to tell someone their kids can't walk across my garden?

[grumpypants]

bit really. just went outside for the bins, and found two small girls cutting the corner off by walking across our pebbles. (we are a corner house, large garden at front/side, pavement beside it). I smiled, and said ooh no, you can't do that, then realised mum was there - she told me yes, it was quicker! So i kind of explained that no, i didn't want kids trekking across my garden.
it messes them all up, they have to walk right next to my front door and flowerbed to come out the other side, risking treading all over the new plants - i'm so any parent would say it's fine.

[Hammy02]

YANBU. That mother is hardly teaching her children to respect other people's property. They are trespassing.

[GrimmaTheNome]

YANBU. Kids should know to keep on the pavement and so should the mum.

[Groovee]

We had this issue when we moved here and the previous owner had removed some spars in the fence to allow her and others to nip up the embankment to the main road. Loads of school kids used it too. I came home shortly after moving in to find 3 teen girls wandering the front garden having been unable to find the fence gap which the previous owner had replaced as she moved out.

I didn't want people doing that and hence why I chased anyone from my garden who I found there.

[virginiasmonalogue]

YANBU! I would never let my kids walk on others property. Plain rude!!

[Numberfour]

YANBU at all.

[silverten]

you sound perfectly reasonable to me. its not as if you shouted at them or anything!

[grumpypants]

groovee glad i'm not the only territorial one! i hate looking out the sitting room window to see someone peering back in (we put that fablon stuff half way up the windows in the end) - just amazed that she thought this was okay, and what a cow i was!

[MoonGirl1981]

Oooooo, I hate that!

Some kids at school walk the whole way along the street on people's gardens. There's a wall bit, hard to explain but it involves trekking over a fair few gardens.

The parents don't seem top notice/care.

I think it's rude and wouldn't allow it.

Could you put up a fence?

[grumpypants]

no, no shouting, kind of nice 'oooh, you've been caught!' looked at the mum thinking she'd apologise and then she started telling me why they could do it!
It's not a couple of steps either, much quicker to whizz round the pavement, i suspect the crunching of stones is more fun tho. (Tough)

[grumpypants]

not allowed a fence that comes in front of the house iyswim?

[BsshBossh]

YANBU. Time to put some fencing/hedging system up I think as I doubt you will ever be able to stop people cutting corners on your property otherwise.

[Hammy02]

I don't think it's territorial. How would the mum like it if you walked through her living room? Or her kid's bedrooms. V.odd behaviour to walk on someone's property.

[grumpypants]

around the edge we have we have driveway, large lavender bushes ending in a flower bed which goes up to the front door, driveway so a kind of L shaped. They start at one driveway, and come out by the front door, and then walk down the second drive.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Maybe you could plant some bushes or position pots/stones at the points where people are most likely to cut the corner?

[MoonGirl1981]

Could you get a sprinkler system?

Just have it on in the mornings?

Water your pebbles!!

[AKMD]

I asked two school children to get out of my garden the other day as the mum walked blithely on. I thought they were being incredibly rude so YANBU.

[blackeyedsusan]

ds has tried to stick one toe on the step of someones garden, to be told loudly, no not yours...

[AnonymousBird]

Can you put up a small/cheap barrier temporarily just to reinforce your message?

YADNBU! I would be furious!

[MissingMySleep]

YANBU

block it off even if its temporary, and people will get out of the habit of cutting through

or put up something permanent, fences etc

my mum has something similar so she is planting some bushes etc to make it clearer that this is garden not public pavement etc

[BsshBossh]

Plant some prickly rambling rose bushes .

[diddl]

YADNBU.

[MrsTwinks]

Get a sprinkler system with a remote and sit and watch for them walking.. or is that too mean?

[nethunsreject]

Yanbu at all.

[onclefestere]

pepper spray....?
No, YANBU. Very rude way to behave.

[grumpypants]

Actually I think I may put up some form of low chain type fence in a diagonal, so not coming in front of the house, but at least blocking the access point at one end. will prob then get sued by little darlings' mother when they trip over it trying to get in.