Neighbours kids keep looking over our fence

[lilybit2025]

As the title suggests. Young girl around 5-6 keeps looking over at our fence. Did it a handful of times yesterday until I turned around and said 'hello can I help you?' And she's doing it again today. It sets our dog off and drives her insane yet she still does it.
I find it incredibly intrusive and I don't know if our neighbours know she's doing it and she's only a child but we do not have children and aren't particularly fond of them either.

Ive found this thread a bit disturbing - multiple posters “joking” about potentially hurting this little child with nails, spikes, barbed wire, spiky plants etc.

Can you imagine telling your annoying boss to “go away” or saying “piss off” to someone on a bus who won’t stop trying to make small talk? Or what about soaking an elderly person who keeps pestering you in a cafe - it’s ok as they “won’t shrink” according to a PP. Of course you wouldn’t - yet it’s apparently ok to do these things to a 5 year old.

Considering this is a parenting website, lots of MNetters don’t seem to like children very much, as this thread shows; or are parents being keyboard warriors, expressing frustrations about being a parent which they cannot say out loud? I don’t think it’s yet appeared on this thread, but on Mumsnet, children are regularly described as “little shits”.

Children need to be taught about what is acceptable, and what isn’t. I remember I used to do leafleting with my parents aged 5, and was taught not to look through letterboxes, or windows. Now, I don’t mind curious children looking into my garden so much, but I might ask them to stop talking to me, if they kept doing it.

If you don’t have children and don’t like children. Why on earth are you on Mumsnet? This feels really Clickbaity.

At six years old, children are not idiots. Explain to her that when her head pops over the fence, it scares the dog. Be kind and say that you’re sure she doesn’t mean to upset the dog, but could she stop popping her head over the fence. Follow that up with knocking on their door and letting them know that you had that conversation with their daughter. Frame it that you genuinely hope it didn’t upset her at all but you want to keep your dog quiet for everyone’s benefit.

If your dog is not a rip-your-face-off-killer, it might be nice to offer to let the child talk to your dog and stroke your dog on occasion.

It really isn't clickbaity, and people without kids are on MN because not all of MN is about parenting. 🙄 Have you not been on MN long?

If you don’t have children and don’t like children. Why on earth are you on Mumsnet? This feels really Clickbaity.

And I suppose posting this for approximately the 93rd time on the thread isn’t clickbaity?

I think the OP making the point that she didn't like children made the thread click bait.

Well if that was her intention, it worked, didn’t it? Every woman and her dog have leapt on the thread to question it.

Crazy idea I know, but have you tried simply asking her not to do it as it makes the dog bark 'because she's protecting us' (slight threat thrown in there too)?

If she's not got a dog she's probably got no idea she's annoying yours, or how that impacts on you.

Then just be really boring and ignore her. She'll soon get bored and stop. If you react by telling her to piss off, etc, you're just making it more fun!

Also re the 4am gym noise- does he even know it's disturbing you? People aren't mind readers.

As a kid, I was told off by the neighbours for 'looking over their fence'. I wasn't, I was just sitting on top of my climbing frame, but they made such a fuss I made a point of doing it more (if you're going to blame me, i might as well do the thing you're accusing me of, was the logic). If they had simply asked us politely to stop, and explained that it was invading their privacy, I'd have been mortified and stopped. There was definitely an element of 'winding up the grumpy neighbours fun'.

Potter naked in the garden. When she tells her parents they'll have to tell her to stop looking over. It's your garden after all, private property and they can't do a thing about it except stop her looking over :) or when you see her next looking over, let out a blood curdling scream. It's scare her hopefully enough 🤣

Yep it worked.

Why are you on mumsnet if you don’t like or have kids?

Is that you Meghan?

Mumsnet isn't a hive mind fan club of all kids!

Some kids misbehave, some are absolute little shits.

Shock for you - I don't even have any kids 🙄

Just because someone may have kids themselves doesn’t mean they like all and any random kids they happen to pass in the street (or that pop their heads over their fence, as the case may be).
What a strange viewpoint.

I couldn't edit my post to add - I'm on MN because it covers a great many topics that have fuck all to do with kids.

HTH

I was once a kid. I have a mum. Surely I qualify?

Absolutely, scary

Im sure your yapping dog is much more annoying to them

If the kid stops staring over the fence, the dog stops yapping.

The fault lies with the parents from every angle.

And now somebody on this thread has referred to children as “little shits”. Mumsnet bingo.

I'm curious: what brings you to Mumsnet?

Small children are often curious, thing is as adults we don’t like this invasion of privacy.

id plant something, if you plant bamboo check Google for the right type and ONLY plant in a pot with no holes as can get invasive. That or laurel or red Robin etc, but these are a little thicker. Or, you can get rollout bamboo panels etc, just make it higher than your fence and explain to your neighbour why you are having to do it.

Why are you on mumsnet if you don’t like or have children?

Haven't you read any of the answers on the thread?

Have you considered reading the existing replies? Or one of the countless threads on this topic?