Toddler in my garden

[Yabbers]

Our house has a public path running past it. Our front garden is separated by a wide strip of grass, then our drive, then our front garden. It’s obviously our garden and not public space.

Mother, granny and toddler outside, toddler running about kept running on to our drive, up the path hitting the door then back across the grass. I do get twitchy about kids going on our drive as our neighbour sometimes has visitors who race up it, but not a problem as I assume the mum is paying attention. But, it is still my front garden so I’m a bit that’s a little rude. The mum and gran are watching him, smiling indulgently.

Then he starts taking the top off one of our garden lights. Puts it back and goes and does it to another. Giving it a good wobble as he does it. (They are those solar ones you push into the grass)

I opened the door and said to the mum “excuse me, do you mind?” Not shouting, just quite calm, he’s just a baby I didn’t want to scare him. She started saying sorry but then rolled her eyes and turned to granny and gave one of those smiles. I said, I didn’t mind him running in the garden, but not playing with those lamps as that’s a bit rude. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

WIBU to ask her nicely to stop her son doing this?

Did she apologise Bloomcounty?

Must admit it would never occur to me that anyone would care about a dog pissing on a car tyre - I'm guessing that's where the dog was pissing?
No, it was on the front bumper, then the pee dribbles right across my driveway onto my path. If I were parked publically I’d think “ahh well that’s the risk you take” still thinking I wouldn’t let my dog do that. But not on my own bloody drive.

How would you like it if I came and walked around in your garden?'
I said that to dog pee lady. I did think of saying that to her but was afraid her eyes were about to roll out 😄😄

Me and my LO take walks round our close (100 houses in a big circle)- 17 months old she will often try and run up people's driveways, I'm quick to grab her and remind her "not your property" and jokingly "dont want to be a trespasser" ...

Bloomcounty - Real CFery! I may have been tempted to offer to bring my child or dog to poo in her garden.

This woman obviously thinks that the whole world should love her son in the same way as she does. He's obviously going to grow up self entitled.

My toddler sometimes tries to walk on people's driveways and I always stop her. It's important for kids to learn to respect other people's property. Him touching the solar lamps without being told off is bad parenting.

YANBU

DS made a break for it up a couple of empty driveways on his balance bike over Christmas (we were using it to travel between my parents and grandparents houses, and the novelty of being on a pavement and in town went to his head a couple of times ). We took him off sharpish though and would have apologised if the residents had been in sight! Of course you can't expect a small child to understand, but that's your job as a parent, to teach them these things. Even if they throw a wobbly.

Must admit it would never occur to me that anyone would care about a dog pissing on a car tyre

But it smells Juells. Very noticeably if you aren’t a dog owner.

We used to have Parents of children from the nearby school parking on our front lawn.
Before we moved in the house had been empty for a while, so because no one stopped them they carried on, despite the house being on a private road,
I came home early from work one day to find 4 cars and several kids playing football in the back garden while their Mums gossiped by the cars.
How I held my temper I'll never know, but asked them through griitted teeth if they would like to tell where they lived so that I could park my
car on their front lawn and send my dc's round to play football in their back garden.

Do you have an outside tap in your back garden? If so, can you get a hose round to the front, with a sprinkler attached, and leave it there permanently? Wouldn't it be a shame if you set the water going not knowing that there was a young child playing out there??????

I don't think young children are able to recognise where public land stops and people's gardens start. That is why I have stopped dd by saying "not on there love, that's someone's garden" since she was a little toddler. The two adults with this child were wildly unreasonable in my eyes not to stop the child when they first strayed onto your garden!

Bloody hell, where do these people get off? It's not cute, funny or amusing
I'd go mad if a parent allowed their child to do this
It would probably upset the child but I bet they would think twice about letting them do it again

You need a sign up saying:
These lights are electrified.

Yabbers yes the whole must never talk to another persons child thing drives me nuts sometimes. Everyone knows that what a child hears from their parent is "blah blah blah" but when another adult speaks to them they hear it clearly! Ha Ha.

Well that escalated quickly

TimeIHadANameChange
Excellent idea.😄

I can’t believe the display of CFery in these stories.

I also can’t believe I got two pages with no dissent. I felt sure MN would be on the fence I wish I had with this one.

Well that escalated quickly
Perhaps she means for this

@Spudlet

Well that escalated quickly

It sure did, OP should have gone out there, cane swishing. lol

Wattle and daub! school history was not totally wasted on me

Make it in the traditional way and I'd say your trespassing problems will be over 💩

Aw, I had hoped this was a random stray toddler. Like the common or garden toddler. Or the lesser spotted lone toddler.

To child (loudly, so Indulgent Mummy and Granny can hear) “Best not to fiddle with those lights dear, the postman accidentally touched one last week and we think the electrics are faulty. Still, he’s got almost all of the movement in his arm back now”.

Smile brightly and wait for them to quickly remove child from your property.

We have a path next to our garden too and have now put in a small fence as got really fed up of children, dogs, push bikes etc going over our flower bed instead of staying on the path.
Works a treat 😊

Am I the only one who wants a diagram?

I wouldn’t be happy about this especially touching electrics. How stupid are some parents