R-E-S-P-E-C-T... oh, what it would mean to me!

Ok, so this is a little embarassing to admit, but I just got kicked out of my neighbor's house by her 8 year old. See, I am on kid watching duty today. I stay home on Wednesdays to be with Q, take him to summer school, and basically have that mid-week break that says "Even though I have to work for a living, I really want to be home with you at least one day a week." Since summer school is on break this week I also offered to watch the neighbor kids on my Wednesday off. Her kids are usually gone while she works, but the boys like spending time together so I offer this once in a while when I can.

The teenagers absolutely do not respect me. My brother and his friend always go to the other house. They want their independence, and I have to watch really closely or they will leave the cul-de-sac without telling me and ride off on their bikes to the park or wherever. The 8 year old likes to tag along with them, and I really have to keep an eye out because obviously I am the one responsible for the day.

Today I was trying to explain this to the teenagers. It went something like "Ok, what are your plans for the day? Please come ask before you leave the cul-de-sac. If you are going to be over at the house I am not in, please keep the 8 year old with you." I even tried to use logic such as "If we had an emergency I would need to be able to find you quickly." They of course mocked me, and it all went downhill from there. I asked why they had to be little punks... they laughed at me and said I sounded 50 for using the word punk. Finally I got frustrated and told Q to go home for a minute... and the 8 year old said something along the lines of "You can't tell him what to do. This is our house and when our mom is not home we are in charge." Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Q and I never have problems of this magnitude when he is not with the neighbors. He tries to sound cool in front of his friends, but I always get a text or a head popping in the door asking "Can I go do such and such?" Even the neighbor kids, on their own, are good kids. The combo of all of them together is awful, though! Right now I think I will go over and just hang out with them (which means I get absolutely nothing done for the day except being harassed and pushed around on the trampoline). How on earth do you get a teenager to respect you?