Am I in the wrong here? I live in a duplex…every time my kids are inside the nieghbor kids come over and play with my kids toys…they do put them back when they are done but a few things have gone missing or ended up broken and I am tired of it…i have said something to the mom but she says they re just kids playing…like how is she even okay with her kids stealing others toys??
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Are these toys you could lock in an outside box or bring inside? I understand we’re your coming from. I just don’t know how to remedy it
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Maybe talk to them on how to play with things so they don’t get broke. They may not have toys to plays with. If it’s that big of a issue bring them inside or put them where no one can get to the
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I don’t ever think it’s okay to touch other peoples belongings without permission. With that said, If I was worried about something breaking or going missing, I don’t think I’d be leaving it outside in the elements.
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You are right mom,keep all your toys indoors and only play with 1 …when my 6 were young we wanted our kids to be the fun yard,with parents including…we did not have a lot of money…we had balls sand box bubbles jump rope chalk to draw with when I had it I brought out cookies…our yard was loved and enjoyed if rules were broken that ment you had to go home…we created a lot of precious memories if your not into that it’s fine keep toys inside no shame in that we wish you the best!!
Don’t let them in. What is age group.
I get being frustrated that things end up missing or broken. But can you be sure that’s the neighbor kids fault? And if it bothers you that much, maybe bring the stuff inside
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So yes the other mom should teach her kids better etiquette and to not touch things that are not theirs… however comma… we also know that we can only control what we do, so maybe take back control by putting your toys up. Imagine the neighbors kids coming outside to find no toys, then they go running inside to their mother whining and complaining. Now their momma gotta deal with the complaints and maybe even come out her pockets for some toys… it’s a win win 
you keep your belongings and she gets her karma 
They’re kids. They don’t understand the concept of “ownership” let them enjoy the little happiness there is to have in this world as a child. Unless your kids are upset at that moment about it let it go
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I’d go outside amd say excuse me you can not play with these when we are inside. When we are outside and you ask if you can. These do not belong to you so you can not just use them. I’d put them on the porch with a baby gate and a alarm. That will scare them and after the 1st time that alarm goes off they probably won’t do it again
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Put them away if you dont want them playing with them
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I’m sorry you have a mother who isn’t teaching her kids not to touch other people’s things without asking. If it were me I would grab some used riding toy to put with the other ones and tell the kids they can play with that one. But not the other ones without asking first. Then let them play with them when you are outside so you can regulate it. If you see them with the other ones ask them to put it back until later when your outside. But once again they are welcome to that other toy.
Lock up your items in a shed or bring in the house and put up cameras so you know who is stealing/breaking or in case they break into the shed. Then take the evidence to court. Parents don’t want to do anything about it…So sue them. Don’t even tell them you put cameras up. Let them find out in court
My mom had a rule. If you bring your toys outside or around other kids, those kids were allowed to play with the toys. Don’t leave them outside if you don’t want them touched or taken. This mother should either bring the toys inside / lock them up somehow or let the neighborhood kids play with them.
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Have your kids pick up their toys & bring inside!
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There’s a solution for this. Put them inside.
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Put them away then 
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All I can think is to put them away when you’re done with them. If you don’t want them played with then don’t leave them out where they can be. Simple as that.
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I was thinking about their home life. You might have the only stable home available to them. Put away toys that are valuable when they show up and keep out only a few items. When they finish playing with a toy and want another they need to put it away and ask for another. They are children, they might not have any rules. You can be the grown up to teach them or you can be the parent who says bring your own toys to play with and share or you need to stay home. If they don’t listen then you need to explain to their mother that they can’t come back unless they follow some rules.
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Keep the neighbors kids out of your house
Simple solution is to not leave anything outside.
Just lock them up or bring them inside if it’s an issue
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Well things is if u don’t want other playing with your kids toys you may want to bring them inside yeh you shouldn’t have to but some people don’t respect others property so …
Make sure your kids bring their toys in when they come in. that way they will be safe
Let them play,maybe those kids don’t have toys to play with,they may make friends for life,who knows…
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I’d definitely get something to lock them up when your kids arent playing with them. The other mom should be responsible for her own kids toys outside. Especially if the kid dont even all play together.
Have a bin with a lock on it out back or you’ll have to bring them in. I generally don’t let my kids play with other kids toys because they are so rough on them
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Take the toys inside, or get an outdoor container that can lock or has room for a padlock. If she won’t make sure they’re careful with your kids’ things, it’s up to you to keep her kids out of them.
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Our whole neighborhood comes and plays with our basketball hoop, and I think it’s fun! Makes it feel like a sense of community. Maybe just put up the stuff you don’t want broke or missing? Kids don’t think about that. They just wanna play!
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I’d invite them to play with certain toys and teach them how to play with them properly so things don’t get broken. I’d also remind them to put them back when they’re done. (So they won’t come up missing) The things I don’t want them playing with Id lock in an outside toy box of bring them in. Kids don’t know unless taught and told.
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Ok , easy, If you want it, take care of it. (Don’t leave belongings in a public place) You as an Adult will pick the toys up, bring them in and put them away. If you don’t have time for it, Don’t put them outdoors. Things get broke, get misplaced, Taken. It is ultimately YOUR responsibility to keep an eye on the THINGS you care about.
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Get a deck box and put them away.
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Why don’t you put them inside when you are done? Problem solved.
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You’re not wrong. Next time you see them touching your kid’s stuff go outside and immediately tell them that those toys are not their toys and they are not allowed to touch them. Or bring them inside. The fact that they’re kids doesn’t matter, they need to understand that they don’t touch things that don’t belong to them without consent. This is on the kids just as much as it is on their parent.
Just because the area is shared doesn’t mean that anything in it is community property.
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Not your responsibility to provide outdoor toys for their children, I would be mad too. We put up a fence when we lived in a duplex. Now the kids often came over to play & that was never a issue to me as I willingly let them in. Outside your home does not make it fair game, their parents need to teach them to respect boundaries.
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No, you’re not. It your stuff. You have every right to expect people to respond your things and replace them if broken!
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Put them away. That’s the logical thing to do. YOU be the responsible parent.
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Put them in a lock up box. Obviously if it’s that important take them inside. I mean can you prove it’s the neighbours kids stealing and breaking them? If I was blaming other kids for breaking and stealing my kids toys even my own kids would do start to blame other people as well start taking some responsibility for your own stuff as well. Also if you know those kids play with your kids toys because they have nothing maybe direct mum to somewhere they can get donations or something, sounds like your kids maybe a little more fortunate than the neighbours.
Don’t leave toys outside in a shared yard then.
I was in the same situation. Parents like that teach their kids to take advantage of others. I bet they never have their own toys. If they do they share them. They think it’s everyone else’s job to take care of them.
My advise to you is to get a locked box for the small stuff. Bring larger stuff like bikes inside.
Bring them inside and put away. If it’s a shared yard and your leaving them out there there gonna get played with.
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The other parent clearly hasn’t taught her children to respect other people’s belongings, as she doesn’t either. Lock everything up or bring inside when not in use, if the kids are breaking the toys you worked hard to buy for YOUR children. Don’t feel guilty either. Their own mother is the reason for it.
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Take them inside, put up a camera if you can’t, and take to small claims court, ask her first to stop. That they’re breaking stuff that you have to replace, that your kids didn’t even break. She should but toys for her kids. Smh. NTA
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I think the mom should have asked if it was ok first, but I wouldn’t have an issue with kids playing with my children’s toys, so long as they were taken care of and put back when they were done. If they’re not being respectful of someone else’s property, I would just get something to store them in that can be locked.
I’d ask for her to replace any thing broken they didn’t or missing.
I would also tell her they can not play with the toys unless you or your children are outside.
If she keeps up bring the toys in side see of that helps although you should not have to. She needs to teach her kids respect.
Chuck a box of old toys out there for them and keep the good ones inside if ya can or let them know they can play with the box of old toys and certain ones need to be left alone cause they are special to your children and some toys we don’t have to share
If you don’t want kids breaking or stealing the toys then you will just have to let them only take one out at a time and bring them in when they come in. I get that some kids don’t have toys that other kids have but if they can’t respect them then don’t deserve to play with them. Or supervise them while they share toys with your kids and still they come in when you go in
Maybe take the toys inside or put a lock on your gate I agrees some parents need to teach thier kids to respect other ppl stuff it’s the right thing to so might sound ugly but we as mothers have to teach out kids to look after thier stuff and to respect other ppl things my son has had some toys from when he wad a baby cos he was told to look after his stuff and he is 8 years old today and still looks after his stuff and other ppl stuff
Bring them in or lock them up.
Your all wrong, none of you can spell neighbor.
I would get a lock box for them or if you have shared basement with a storage locker put them in there
I would either make sure things got brought in or talk to the parent of the neighbor kids. Talking don’t work when things go missing call the police and file a report. You can also take her to small claims court for the cost of the broken or missing items
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Maybe their mother doesn’t have the money to buy them toys and just tells them to play with yours when your kids are not is all I can think of. I’d be embarrassed honestly but some people don’t have any shame and then don’t teach their kids the way they should go about things correctly.
They don’t have a right to touch out without permission. Do you have a way to store the toys so they can’t be reached?
So I used to feel this way about the neighborhood kids till I learned of their situation. Frankly I won’t get into their details to much aside from they didn’t have much and due to their situation the other families wouldn’t alow their kids even near them so they were lonely and didn’t have much to do. Since learning this I started to make my home the hub for kids where social status of parents and the politics of the world doesn’t touch my home and everyone can just play and be kids.
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I would ask the mom to replace what was broken. If she isn’t willing to do that then I would keep the toys put away where her kids don’t have access to them.
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Just don’t let them come over then?
Nope !!! I just told every single kid in the neighborhood they’re not allowed in my yard after a year of trash being left everywhere, pools being broken, hose and faucets being broken, both my cars getting scratched up because of their bikes and scooters, so much more I don’t even feel bad every single day it was something new and I’m so tired of it
This is an easy fix. Bring your kids sht in the house when done or get a little shed or footlocker and put the sht away when they are not playing with it. Lock it and also put a camera up so u can watch and have proof of things getting broken into, broken, go missing etc. then if it continues and u have all the proof you need you either make a report and go to court or u handle things urself! 
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Then don’t let them come over and play !! Simple and problem solved…
You are not the A hole. I’d be annoyed too BUT I wouldn’t keep my kids stuff out of I knew the other kids would be trying to play with them.
Maybe it’s just me but when kids come to play at my house all toys are played with and things happen sometimes things get broken oh well that’s life. I teach my son to share. Toys are just that toys and I think I would be selfish to not let other kids play with them I’m fortunate enough to provide these things and he will share and hopefully take that into adulthood and recognizes the less fortunate. Like I said maybe this is just me but this post kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.
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So you live in a duplex and every time the neighbor kids are outside they play with your kids’ toys? Why are you still leaving your children’s toys outside? if you don’t want the neighbor kids to play with them don’t leave them outside. Cuz at the end of the day kids are kids and when they see toys they want to play with them.
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Whatever goes missing or is broken, tell her has to replace it. Otherwise… put their toys away I guess
“Bring them inside “ “lock them up” 
no, teach your little heathens to not touch other people’s shit my neighbors garage is open all the time , im not gonna go help myself to his toolbox . Tf . We’re raising adults not larger toddlers.
If you live in duplex then most common knowledge is to take things inside after they’re done being played with or ridden because some people have a tendency of stealing. Stop keeping your toys outside.
Are you able to put the toys inside when yours finish playing with them?
Do not let them to come over not more and problem solve
Being present at playtime and having a watchful eye , understanding learning to share is important being overbearing won’t help…kids are kids leave toys inside if mommy doesn’t want to share … better to be a friend then to be friendless
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Maybe the kids dont have toys of their own? Maybe their mom can’t provide them a home food AND toys. Maybe they just wanna play. I feel like you’re probably an ahole if you can’t put the toys away where they’re not tempted to play with them. Or maybe leave toys out there that you don’t mind them playing with. Or maybe offer them some toys that your kids no longer play with. You don’t always have to selfish. Materialistic things aren’t important having a good heart is.
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They are returning them so that is litterly NOT stealing. Pick them up and take them inside if it bugs you so much. Cuz yeah your kinda being a karen.
We live at a apt most of us have kids. My son knows when he takes things outside, especially if he leaves them, that they risk being taken or broken. It’s HIS choice to take that risk I don’t care. They are cheap and easy to replace.
Maybe a locking toy box on your porch?
But otherwise yeah they are literally just being freaking kids.
Send your kids over there
You live in a apartment, what do you expect when you leave toys out without anyone around and little kids see them, if you don’t want others to play with them, take them in or put them up somewhere, that’s your own fault there, no need to get mad at the kids.
Simple: Put the toys somewhere the neighbor kids cannot get into them. Children do understand when something does not belong to them, but they do not really understand the consequences of taking something. You will have to adapt to their behavior, so put the toys away.
Obviously the other mother doesn’t care that her children play with the toys, so if bothers you then put them up. She isn’t going to teach them to be respectful of things that don’t belong to them, so you need to just take the option away.
Yes you are the a/:($&@ take the toys in the house if you the mama doesn’t want to share. These are kids they aren’t teenagers. While I understand the frustration but teaching kindness gets you a lot further
In my opinion yta if you don’t want them played with take them inside. Any toys I put in our backyard I fully expect the children in the other half of the duplex to play with too. If I’m worried something will get ruined or whatever I take them inside.
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Set up a community play spot. Explain to the kids that anything in that area, any of them can play with whenever they want, but if they dont put them back when they’re done then eventually there will be no more toys outside because they have taken them all inside. Put your kids in another area. Surround these areas with a painted circle, a tape circle or different colored ribbons. Let them know that these toys can be played with if you or your child is playing as well. But if you arent out there then please leave them alone or come ask first as they are special. Let them know your kid won’t play with their toys without asking them. If the mom won’t help you set boundaries, set them with the kids. They will probably respect those boundaries. If they dont then bring all the toys inside or put them in a lock shed/box when you arent outside. Kids will see toys and want to play with them. Sometimes they break. It happens especially if the parent doesn’t see a problem with it like you do. So you either have to make sure they have no access to any toys of yours or make sure they have access to toys that it isn’t a big deal if they break so they will leave the toys that you dont want to be broken alone.
The other mother should be spoken to by the cops. It’s not her property or her kids. Enforce strict boundaries and fast
If you don’t want no one to play with toys pick them up and put them in your apartment. Problem solved.
Locked deck box, or bring the toys inside. You have already addressed her, that didn’t work. So, you now either have to change it or accept it
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I teach my kids we don’t touch stuff that doesn’t belong to us without asking first even if it’s a siblings possession. I would take the toys in . Maybe her kids don’t have any toys possibly leave something out that won’t get broken and can’t be stolen that they could play with also .
Why is everyone against the mom here? 
Maybe if the other mom taught her kids not to steal, break or touch things that anit theirs, then there wouldn’t be a problem. Just saying.
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If you don’t want the kids playing with them put up and away when your kids are not using them or go cry about it because it’s just going to continue because they are just kids !!!
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Maybe they don’t have any toys or many toys and that’s why they get so excited to play not to say it’s right that a few things have gone missing or ended up broke.
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Talk to her again. Tell her that her kids can’t play with the toys unless your kids are out there. If they respected the toys it would be different.
Don’t leave the toys out if your kids aren’t. Problem solved.
Lock The toys in the house or garage
Bring in what you don’t want other kids to play with, if these kids don’t have these toys then forcing them to look at them if they can’t touch it kinda harsh. Remember being a kid, I remember being a poor kid.
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If you put them up when your kids aren’t playing with them they can’t play with them.
Yeah no… that’s not cool if she is basically okay with it, she needs to fork over money to replace them and get her kids their own to play with
Yah you are. You leave em out and expect kids to not be kids and wanna play with a toy! Take em in or gtfo it IMO and kids don’t understand the concept of theft, maybe it wasn’t even those kids who took the toy since you leave them outside. Just straight to blaming and mom shaming when you’re the one to blame for the situation even being existant.
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I would get a lock box or something to lock the kids toys in.
I would lock up my kiddos toys if I didn’t want them touched by the other children. I understand the frustration of the neighbors child not asking. However, that is on the parent not so much the child in question. You could let the kids know that it is not theirs amd they can’t play with it. Or just don’t have it around for them to access. If it were me though, I would lock my things up and purchase a similar package of toys, outside thing, etc to GIVE to the neighbors child so they have their own. And let them know when those get broken or dissappear then they won’t get more so to please take care of them. Then your children’s toys can be used by your child. And lock them up when not being played with. Obviously the neighbors child enjoys whatever it is that you bought for your kid, I’d buy them their own.
Bring all the toys in and lock up when you leave
Put the toys away that you don’t want touched by other kids.
That’s a lot of words for I don’t like kids unless they are mine (that’s fine)
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If you’re leaving them in a shared area; then they’ll be shared.
If you don’t wish to share; put your toys away!
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I get your frustration especially if your child’s toys are being broken and stolen. Me personally I would NOT allow my kids to play with someone else’s toys without their permission. HOWEVER, some people just don’t give a fck. There’s an EASY solution for this. STOP LEAVING THE TOYS OUTSIDE. 
It’s obvious the mom doesn’t give a fck so you’re wasting your time.
Y’all sound dumb as hell talking about “shared areas” just bc the area is for everyone to use doesn’t mean the toys in that area are. A parking lot is a shared area, so does that give me the right to break into your car and take what I want too?