a few friends, not sure of most of their names, but for the most part he has learned who the bullies are, and who the nice kids are. Lillie has a little friend named Vanessa, she is a little hispanic girl who is 4. Her brother Abraham (age 5) and Malaki have a lot of fun together as well. Their parents don't speak english at all, Abraham is pretty good at it because he goes to school, Vanessa does ok, but she is shy on top of not speaking english very weel, which makes things hard.

Anyhow Lillie and Vanessa both have Ponies that they like to play with. They gather all their ponies together and play with them outside, switching ponies, sharing, and always managing to bring their own ponies home.

Today as I was in my room hanging up a few clothes the kids were outside playing. I came out and was playing with Kori when I heard Lillie go in her room and close the door. This is pretty normal for her lately so I thought nothing of it. I could here her talking on occasion, also normal... I just let her be because Lillie sometimes needs uninterrupted quiet time to just be on her own, otherwise she can become a bit of a grouch. About 35 minutes later she and Vanessa come walking out of her room with all their ponies.

First I find it strange that children just walk in and start playing, but what I found the most scary, is that I never heard a frantic mom wondering where her daughter was. I was outside several times checking on Malaki, and not once did I see a mom wondering where her child was.

I personally would not be happy if my child went in to someone else's house without telling me. They tried that once, they were in there for under 2 minutes and we had a long talk about how that is not safe and not ok.

I don't mind Vanessa and Abraham coming in here, I just wish I could talk to their mom a little so she knows where I live and that her children are safe... I told Abraham he needs to let him mom know where he is if he wants to come in... he says he did and she said it was fine, but I am still uneasy about it and encourage them to play outside.

We also have a boy whom Malaki is NOT really friends with, who will walk in, go to the kids room, grab a toy and take it outside. I sat on the couch with my jaw in my lap the first time it happened. I have talked to him a couple times now. Telling him it is not ok to come in without asking first, and that he can't take the kids' toys outside... also that he can't take their bikes without talking to me first, especially when we are not at home. Most of the kids around here share outside toys, but only when the child is outside playing as well...

We like it here, and the kids love all the "friends" to play with, but there are times when I am very puzzled about how parents have no idea where their kids are or what they are doing... :)