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.

I was all ready to say what harm is it etc if you were talking about a couple of kids running over to get their ball or something but what you have described has left me feeling rather cross on your behalf! YANBU!

Stinging nettles to attract butterflies

My parents have a similar thing, not so bad where you can't see it but a bloody nightmare when it's right in front of the living room window! Their area is specifically open plan so no fences, hedges, anything that looks like one, However, there's nothing to stop you having a "wildlife garden" instead of a lawn - stick a buddleiea, a borage and a couple of lavenders in and encourage lots of yummy stinging nettles to grow, possibly also a small gorse bush...

Thank you! Ball collecting fine, obv.

missed all the thorny, watery, stingy suggestions!

How ignorant - I'm astonished the mother would think it was OK. I suspect she didn't really think it was OK but was just embarrassed when they were caught.

YANBU

A "Keep off the pebbles" sign?

YANBU. i have tiny paved area outside front of house with plants in a small border under window. Boys outside kicked football onto border - mum leaned out top window and shouted at them to watch the flowers.
Got a red faced 'sorry miss' + hasn't happened again.
(She can be scary when cross :-) ).

YANBU and what sort of parent encourages their kids to walk across other peoples property - can you put up some sort of barrier

electric fence farmers use for cattle?

Kallista - that's more like it! Not sure about the electric idea, altho we do have a good electrician!

I am at the mum contradicting you and telling you they could, in fact, walk across YOUR property.

I ranted on another thread about a house party that we hosted for some friends from overseas, so didn't know all the guests. Some of the children ran riot upstairs in our house and when I herded them back downstairs, one of the fathers immediately contradicted me and told them to go back upstairs and play there.

I was standing right in front of him and had just said they needed to stay downstairs! He also gave me a bit of an odd look - I can only assume he had somehow managed to fail to notice that it was actually my house, although the "NO! They have been told to come down here and STAY HERE!" made it clear.

YANBU

love the remote control sprinkler idea!

People are so rude. There is a major problem in my village with children just going into other peoples gardens to play. It annoys me that parents do not teach their children boundaries.

Stick a sign up saying you've just put weedkiller down? That should keep the preciousses away!

It's the major reason I'd never buy a house on one of these open-plan no-fences-allowed newer build estates. I tutor at a house in one and it amuses me how everyone moved in and immediately started working on boundary hedges, fences and what not - do builders not realise this open-plan utopia just leads to bother and resentment?!

where we live is much open plan. My kids insist on walking on the little walls etc. I tell them to get off the wall, get out of the gardens day after day after day after day............... but i do notice that all the other kids walk on the little walls and don't get told off. Also I do recall walking along every little wall I could when I was a kid.....

We don't have fences in our cul-de-sac. Or pavements either. People seem to manage to keep off each others front gardens with no bother or resentment at all. I had to tell the little boys next door that they really didn't have to ask my permission every time they needed to retrieve a ball!

YANBU, it would annoy me too, especially if it's messing up your garden. How much 'quicker' can it possibly be anyway, presumably they're not having to walk miles around!

razor wire is clearly the way forward....

YANBU

Our postman walks across our garden and I must admit it does annoy me a tad!
I live in a semi with fairly long drive and have a hedge border separating our front garden from next doors. However, postie goes to next door then squeezes through the gap in the hedge, traipses across the lawn walking right past the lounge window making me jump!
Cheeky sod!

YABU - where's your community spirit?

Thanks Stan can't have AIBU in total agreement!
Just been and bought a trellis in a frame, kind of like a see through fence, and put it across diagonally, in a kind of arty, stones and lavender near it way. Next thing, horse riders will be using my garden for jumping practice....

Where about are you? Can I bring my horse?

- of course. you can get a good run up from the road first...

Reminds me of the man who used to lead his dog up my front garden path and let it pee on my front doorstep. Some people have no respect!

The fecking postman and all the other people who deliver junk mail through my door walk right past my living room window to get to next doors house because they're too lazy to walk back down the drive. At least the gas man doesn't do it anymore since he caught dh naked on the sofa eating his cornflakes....