"'Friends' kids keep coming over. I don't want to kick them out, but I'm exhausted"

Some people take advantage of their neighbors' kindness by sending their kids over at every opportunity. While these visits are often pleasant, they can become overwhelming for the host family. "Our kids' friends are constantly at our house (...) it's exhausting" - admits one mom who is wondering how to handle the situation.

A post on Reddit appeared from a mother who admits she’s frustrated by the constant presence of kids in her home. "I’m tired of our kids' friends always being at our house. If we try to send ours to them, they come back like boomerangs (...) and in the end, they all eat our snacks and leave messes all over the house" - she complains.

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The mom is fed up with looking after her children's friends

She admits that it’s "awful and exhausting", especially now that she’s started working and is no longer a full-time stay-at-home mom. "It didn’t bother me so much before, but now that we’re both working, we’re tired" - she says.

The issue isn’t just the added responsibility for the adults who have to look after the extra children, but also the cost. "We can’t afford to feed the whole neighborhood" - says the mom, who decided to vent on the forum.

The woman also mentions that the other parents don’t feel obligated to reciprocate by offering to take care of her kids. Sometimes, after a sleepover, a father will come to pick up his children and take them to the pool, ignoring the fact that her kids are upset they can't go with their friends.

Internet users advise: Learn to set boundaries

Many people on the forum are shocked that the woman allows such an unfair division of responsibilities when it comes to looking after the kids. They believe her children should spend as much time at their friends' houses as their friends spend at hers.

"When I was a kid, our neighbor had five children, and she told my parents that we could come over to play (they had a pool), but we had to bring food because she couldn’t afford to feed everyone. No one batted an eye, and everyone understood. My mom often made sandwiches for us to take. I think it’s perfectly normal to set those boundaries" - one commenter wrote.

"Part of being a parent is saying 'no.' It’s your house", "Learn to set boundaries", "The issue with the dad who’s using your house like a daycare would be the last straw for me. People will happily take advantage of you", "Talk to the parents" - others advised.