Put the packages up high in your closet, and wait till they're gone before opening the boxes. If that doesn't work, then it's time to chat with their mom, this kind of behavior needs to be addressed. I believe kids that are 9 and 10 years old are mature enough to know what's OK or not, to do. less

I Agree!! They need to know limits. They are children and they are in YOUR home. They should be respectful. I'd have a talk with mom. Tell them this is MY personal stuff. If I say you can't look at it don't touch it. If it was something I want you to see, ill show you. They are old enough to understand. less

I've done a lot of childcare as well as raising my own kids. NO child should feel free to snoop in someone else's bedroom. I would first talk to them, as by their age, they should know better. Make it clear that your "work materials" are not toys and that they must stay out of your bedroom completely. Don't even let them play in there.

If they continue to snoop, bring it up nicely with their mother.

You shouldn't have to lock things up in your own house. Kids who are being watched by someone other than their own mother do need to learn that manners apply at the Day Care Provider's house, and that she has her own rule that they need to abide by. less

Privacy is sacred. Even nine and ten year-old kids can understand that. I knew at the age of three that I couldn't go in my brother's room unless he said it was okay. Same for my parents' closet around Christmastime. You need to be clear about your rules with them. If they persist, let their mother know.

You could lock your boxes in the closet (or even lock your bedroom door), but you shouldn't have to. Same for readjusting your ordering schedule. I'd consider these to be temporary solutions at best, while the kids are learning to respect your rules and privacy. less

I hate the idea of having to lock things in my OWN HOME. I finally get settled in my own house and I have to lock things now? It's just ridiculous. It's not just the packages. They want to see anything and everything. I was in the shower today and they were looking through my bedroom drawers! That's effing ridiculous! And that happens to be where my sex toys were as of last week, until I moved them to a large chest under the bed. Think, what if they were in there?

I offered kindly to watch these children, and I do get paid for doing it, but it's still a kind offer to watch them and I think they should be kind in return. less

Me too, me too. I always knew my parents closet, even when it wasn't Christmastime, was off limits. I wasn't allowed to go through the file cabinet, I wasn't allowed to open mail unless it had my name on it, and my younger siblings weren't allowed in my room unless I invited them in.

Living with my roommate was another example. There were places she and I just didn't go. For example, the wooden chest at the end of her bed for her sex toys. I never once looked inside. Yes, she would show me her toys when she got them, but I never went looking for them. I would ask "Do you mind if I use your Hitachi? My back hurts really bad." but I never went and grabbed it.

I just don't feel like having to buy lock boxes! It's my house and this is ridiculous. I plan to talk to her tomorrow and I'm going to simply ask her to say "Can you please have a talk with the kids about going through my belongings? They have been snooping in my dresser drawers and my closet as well. It's not that I'm hiding anything but it's just my sense of privacy. All of my underwear and bras and whatnot are in there, and there's a lot of work files in the bottom drawers that are getting messed up due to their acts. So if you could let them know that that's not okay, I would be very thankful".

does that sound okay? less

I agree! I understand I should put the box up high in the closet, but I do that! I used to open some stuff. Like for instance, if I knew it was something not-so-sexual, like lubricant, an eye mask, a candle, etc. I never opened anything crazy sexual.

Even then I closed my door and locked it. I swear, no joke, they tried to pick the lock on time. And other times when I forget to lock it, they barge in and thanks to my awesome skills I am able to cover up everything with blankets before they grab the door knob.

I just feel that this is not proper behavior and if these were my kids I would smack their hands, take their nintendo's and ground them. less

I agree! I understand I should put the box up high in the closet, but I do that! I used to open some stuff. Like for instance, if I knew it was something not-so-sexual, like lubricant, an eye mask, a candle, etc. I never opened anything crazy sexual.

Even then I closed my door and locked it. I swear, no joke, they tried to pick the lock on time. And other times when I forget to lock it, they barge in and thanks to my awesome skills I am able to cover up everything with blankets before they grab the door knob.

I just feel that this is not proper behavior and if these were my kids I would smack their hands, take their nintendo's and ground them. less

I babysit the neighbor's kids after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Sometimes days in between. My issue is, my Eden packages always come at the same time they get off the bus. They always ask what it is, and I just say "It's my work stuff" because I recieve packages from work a lot too. However, they literally stand there trying to watch me open it outside my bedroom... OR... they snoop around for the box when I'm not looking, after I've put it away!

This is a major problem because usually, when I'm good with money or gift cards, I have about 2 or maybe even 3 boxes coming in the mail each week. And it's almost always getting here on a day that I watch them. The boxes usually come right when they are getting off the bus, but sometimes about an hour afterward. So either way, they see it.

So what do you all suggest I do about this? I can't have them finding my sex toys, or opening the box when I'm in the restroom or whatever. Should I use another method of shipping like USPS (even though it really sucks for me at my location) or should I slap the crap out of their hands?! I don't want to be too mean because I'm getting paid to watch them each day and it's a significant amount of my income right now since I'm between "real" jobs and only doing "work at home" stuff.

Should I tell their mum that they snoop through my closet and that I'm not comfortable with that, or would it be rude of me to do? I mean, they're only 9 and 10 years old... it's really not right to be snooping?

Maybe I've overreacting but ugh! less

Well, I don't think smacking them would help if it was your own kids, but as a child care provider you DO have the right to enforce discipline. Time outs, no TV or computer time, letters home to mom, etc. These are things that should be initiated and known by the first day the kids came into your house. Now you have to undo some lax day care lack of rules, but it's doable.

I've done a LOT of day care. Saying "No." to someone elses kid and letting them know there are consequences for their actions is part of being a good day care provider. If the mom has problems with anyone reprimanding her little darlings for thug behavior (picking locks? WTF?) then I, personally, would find an other family of kids to watch, make sure you have a CONTRACT for the parents and make the ground rules on the first day and be completely consistent with them.

This probably won't be necessary. Let the kids know "There are some new ground rules. The rules are simple, I'll write them down and tell you about them. There will be consequences if you disobey the rules." Then state what the first second and third breaking of the rule consequences will be. In our house, the severity of the consequence increases, if I have to enforce rules more than once, or if I am ignored.

These kids have rules at school, at home, and they NEED to have them at your house too. Why should your house be any different? Children thrive on consistency and fail when they are left to their own devices, it sounds like these kids are testing you. Don't fail the test. Make consequences and be consistent about following up with them, immediately! With kids, the consequence needs to follow the misbehavior right away. If they break a rule, the TV goes off, or the hand held video game is taken away for a certain amount of time (I'd say 2 hours is good for going into your room, 4 hours for attempting to break a lock) Do the consequence immediately, don't EVER slack off on it, let these little thugs know you mean business. If they continue with the behaviors, talk to their mom a second time and if they still don't straighten up, find an other family to take care of.

These kids are taking advantage of you, they KNOW better and you have to be smarter and quicker than them to get your privacy back.

Don't just "expect" them to behave. YOU have to lay out the ground rules.

Good luck. less