Neighbours kids keep looking over our fence

Potter naked in the garden. When she tells her parents they'll have to tell her to stop looking over. It's your garden after all, private property and they can't do a thing about it except stop her looking over :) or when you see her next looking over, let out a blood curdling scream. It's scare her hopefully enough 🤣

Crazy idea I know, but have you tried simply asking her not to do it as it makes the dog bark 'because she's protecting us' (slight threat thrown in there too)?

If she's not got a dog she's probably got no idea she's annoying yours, or how that impacts on you.

Then just be really boring and ignore her. She'll soon get bored and stop. If you react by telling her to piss off, etc, you're just making it more fun!

Also re the 4am gym noise- does he even know it's disturbing you? People aren't mind readers.

As a kid, I was told off by the neighbours for 'looking over their fence'. I wasn't, I was just sitting on top of my climbing frame, but they made such a fuss I made a point of doing it more (if you're going to blame me, i might as well do the thing you're accusing me of, was the logic). If they had simply asked us politely to stop, and explained that it was invading their privacy, I'd have been mortified and stopped. There was definitely an element of 'winding up the grumpy neighbours fun'.

Well if that was her intention, it worked, didn’t it? Every woman and her dog have leapt on the thread to question it.

I think the OP making the point that she didn't like children made the thread click bait.

If you don’t have children and don’t like children. Why on earth are you on Mumsnet? This feels really Clickbaity.

And I suppose posting this for approximately the 93rd time on the thread isn’t clickbaity?

It really isn't clickbaity, and people without kids are on MN because not all of MN is about parenting. 🙄 Have you not been on MN long?

If you don’t have children and don’t like children. Why on earth are you on Mumsnet? This feels really Clickbaity.

At six years old, children are not idiots. Explain to her that when her head pops over the fence, it scares the dog. Be kind and say that you’re sure she doesn’t mean to upset the dog, but could she stop popping her head over the fence. Follow that up with knocking on their door and letting them know that you had that conversation with their daughter. Frame it that you genuinely hope it didn’t upset her at all but you want to keep your dog quiet for everyone’s benefit.

If your dog is not a rip-your-face-off-killer, it might be nice to offer to let the child talk to your dog and stroke your dog on occasion.

Considering this is a parenting website, lots of MNetters don’t seem to like children very much, as this thread shows; or are parents being keyboard warriors, expressing frustrations about being a parent which they cannot say out loud? I don’t think it’s yet appeared on this thread, but on Mumsnet, children are regularly described as “little shits”.

Children need to be taught about what is acceptable, and what isn’t. I remember I used to do leafleting with my parents aged 5, and was taught not to look through letterboxes, or windows. Now, I don’t mind curious children looking into my garden so much, but I might ask them to stop talking to me, if they kept doing it.

Ive found this thread a bit disturbing - multiple posters “joking” about potentially hurting this little child with nails, spikes, barbed wire, spiky plants etc.

Can you imagine telling your annoying boss to “go away” or saying “piss off” to someone on a bus who won’t stop trying to make small talk? Or what about soaking an elderly person who keeps pestering you in a cafe - it’s ok as they “won’t shrink” according to a PP. Of course you wouldn’t - yet it’s apparently ok to do these things to a 5 year old.

As if anyone in their right mind would do that. What a fucking stupid suggestion.

How high is 'normal'???!

3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet and 6 feet are all 'normal'.

I’m still curious now and I’m over 50. Would it be acceptable for me to stand on a ladder and watch my neighbours?

No, it wouldn’t. It would be completely unacceptable and an invasion of their privacy. Fortunately I learnt this at a young age and this little girl also needs to learn the same courtesy and be told to stop.

@lilybit2025- go and see her parents and ask them to stop her doing it.

(If they don’t, next time they’re in the garden - preferably with visitors - stand on a table yourself and stare at them, asking inane questions and occasionally shouting “annoying isn’t it”).

I feel your pain! Many years ago we had some slight disagreements with our neighbours, nothing major, their children being unkind to ours etc. Well it turned into a nightmare, we had 6ft fences but their parents bought them a tree house and a trampoline and must have told them to look over and shout and just generally invade our privacy and be a nuisance. It was awful actually, it sounds like it’s no big deal but we ended up moving, I used to dread coming home and seeing them. Looking back (20 years) nothing we even said to them warranted the way they carried on. I would speak to the parents and invest in some higher fencing but as the child gets older brace yourself for the trampoline / treehouse! And there’s not a lot you can do if the parents don’t cooperate. I hope it gets better.

Just use your words..... speak to her or her parents, problem solved. You've not actually told anyone you don't like it yet. If someone said this about my child, I'd apologise, have a chat with them and move the table. I imagine they'll do that same. It wouldn't bother me personally at all.

The OP has spoken to her parents who denied she was doing it

"we don't have children and aren't particularly fond of them"

But it's Mumsnet.... The clue is in the name?

Poor girl. She’s a sweet 5 year old probably reception class at school. It’s disgusting to read these comments from so called adults. It’s just a little girl being curious.

Can’t you be watering the grass at a certain time and, oops, sorry you’re soaked!!

Sadly they often are. I think a lot have a chip on their shoulders for some reason

How childish. What do you mean?

This post is pathetic 😂

If you have a issue with it either politely ask her to stop “hey can you please stop doing that as it makes my dog upset” or even better go round to the house and speak with her parents and they will likely tell her to stop doing it.

My daughter has done the same thing to our neighbour a few times and I tell her to stop as soon as I see her do it, but luckily he is a lovely old boy and takes time out of his day to stop and chat to my daughter.

Also I never understand when adults say they don’t like children ?? We were all children once!

telling a 5 year old to go away? Seems a bit harsh and unnecessary. Just knock the door and ask the parents to tell her??

Yeah, just train your dog not to bark at perceived threats in its own garden, buy the kid chocolate, make friends, arrange play dates, offer to babysit, driving lessons when she’s old enough, write her into your will. And stop being grumpy, and take your dog for walks too. Ffs op.

This (& sprinklers!)

FFS, just engage her in conversation and/or invite her over to meet the dog. Children are curious. That is how they learn and grow.

If you can't tolerate it, just say "go away little girl" and no doubt she will.