Parents standing on my front lawn

[Twizbe]

Trying to decide if I say something to the Head so thought I'd ask here first.

I live next to a 2 form entry junior school. Our house is the last of 3 down a single track private dead end road. The end of the road is a gate for the school. Our property boundaries the school.

When we moved in this gate was just emergency access / gardener access for the school. No kids used this entrance.

After covid the school use this gate for year 6. Since the schools went back after Xmas we have 60 kids using this gate morning and evening.

A few times now I've seen parents stood on our lawn or in sunny weather sat on it.

Today I came home and this bloke was stood almost at our front door playing with the leaves on a young tree in the lawn (it's about waist height)

He just gave me a dirty look at I turned my car into my drive.

AIBU to ask the school to remind parents that this is private property and not a place to sit / stand.

Absolutely tell the school and I personally love the idea of the fox repellant things a pp mentioned.
We live next to a private nursery.
Parents parking over my drive entrance is annoying in itself but the front and the dirty looks they give me is by far more rage enducing.
"I was only here for a few mins, calm down" response is so thoroughly inconsiderate and vile.
I am tempted to paste those super sticky notices on their windscreens but I don't want to start a war and escalate it ...

Wtf. I'm shocked.

Near a local school here where's there's a newsagents, I see parents and children sat on someone's wall in front of their house. That makes me angry.

But to sit or stand in someone's garden do people have no respect or dignity anymore?

I would definitely raise it with the school. When you landscape, I would go for fence rather than wall as if it's a wall, they'll just sit on it!

@Candycane57

Definitely speak to the school first. You can get some cheap edging fence that spikes into the ground that may deter them. It's a shit situation but for less than a tenner could do the job. I lived next to a private primary school and had twatty parents park on my drive and sit on my front wall so I know your pain!

Some canes, pea netting and cable ties to fix the pea netting to the canes would be cheap & effective in the short term.

As I say @dodobookends, parents have very limited choice at the moment.

Playgrounds are often off limits which means there often isn't any other choice than to stand in drives, sit on walls or even hover in gardens on occasion at pick up and drop off.

Next time say "oh you want to be careful not to stand in the dog poo" it should put them right off!

@SpringTides5

As I say *@dodobookends*, parents have very limited choice at the moment.

Playgrounds are often off limits which means there often isn't any other choice than to stand in drives, sit on walls or even hover in gardens on occasion at pick up and drop off.

No. No no no no no. Being a parent picking your child up from school does not entitle you to usurp someone else's private property for your own convenience.

We’ve had a slightly similar situation. The back of the house borders a public footpath around the school. There is a small lane from the housing to this footpath. The school’s side gate is opposite the lane entrance and since schools reopened has been used as a collection point.

Unfortunately parents were queuing across the lane entrance and snaking so far as to cut off another footpath.

The school put a notice up on the gate telling parents to queue against the school railings so as to leave room for pedestrians trying to get through.

Before the sign went up I had the unfortunate experience of trying to manoeuvre through with a pushchair and my food shop. For some reason they thought I was trying to jump the queue rather than realising I was trying to turn down the lane to my house .

Companies who do humane fox treatments (ie scare them away, don't kill them) make excellent little motion-activated sprinklers. You don't know they are there then BAM, it looks like you have wet your trousers.

Highly recommend.

Nice high fence and an electric on wheels sliding gate? Expensive but would end all the stress.

Sprinklers on timers to come on for school run times would solve the problem

In no way are you being unreasonable.

@ArcheryAnnie

Companies who do humane fox treatments (ie scare them away, don't kill them) make excellent little motion-activated sprinklers. You don't know they are there then BAM, it looks like you have wet your trousers.

Highly recommend.

Fantastic, do this, if you could fill it with wee it would be even better.

Go out with some nice soapy water and ask them to clean your windows whilst they’re stood in your garden.

I would also advise being careful with what action you take. You'd be in court on a breach of the peace or assault charge if you follow some suggestions on this thread.

I suspect the school will also tell you to suck it up if you mention it to them. It's just so trivial and they have far more important things to deal with.

[quote Thiscantreallybehappening]**@feelslikeadream

Take photos on your phone and take them into the school. They can identify the parents/children and have a word with them about it. Just because you live near a school doesn't mean you have to tolerate that. Yes, you are bound to get traffic at pick up and drop off times and obviously some cf parents with parking but children running all over your garden causing damage, definitely not. These parents need to be called out. The school having a word with them would probably embarrass them and the will stop their totally unacceptable behaviour.[/quote]
I did contact the school, they mentioned they've told parents about it previously, and also said they'd put something in their newsletter... not too sure they'll listen but I made sure I'm in the front room every morning now so they can see me. I've got no problem with going back out if it happens again, this time I'll speak directly to the children and tell them to get off my driveway!

Definitely put up some fencing

You need a Crazy Daisy not a sprinkler.

And contact the Head/Govs before a ‘COVID’ measure becomes the norm.

Write /email the Head... they will email parents about this, they do not want to fall foul with local residents.

Just go out and start talking to them and ask them to sign a petition on some really dull local council issue and they will all scarper and avoid you like the plague!

I was trying to collect signatures at school once for a pedestrian crossing over a busy road - so more pupils could safely walk to school - amazing the number of people who would do anything to avoid you!

To be frank I would just suck it up. If you live next to a school, you just need to accept that there is going to be activity at pick up and drop off times.

Absolutely not sorry. Activity is milling about for a few minutes (no one should be loitering in groups long enough to chat for half an hour) whilst waiting for the staggered pickups. The OP does not need to suck up having them practically sunbathing in their lawn.

Plant a prickly security hedge...

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/shop/choosing-the-right-hedge/prickly-security-hedges/%3famp

Has anyone suggested penguin bollards yet?

The other day I came home (on foot) with my kids who are 2 and 4 just as they were letting out. I opened my car to get their scooters out / put the pram away and I got some dirty looks then as well.

I can't fathom this. Giving you a dirty look for being at your house?
Do you have any idea why they would do that?

Regarding making a scene - asking someone to get of your garden isn't going to make a scene, unless they are very, very strange people.

You also say in your OP that you wonder whether they head should remind parents...bla bla bla. Does this mean they have already been told that the lawn is private (it sounds darn obvious to me tbh)?

It all sounds very odd.

Smear the lawn with Super Glue.

I would put up a cheap bamboo fence over the BH until you get a permanent solution