Working Outside at Home and the Neighbor’s Kid

As you may have gathered by now, I enjoy sitting out on my patio to get a little fresh air while working.

For the most part it is quite enjoyable. I get some sunshine, fresh air, no distractions, privacy. Well, I get sunshine and fresh air anyway. The lack of distraction and privacy are sometimes a bit difficult to attain.

My own son is grown and on his own, so I don’t have the same situation as Brooke with young kids romping around all the time. But, I do have the neighbors youngsters…

Little Ry-Ry is the main culprit at present. He’s the 3 year old next door who thinks I’m his best friend and loves playing with his toys and blowing bubbles and shows me everything he has learned, not to mention the eternal “What’s That?”. Even when his parents are sitting out, he wants to talk to me and wants me to play with him.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I really do like giving the little tyke some attention and even occasionally blowing bubbles with him. But when I’m out here working, that’s a horse of a different color.

I had to lay out some ground rules for coming over and playing on my patio.

1. We always say “Hi” and ask how each other are today.
2. He can come over and play when I’m just sitting out.
3. When I have my computer with me, it means I’m Working.
4. When I’m working, I will be polite, but cannot play.

Since things change every day, the rules can be bent if his mommy needs to make a short run to the store for milk or something. But for the most part, he seems to be figuring out that I’m not mad at him and I’m not ignoring him, I’m just Working and when I’m done, I may even let him squirt me with the hose after the computer is safely in the house.

(Just so you know, this applies to ALL the kids in the neighborhood, not picking out little Ry-Ry, but he was out today.)

How about you, how do you handle the kids of summer and you’re trying to soak in the sun while working?