Child using my front garden as a shortcut

[hairyheadphones]

Every single day two children (brother and sister 4 and 2) use my front garden as a shortcut.

I live on a corner house and they walk through to get to there road, their mum walks round the normal way.
I don’t like it as they walk right past my windows which feels like an invasion of privacy, they wind up the dog and it’s dangerous. One entrance is a driveway and there are high hedges all around the front garden, if the children are in the front garden I won’t see them when reversing my car.

I asked the mum to tell them to stop as it’s dangerous but they haven’t. AIBU to expect someone not to allow their children to do this?

Shame if you were watering your garden next time op...

YANBU that would give me the rage!

As you've already asked the mum not to allow it but this has been ignored, do you have an option to secure your garden? They are obviously getting in via your open driveway but how do they get out?

I think I'd be inclined to fence it off or put a gate across but I hate anyone walking across my garden uninvited.

That’s a good idea, I’ll put the sprinkler on- much kinder than the putting dog shit in the path which was my latest idea

rather blocking it off is an option but expensive. Driveway is at the side and they walk round to the front entrance.

We had this - put a fence up

Definetly put the sprinkler on. Actually, my kids love water so that'd attract them (not that I would let them of course).

I'm shocked the mum is carrying on letting them. Bet if they got injured shed be the first to kick off about whatever damage they were in.

I'm afraid they'd get a short sharp, 'oi, you two, get out of my garden RIGHT now, and don't let me catch you in it again!'

Is your sprinkler on a timer?

They are 4 & 2 years old and should be walking with their parent!

If the mother can’t parent tell them again yourself firmly not to do it.

I would wait in the garden at the time you know they are usually around with a bucket of water calling your dog's name (or a different name if you don't want the actual dog around - and then as you hear 'him' come around the corner, throw the bucket of water over the 'dog' saying that he really needs it as he has rolled in something horrible then be all surprised when it's kids and not a dog. Depending on what sort of mood you are in depends on whether or not you actually catch the kids with some, all or none of the water!

if the mother complains you just point out that you were clearly calling your dog and were expecting it to appear, not trespassers.

Or get a loud horn to toot every time they come through. And speak to the mum every time they come through, explicitly pointing out each time the danger of being run over and that how would they like it if you came and peered in their windows every day and made it difficult to drive safely out of your own drive...

It depends on the layout of your garden, but maybe you could put up some barriers that would have the same effect as a fence without the expense. A series of pots? A couple of lattice panels anchored in pots (or the ground)? Maybe just one or two small sections of low, decorative picket fencing. At their age, it shouldn't take much height to discourage them from stepping over.

The house on the corner opposite me had this problem. It's not obvious that it's there front garden and we're close to the school so twice a day they have lots of kids running past their window. They didn't mind too much when it was just the primary kids, it's all terrace houses here and most of us open onto the street so people at the front window isn't that abnormal, but when older kids started sitting in their front yard they put a fence up. There wasn't much else they could do.

Electric horse fence would do it.

I imagine the children are loving the opportunity to go on a different path to Mum but appalled at her allowing them to do so in a private garden.

Do you have a gate at the front entrance pr the driveway?? Or a way to block one of them off so they cannot get out without retracing their steps? Park the car across one of the openings maybe?

Or a low line of fishing wire at ankle height strung across the entry.

@hairyheadphones

Why is this toddler and infant walking alone unsupervised by an adult?

Definitely get it fenced off/gated!

You've asked the mum nicely so now I'd shout at the kids. Not nice if they get upset but it's their stupid mother's fault. It won't kill them and if you really yell I bet they don't do it again.

Taser?

How odd. People are weird. If (for some reason) I'd allowed my children to do this and the owner of the garden confronted me then I'd be so embarrassed and ashamed.

Maybe actually ask her "why do you allow your children to walk across my garden?" and see what she says.

The mum is useless! I saw her on the streets and asked her to stop letting the kids walk through the front garden, she said ‘they like walking through people’s front gardens, did you hear that Anna the lady doesn’t want you to walk through her front garden - will you stop.’ The child shook her head to say no! I told her that with the high hedges it dangerous as I can see when parking. It obviously had no impact! These children do it all down the street and the mum just ignores it.

I think I will get a cheap picket fence and use the bins to block off the ability to walk through the garden - hopefully it will break their habit.

You know we can't properly advise without a diagram, don't you?

Never underestimate the value of a very prickly hedge plant!

Just go out and shout at them.

Shout at the children yourself, or do what we did, although this was the 80s and we wore a very scary halloween mask and a long cloak and scared the living shit out of them

Anna is going to be a bit of a handful at 14 isn't she?