Neighborly

I consider myself a very nice person who is willing to help others when needed. I know a lot of our immediate neighbors and we all are neighborly. We borrow sugar or eggs and on occasion will look after each others little ones. This is what neighbors do right?

I have a neighbor who has 2 children, one in middle school (she is special needs) and one in elementary school. The husband worked from home until recently when he was assigned to another area. Meaning he travels a lot during the week. The Mom doesn't like to sit home so she accepts subbing jobs at the school. It is nice because she can work when she wants. The issue for her is that the middle school daughter's bus drops her off about 20 minutes before the elementary school bus arrives. So there is a lag time where she needs her older daughter cared for.

This is where it has become an issue for me. In the past month and a half, she has often asked me to get her daughter off the bus until she can get home. Like I mentioned I like to be neighborly and help when I can. But I did say it has become an “issue” for me.

I feel like it has gotten to the point where she thinks just because I am home that it should be no problem for me to stop what I am doing to get her daughter off the bus. Doesn’t she know that I have to write on a blog and read many??? But seriously my toddler usually goes down for a nap around 1:30 and I spend the next hour plus doing what I want to do (or in some cases what I NEED to do). Then if I haven’t showered yet I do that quickly to get my boys off the bus at 3:30. Having to cut 20 minutes out of my day (my precious time) has become annoying to me.

To make matters worse on many occasions she will wait until 2pm or after to call for the favor. So she accepts a job not really knowing if someone will be home to get her child off the bus. I honestly find this hard to believe. It has frustrated me beyond belief. And it is now time where I will have to say something….I am just not sure what.

Now the Mom is looking for a full time job (actually she interviewed and the company is checking her references). As you would have guessed she has not thought out what she will do with her older daughter until the Grandma can get home to watch both girls. Just so happens that the Grandma works at the elementary school. The lack of making a plan and thinking through all the specifics is beyond my comprehension.

I feel so fortunate that I am able to stay home with my boys. It is a decision that my husband and I made together. It was not easy for me to leave my job. But I knew that I wanted to be home with them, which isn’t always easy either.

Another neighbor has been involved in this issue also. She is a little more brutally honest with the other Mom which works in my favor. This situation has strained being neighborly with all of us. It is very unfortunate.