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Hi all,

I have a question, I came to you all because many of you know how I feel
about the things I am going to talk about.

I have a problem with the neighbor girl. My ds and dd are 10 and 9. The
neighbor girl is 13 and public schooled. Now I know many very sweet ps teens
so please don't think I am being purely prejudice. I feel like an ogre when I
say that I can't stand this girl. She is one of the most self centered people
I have ever met, adult or child. Almost to the point of being sociopathic. I
have tried to keep my children and her fairly separate over the past three
years, simply because this girl welds the age thing over my children's heads
so effectively. The power is not equal, you know what I mean? She is very
manipulative and talks incessantly about what her parents buy her, how much
her clothes cost, how she has a horse, (which my dd in the middle of a horse
phase would love to have.) and I feel it is breeding discontent, in my
daughter especially. We have chosen to live more deliberately. We have told
our children many times why we live as we do, so that we can spend more time
together, do more things together ect.

For some reason my kids seem to hang on her every word. Which frustrates me
to know end as I have tried to raise them outside the box. I am not an
isolationist. I want my children to be exposed to a variety of ideas and
people. But I am worried about the influence the girl will have on my
daughter. They have plenty of friends but this girl is so close that it is
hard. I am not especially welcoming to this child but she doesn't take the
hint very well. I feel horrible..... she is just a child.... but really I
don't feel like this is good for my DD who seems to be easily influenced.

So the question. Do I just say enough is enough tell the neighbor lady
sweetly that I feel her dughter is just too old to play with my daughter?
Which, of course, is going to create horrible neighborhood relations. I have
tried just keeping the kids otherwise occupied when she is around but I don't
want to feel like I can't even let my kids out to play!!!!! LOL This girls
best friend, across the street, will be moving away and summer is
coming.......I see conflict ahead. Any advice???? Any at all??? Even if it is
just to tell me how horrible I am for having such a deep dislike for a
child??? <g>
Thanks
Teri