Is this person a CF or AIBU?

[NewJobNervousNelly]

I have a tree in my front garden that we have put a small swing in for DD6. My garden doesn't have a fence around it but it's quite clearly a private garden. Last week I WFH all week and my dog was going crazy Monday so I went downstairs and there was a woman pushing a child of about 3 on the swing - there's only 10 houses on our close and she definitely wasn't a neighbour but I thought she may have been visiting a neighbor so just left it. This then happened again on Tuesday and Wednesday but both times I was on a call so I couldnt go out but she saw me at the window on Tuesday and just smiled and carried on. I mentioned it to a neighbor and he said she comes in most days, walks in, plays on the swing and then walks back out of the close.

Is this woman a CF or AIBU asking her to sod off? It's not really doing any harm, other than setting my dog off barking but I just find it bizarre behaviour.

That person has given tacit permission by drawing the race track, though , @Freefall212 - which is a bit different.

There was no track the first few days - the kid just came up thte driveway and the owner decided it was okay to have the kid on the driveway and he woul dhave fun with him and make a track.

In both cases, you have a kid uninvited on your property and you have two directions to go with that as per responses in this thread - a) get off my lawn or b) its harmless fun as in the video.

And this instance is more complicated because other kids are allowed on the swing who don't live there. The mother could have seen that and made assumptions or a neighbour told her it was okay.

I had similar.
front garden has various animal ornaments, that kids love. I live on a street with a primary school and it’s sweet to see the kids looking and pointing. The parents keep their DC on the pavement, and tell them to look but not touch.

except this one woman, who thought it was fine to let her kid come into the garden, pick up all the various animals and line them on the wall, while she watched proudly.

She couldn’t understand why I didn’t want her kid in my garden, messing with my stuff.

she is the only parent in 10 years who has let her kid do whatever he wanted in a private garden. Everyone else respects it.

there are always CFs.

It’s your private garden and she should not be using it. Next time you see her, go out and approach her. Tell her it’s private and you don’t want her on it. So much of this entitlement creeping out every where. Nip it in the bud now before the whole family turn up for a picnic!

Indeed he did - it was his right to make that choice, @Freefall212. It doesn’t mean @NewJobNervousNelly has to make the same choice, or that it is wrong not to want random strangers making use of her play equipment.

I never said it did. People were posting as though it was very odd or strange to let someone on your property - who are these people type comments so I posted an example to show it does happen and not everyone is bothered by a child on their open property. Op can do whatever she wants with her property.

I think it is fairly unusual, @Freefall212 - maybe that’s why this video has gone viral - if lots of people were doing something similar, it wouldn’t be such a surprising video.

Good grief. Let it go. No idea why you are like a dog with a bone about this. People are different. Deal with it.

My apologies - I thought it was a discussion.

Yes a little odd but I don't think I could get too upset from a young child enjoying a swing in my front garden every now and then with their Mum. They'll soon grow out of it.

I did get a surprise one day when I noticed a women having a lovely time taking selfies in my front garden enjoying the Instagram worthy spring blooms as her backdrop.

You could get a swing lock, they used to do this in Northern Ireland on Sundays.

Hilarious that they've deleted my message quoting you being abusive but not the original 😂😂

Yes, actually I'm part of a local scheme which means people regularly go in my back garden to collect things. One is a young mum and her kid likes to explore the garden a bit. I see them sometimes from the kitchen window. It's nice to see them play.

If it was an open front garden I'd care even less.

Being part of a local scheme is not the same as complete strangers coming into your garden without any agreement from you, to play with your stuff.

I agree that the sound of kids playing is lovely, and a little kid is just going to see a swing.
But -
If you invite kids in to play, then great.
If they just wander in, then no. Kids need to learn boundaries. Adults really should have them! 'This is a nice swing but we can't use it unless the gentleman/lady comes out and says it's okay' is what I hope to be hearing from a passing parent with child.
You shouldn't have to put up signs and fences!

Not really. No one gave anyone permission to go around the garden. But no one would begrudge that either.

As I said before, with the front garden I would have no problem with a mum and kid using a swing there.

You'd be pissed off if a neighbour used their front garden for a swing? Why? Is there a front garden etiquette? I think it's more or less entirely up to the home owner what they use their front garden for isn't it? (Obvs as long as its something you'd normally do in a garden!!)

What difference does it make if they are not from the close if you are fine with any of the children from the close or any of their visitors on it anyway? The same applies to them if they have an accident. I would think most people wouldn’t blame you if there was an accident.
Also, the sprinkler idea is terrible. Some poor innocent kid that was expecting a nice time on a swing would get drenched instead.

I think people are against an adult trespassing on private property so her child can use someone else's swing

I too wonder about these things

So joyless

Not at all, I get plenty of joy enjoying facilities that are designated for public and don't require trespassing