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?

I'd shout at them to not do it again, and tell the mum you suggest a parent class for her as she needs to be firmer with her children.
I'd love to see her jaw drop.

Yay diagram!
I would hate this too and chose my house for not being walked past so I wasn’t distracted out the window.
Sprinkler you can control or one of those motion activated sprinklers intended for foxes should be great. It’s not the summer so they won’t enjoy it

Manners fgs.

Well the mother doesn't seem to have any manners so why should OP worry?

You do realise that people are joking about the taser? I'm not so sure about water though, that actually seems like a good idea - I'd make sure I got the mother as well!

Pea shooter from the front window

My own DD just told me too tell you put a box down at the gate so you can't pass it. Fill it too 3 inches of soil, and add water till muddy soup.

Wait for the screams.

Ask them to come in and look at your puppies.

I would stand there with my hands on my hips (Miss Trunchbull style) and then point to their entry point and say sternly "OUT" whilst looking very cross.

I wouldn't spend any money on controlling these little tresspassers but it would very much irritate me.

It’s Halloween. Put up a creepy grave yard.

If ever there was a reason to save a week's-worth of dog shit - this is it.

"will you stop.’ The child shook her head to say no!"

Bloody hell.

I am amazed that their mum lets them walk through what is obviously somebody’s garden! We had to put a fence round ours to stop people but it was all open beforehand with no hedging or any kind of screening.

Keep telling the mum off whenever you see them, and also point out that there is the danger of them getting run over as you won’t be able to see them if reversing. If that doesn’t work ask her is you can come and walk on her garden every day.

I would put some kind of prickly plants in their way. Roses look innocent compared to pyracantha.

I love the idea of coming out with your coat on and following her, so you can walk in her garden.

Every time they do it, run outside and scare the shyte out of them then go back indoors.

I have a dead rat on my lawn, I could post it to you if you like. You could position it at your gate, or hang it on the gate with lots of ketchup dripping off it. It's currently all in one piece (reckon the cat may have just frightened it to death rather than physically attacked it).

Excellent diagram.

As the mum is evidently welded to her phone (which explains an awful lot about her crappy parenting), you could try getting her number and ringing her to ask them to desist, OP. She might take more notice that way.

I have this same problem
It’s boils my piss
It’s not just kids either, Ive also had people cycle over it
Fence is going up in the spring

Brilliant diagram op. I love a good diagram!

I would go with the dog poo option, but I’m a twat like that!

Be ready with your coat on. As they walk home, follow them (at a discreet distance obviously). Then you'll know where they live and every time you go for a walk you can make a detour through their front garden.

I'd have fun with this
Motion controlled sprinkler for starters
A nice muddy patch
Shout at them to get out of your garden
Air horn
Rev the car, then scream
Dog poo to trail through

I'd stop them as soon as they were behind the hedge (while the mother walks on) then escort them back out the way they came and stand with my phone.
When they don't reappear and she deigns to walk back round the corner I'd say I was on the phone to the police as the children are abandoned. When she said she was their mother, I'd say I don't know that do I, you weren't with them, you could be trying to kidnap them here and now, I'll wait till the police come.

Or I'd go (as my father would say) doo-lolly-tap and shout and shout till she came in to rescue them. We all had 'that' neighbour when we were little, you know the one that everyone said you must stay away from, never go near their house, she cooks children, etc etc. Be that lady.

Strategically placed dog poo ( for the purpose of fertilizing your lawn).

Lock your gate with a bicycle lock. It’ll be a minor inconvenience for you in the short term, but it’ll deter them when the shortcut doesn’t work anymore.
That’s if you don’t want to go out and say something to the mum when you see it happening? I would, personally.

Good diagram . That is quite dangerous if they were walking there if you were driving in or out of your drive.

I love the diagram!