AIBU to not let a random child walk on my garden wall?

[CockysGirl]

Just got in from work and was parking on my drive and a grandparent with a small child (2-3 years old) is lifting them up so that they can walk along my garden wall. They see me standing watching and say "DGC wants to walk on your wall, you don't mind do you?" So I replied, "I'd rather they didn't, it is a tall wall with lots of rose bushes next to it so they may get hurt and anyway, it is my private property" So the grandparent glared at me and huffed loudly and said "the nasty lady won't let you walk on her wall" and proceeded to make a big fuss about lifting DGC off the wall again! AIBU to not want kids walking on my garden wall?

You could have said. “Well it’s a bit dangerous “ & left it at that?

Toddlers don’t live as structured lives as adults. They find joyful things as they go along in life... lots of people suggesting they should have “scheduled wall walks” or “take them to a wall in the park” etc. How sad that even toddlers aren’t allowed to go along enjoying things that pop up as they go along just incase erm erm .... sorry I can’t think of any good reason why they shouldn’t despite the ridiculous things people are saying on here. The child would have enjoyed a little walk with full support of the grandparent. And that’s it. The wall would not have collapsed. The owner of the wall would not have ended up on the receiving end of a lawsuit. I can not imagine the lives people lead who think these are likely scenarios. Chill the fuck out.

Public wall ok, private wall not ok

How’s a toddler supposed to tell the difference?

Yanbu I got rid of my wall for that reason . Oh yes a 2 year old walking what harm is that but then you've got the neighbours kids playing on the walk my driveway near my car . I've had people , adults sit there in the summer having a chat . In the end it got damaged so was fuming because how did I know who it was ? . I got rid and replaced with fence .

YANBU. I wouldn't let my DC walk on someone's garden wall (I would if it was a public wall). It's a helpful lesson in teaching DCs about respecting other peoples' property. Just because a child has a notion to do something doesn't mean they can or should be indulged in it no matter what. There are some walls appropriate for walking on, and some which are not.

This with bells on.

The sense of entitlement that abounds now is mind boggling to me tbh. I loved a good walk on a wall when I was little, facilitated by both parents and all grandparents, but never on people’s garden walls because that’s private property! In exactly the same as I was taught not to run up people’s drives just for fun, or across their lawns, or swing from the trees in their gardens!

I think you are being a bit mean

YANBU. I wouldn't let my DC walk on someone's garden wall (I would if it was a public wall). It's a helpful lesson in teaching DCs about respecting other peoples' property. Just because a child has a notion to do something doesn't mean they can or should be indulged in it no matter what. There are some walls appropriate for walking on, and some which are not

Agree.
Loads of walls for kids to climb on, doesn't have to be someone's private property.

YANBU. They could sue you if anything happened. and you are perfectly entitled to not want your rose bushes damaged.

You are perfectly entitled to ask somebody to not abuse your property. My neighbours kid badly injured her leg when she fell off her own patio wall.

DD used to love jumping on and off doorsteps when she was little, but I stopped her because it was private property.

Actually that grandparent taught her dgc How to be a rude as well as not showing her what was someone else's property.

I agree, I have always taught mine two that we can only walk on walks that are public property, not people's gardens. I think it is just rude!

“It reminds me of kids not being allowed to play conkers any more for H&S reasons sad”

You know that was a lie made up by the Daily Mail though right? Cookers are still played at lots of primary schools and my children do it every year, without (gasp) goggles.

For what it’s worth OP you were in the right. The same posters telling you to chill out would not accept people forever walking on their wall and damaging it over time.

Sorry last post posted on wrong board.

Don't blame you, 100% guarantee they would somehow blame you or child fell and put a claim in.
See it all the time in my job sadly.

I’m English and this wouldn’t bother me 👀

YANBU at all Op, the brazenness of people and their sense of entitlement never ceases to amaze me. A grandparent should know better than to let their child walk on someone’s property, so annoying.

Why do people think it's ok to walk on someone else's wall?

YANBU. I get it. I live in a small cul de sac and have a small front lawn that isn't enclosed. We try to keep it mowed and neat, and in the summers I have had to shout at groups of children, and sometimes teenagers, who run all over it and even sit down in the middle of it as if it's a public park, rolling around and playfighting all over it and making a terrible racket. No respect at all. So I get the annoyance at your private property boundaries not being respected. I'd be less concerned about a toddler though than unruly teenage gangs.

Yabu.... how mean and petty. I'd have declared you a miserable old woman aswell! It's a toddler being excited about a wall. They are hardly going to break it!

Don’t try to backtrack and make out that it was concern for the child - a 2or 3 yr old would have had grandma firmly grasping and ensuring that they didn’t fall - little children love to walk on walls and it does you no harm whatsoever, just a miserable mare.

Yogafairy

It's such a small thing. What has happened to people? How can this make you do anything but smile? It's a 2-3 year old that would be on your wall for the tiniest amount of time.
Totally agree

@tigger1001 because it’s a wall not your living room sofa?

YANBU. Not at all. Public wall, fine. Someone's private wall,not fine.

It really is that simple. My kids have both loved wall walking but never on someone else's garden wall.

So by the same token it's ok to go
Into their garden, after all it's a garden not a sofa. Maybe run up and down someone's driveway? If not why is that different?

Have a little respect for other people and their property.

You don't give a shit about the child hurting itself. You just didn't want them walking on your wall.
YABU.

YANBU-a close school friend slipped from a wall and speared herself on top of a metal garden post used to prop the roses up!!! She endured many operations and needed IVF as a result of the injuries. I realise this is a rare occurrence, but would someone really be able to a grab a 3yr old if they fell the other way on top of a 4ft wall? I'm 5ft 6, and would likely grab the legs, but no guarantee the face wouldn't be planted well within the rose thorns . Yes, kids love to climb things, but I too would have said no.