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Original poster

Neighbours kids keep looking over our fence

459 replies

lilybit2025 · 07/04/2026 11:18

As the title suggests. Young girl around 5-6 keeps looking over at our fence. Did it a handful of times yesterday until I turned around and said 'hello can I help you?' And she's doing it again today. It sets our dog off and drives her insane yet she still does it.
I find it incredibly intrusive and I don't know if our neighbours know she's doing it and she's only a child but we do not have children and aren't particularly fond of them either.

OP posts:
Pherian · 08/04/2026 00:00

lilybit2025 · 07/04/2026 11:21

It's a normal sized garden fence. I think she stands in a table to peer over.

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Have you tried speaking to her parents.

SummerFate · 07/04/2026 23:52

Jane143 · 07/04/2026 21:57

Yes I’ve read it. The dog wouldn’t bark if she bade friends with it

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Puke 🤮 🤮🤮

SummerFate · 07/04/2026 23:50

Tryanalogue · 07/04/2026 21:07

Control your dog.

A cat can look at the Queen.

Meaningless bollocks.

Lamplight101 · 07/04/2026 22:47

Good lord, what a miserable bunch on this thread.

Imanautumn · 07/04/2026 22:30

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

RunningJo · 07/04/2026 22:16

Jane143 · 07/04/2026 21:57

Yes I’ve read it. The dog wouldn’t bark if she bade friends with it

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Not necessarily true, a dog will bark for various reasons. Nothing to suggest the dog wouldn’t continue to bark even if she made friends with it.
But regardless, why should the OP facilitate a friendship between a neighbouring child and her dog (which doesn’t sound like what she wants) purely because the parents can’t be arsed to parent, and the child does what she wants 🤷🏼‍♀️

Imanautumn · 07/04/2026 22:06

Water pistol / sprinkler

TwoBagsOfCompost · 07/04/2026 22:04

Fabfabfab · 07/04/2026 15:06

Why are you on Mumsnet if you don't have children, and you don't like them?

We are many and we are strong.

Jane143 · 07/04/2026 21:57

Princesspollyyy · 07/04/2026 19:23

But it’s making the dog bark which is annoying to the OP. Haven’t you read the thread??

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Yes I’ve read it. The dog wouldn’t bark if she bade friends with it

blackpooolrock · 07/04/2026 21:43

get the garden hose out and soak her... If her parents say anything just say you didnt see her peering over the fence.

Waterdust · 07/04/2026 21:24

I dont have kids and like you op im not found of them either, thats why i chose a flat on first floor.
Ask the parents to stop her or taller fence, grow bamboo.

WonderingWanda · 07/04/2026 21:23

"Does your Mummy know you are stood up there? You should get down before you fall and also it's very nosey to keep staring over the fence so down you get or I will have to go and tell Mummy"

Onleemoi · 07/04/2026 21:10

The dog is doing nothing wrong.

Tryanalogue · 07/04/2026 21:07

Control your dog.

A cat can look at the Queen.

canisquaeso · 07/04/2026 21:00

My friend has this issue as well. I don’t know what she climbs on because I can’t see it (I’m 5’2) but her neighbour is always hanging by the fence watching her kids, she obviously wants to join in.

In theory it’s nice but sometimes you don’t want to invite her over and have to look after an extra child, nor do you want to be in your garden with a child acting like CCTV. It’s just uncomfortable.

Leopardspota · 07/04/2026 20:56

nevernotmaybe · 07/04/2026 18:16

It's actually officially listed as some of the things that can be enforced for privacy if persistent and impacting others, parents shouldnt let children play and look over fences into gardens including things like bouncing on trampolines so they can see over. Normal playing noise and all of that is ok of course, but you can take action for privacy if it happens consistently.

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Officially listed where? Not suggesting you’re wrong, I’m no expert. However, I’ve always felt that when you live close to people you accept that they can see in. I’m interested about these particular rights and what action you can taken.

Hoardasurass · 07/04/2026 20:56

liamharha · 07/04/2026 18:52

Yes ,it's basic manners and decency to consider someone's feelings(especially a child who is probably completely unaware of the social cues ) and not go out their way to be hurtful or rude . It's really easy you don't have to be a arsehole even when something is mildly annoying.

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The child was told nicely to please stop she's winding the dog up, she has chosen to ignore that nicely polite request and has chosen to continue to antagonise the dog.
She knows its wrong and at age 5-6 should expect to be spoken to harshly for it.
Go away is a reasonable statement to someone who keeps spying on the neighbours and wind their dog up.
The feelings of a rude, disrespectful, naughty child is not my concern.
Its people like you who cause children to lack resilience and grow into antisocial adults

LilyBunch25 · 07/04/2026 20:47

NoisyMonster678 · 07/04/2026 20:29

I live opposite a primary school which used to have a climbing frame which kids would climb and peer into the flats. It woukd really wind my nieghbours up but their only choice was to put up blinds or net curtains.

This kid is insolent and has no boundaries, despite being told.

She will stop when she pisses off the wrong person and they give her a piece of their mind (gets a severe talking to 1970s style) because she is likely to be seeing how far she can push you or others.

You may be better putting up net curtains but its a 50/50 chance it may work.

Net curtains won't help if it's causing the dog in the garden to bark.

LilyBunch25 · 07/04/2026 20:46

pinkyredrose · 07/04/2026 11:22

Get a bigger fence!

Thats not the answer. She's obviously standing on something to do it- parents need to be spoken to; easily done politely.

Steeleydan · 07/04/2026 20:39

SummerFate · 07/04/2026 11:55

Invest in some of these.

https://ebay.us/m/NGRPAD

Edited

Brilliant, but child will just peer through it 🤔☹️

NoisyMonster678 · 07/04/2026 20:29

I live opposite a primary school which used to have a climbing frame which kids would climb and peer into the flats. It woukd really wind my nieghbours up but their only choice was to put up blinds or net curtains.

This kid is insolent and has no boundaries, despite being told.

She will stop when she pisses off the wrong person and they give her a piece of their mind (gets a severe talking to 1970s style) because she is likely to be seeing how far she can push you or others.

You may be better putting up net curtains but its a 50/50 chance it may work.

BiddyPopthe2nd · 07/04/2026 20:22

A bit of water does not harm a child…it gets them wet and teaches them a lesson when they don’t listen to the words being said to them.

BiddyPopthe2nd · 07/04/2026 20:21

I know….I’m evil (have had little sh*ts looking over my wall in the past that the DPs sweat couldn’t possibly have been their little darlings…)

BiddyPopthe2nd · 07/04/2026 20:20

If you’ve already had a word with her DPs and they say”but little precious isn’t doing that”, can you train her like a cat and just spray water at her when she does it?! When the DPs come knocking, tell them it cannot have been you because you were only watering flowers in your own garden so you wouldn’t have got water on her if she wasn’t looking in …. 🤣

SummerFate · 07/04/2026 20:18

Are you joking?