Parents With Little Children

Dear Parents with young children,

While working in my backyard, I love listening to the squeals of delight from the little girl who lives next door to my neighbor who lives behind me.

I have never met this little girl. I can tell she is a she just from her voice. I don't know what she looks like or how old she is. All I know, is I love hearing her voice, her laughter, and even when she cries. I also love hearing all the children at play in the neighborhood. It always puts a smile on my face.

Children are the pulse of a neighborhood.

When my kids were young I used to worry that they were too loud. Occasionally I would mention it to the elderly lady who lived on one side (secretly hoping she was a bit of hard of hearing) and to the family with one older son on the other side. I remember feeling a bit relieved when both of them responded with, "We love listening to the sound of your children!" I always wondered if they were saying that to be kind....now I know they really meant it!

There were very few children in our neighborhood when we moved here 24 years ago. As people died or moved, families with children moved in. Our neighborhood is now filled with a gazillion kids...many moved in as babies and are now in high school, indeed, my girls used to babysit some of them. It has been so fun to watch them grow up and to listen to their voices change.

So if you ever worry if your children are making too much noise,

PLEASE STOP WORRYING .....

let your children out, let them play, let them shriek with joy and laughter, or cry, or whatever... for children are the heartbeat of a neighborhood. We older neighbors love listening.

Sincerely,

A Parent Whose Children Have Grown

(but will soon love being a grandma!)