Am I too strict or is everyone else too lenient???

I know I am pretty strict when it comes to my kids and their behavior but, lately I feel like I have to be.  During the school year my kids come home and get straight to their school work after a good snack though.  They don't go to the TV, video games, or phone until all of their work is done.  That has always been a hard rule in our house.  From the time Sprat started 1st grade there has been these kids in the neighborhood that insist on ringing the door bell to get him to go play as soon as they get home from school.    I told Sprat to tell them he could not play until his school work was done and he had finished his reading.  Everyday the same thing so finally I just set a time limit, that the boys could not come out and play until 4pm. that way these boys would know.  That did not do any good, they still were ringing the door bell as soon as they got off the bus.  Sprat was a straight A student and I was going to keep it this way.   One day Sprat had been grounded and could not go out and play and one of the boys came over and I told Sprat he could go out and tell the boy he could not play.  They went out on the porch and I was taking the trash out.  I was in the driveway and could hear their conversation when, the little boy (3rd grader) told Sprat, "when you are 18 you can tell your parents that you aren't going to take any more of their sh$#."  I just about stroked out right there.  I resisted the urge to go and snatch my child up.  I listened patiently, this is when you find out if you have done any thing right raising your kids.  The moment of truth.. .   Sprat responded by saying, "no, no, no,  I would never talk to my parents that way."  That is all I had to hear and I knew in my heart I had done something right.  I went to the porch and I said, " you are right you would not speak to us that way."   I told the little boy he needed to go home right then.  A few other things happened that year, my driveway was egged and  Sprat was mooned by this little boy while the other neighbor boys watched and laughed.  That was the year I told that little boy he was not allowed at our house again.
I am now the scourge of the neighborhood because not one of the other neighbor boys parents or that boys parents asked why he was not allowed at my house.  Isn't that funny?  If my son had been told that he could not play at someones' house I would call to find out what he had done.  Not one person has asked me what happened.  I am sure there are many rumors going around as to why but nobody has asked me.
Of course Sprat is now a rising 8th grader and we still live around these people and they are still just as ugly and nasty as ever.  The little boy that egged my drive way and mooned my child now is being left by himself at all hours of the night.  I know what my kids are capable of  and I know that I cannot leave them alone for more than thirty minutes at the most and certainly not in the middle of the night.  I realize people work and their kids have to be left alone but, being left alone during the day is a whole other thing.   I am very fortunate that my dear hubby has a good job and I am able to be here for my kids but, we do not live like this without sacrifice.  We don't do lavish vacations and we are on a tight budget.  We have not been on vacation in two years but, we are going this year.  My Dave Ramsey plan has kicked in and we have been saving to pay for this trip since last year.   This trip will not follow us home.  That is for a later post.
I would love to hear your opinions on this subject.  I know my friend Beth will post and I thank you Beth for keeping my comments alive.  Even if you have a different opinion than my own I am open to hear what you have to say.  Am I too strict?