Help! My Neighbor's Kid is a Brat

Writing in the Globe and Mail, David Eddie hears from a reader whose neighbors’ kid is a troublemaker.  Should he rat out a 6 year old? The reader writes:

Now that spring is upon us, the kids on the street – most between 5 and 7 – are coming out to play. One of our neighbors never takes a turn supervising. And their kid has behavior-management issues, to put it politely. Last summer, he broke another kid’s toy at the park and refused to own up to it, even though I told him he wasn’t in any trouble. He finally said, in a tone that sounded creepily practized, “It was an accident.” Then, on the way home, he th

rew a rock at me, hitting me in the chin. Again, he said, “It was an accident.” My wife talked me out of telling his parents. But I’ve heard them say – as they sip cocktails on their porch – that they’re so glad their kids are getting to an age when they can basically roam free. How do I approach them?

Eddie responds:

First of all, I think you’re being way too soft on this naughty little nipper.

I realize it’s a ticklish transaction when it’s someone else’s kid in your care.

But this kid seems out of control. And when he is in your care, you are responsible not only for his well-being but his behaviour. You are in loco parentis, which IMHO authorizes you to exercise a certain measure of authority over his actions.

He breaks someone else’s toy and he’s “not in trouble.” Why not? At the very least, he should apologize to the other kid for his “accident” – and, I would say, offer some restitution.

But the bigger surprise to me was: He hits you in the face with a rock and your only response is to ask why he did it?

Man. Maybe I was born in the wrong time. …

Click here to read the rest.