AIBU to say no to neighbours using my garden daily during heatwave?

[notanEverydayThing]

AIBU to say no to neighbours about dc playing in my garden every day this week?

I live in an end terrace house there’s a gate onto a small lane and then a block of flats , I know a couple of the families as the dc go to the same school. They have a small shared grass area behind the flats but it’s not totally enclosed and a bit over grown / messy.

Yesterday I had the paddling pool and splash thing out for my dc and invited the neighbours round . I’ve set it up again today and on the way home they asked can they come again and I said ‘not today sorry but maybe on Friday ?’ One of the mums said ‘but it’s boiling !’ I said I know but I wanted to just have a quiet afternoon/ evening and I have work tomorrow and Thu to which she said ‘so you won’t be there at all? Can we use the garden / pool on those days?’ I said no !!!! I feel she’s being rude! I said happy Friday for everyone to come over again after school but she tutted and walked off

I know it’s hot but I don’t want them here everyday and especially when I’m not home tomorrow and Thursday!!!

I remember a thread on here where someone let the neighbours kids play on toys and play equipment once. The writer went out and forgot to lock her side gate so the cfers went into her gardento play. Somehow the gate was locked by the writers son I think, and then the cfers were screaming they were locked in.
Shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Just saying don't start it then you don't have to say no thenext time.

Unfortunately you’ve just met Miss Give Me an Inch and I’ll Take a Mile. You now need to introduce her to Mrs Sucks to Be You.

I had 7 of my own to look after, that was enough to deal with😀Sometimes friends would come over but never when I had our 8 x 6 pool out. Wasn't prepared to risk it.
By the way they are all adults now so it's a moot point now.

It's the entitlement I wouldn't appreciate. This is your property and no-one should have access unless you are present and happy for them to be there. Unfortunately with some people if you give an inch they take a mile. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn up and use the pool when you aren't home.

Cheeky to ask when you are not there

if your dc like the children then the odd offer when really hot is nice if you are there

if you have a lawnmower offer it to them to clear and cut the area behind the flats

they prob don’t have the equipment

Exactly. My friend lived in the flat and looked after the large communal garden so she and her kids used it. After seeing how it could be used others also started looking after it with her. Of course there were some people who just used it and didn't take care of it but she didn't mind too much because she got the benefit of her efforts.

This made me genuinely laugh out loud.

Fuck me, no one can take a “no” can they.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

You know she's gonna turn up still when you're out right?

MN doesn't consider it to be kind to say no.🙄

I live near a couple of blocks of flats in a small villagy arra. Thr people in the flats with kids have done tbe gardening in their shared area and put up a paddling pool and thry have also already got a swing and trampoline on their grass. They could put some effort in for their kids and go and make their grass area nicer and stick a pool there. But obviously they can't be arsed and want to use your garden like a holiday park.

I hope you don't need it-you won't get it back.

No so people get their boundaries trampled over

OP- you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. She was rude. They can clear their own shared garden or go to a park! I wouldn't bother inviting them ever again TBH.
Get a lock on your gate and a CCTV camera! These are the type of people that will put a chair up against your fence and jump over- CF's.

How rude of her considering you’d kindly hosted them already this week. I wouldn’t be offering again. She’s got no manners

The second she tutted would have been the minute I told her she can’t come on Friday either. Cheeky cow.

No - give someone like this an inch and they’ll take
a mile. Wait to be asked. If you’re a CF, no one should offer anything. Rude and grabby.

These are my thoughts aswell.
Why can't a few of the parents tidy the space belonging to the flats, so that they can use that area.

Obviously, its just easier to be cheeky and ask you to allow them to use your garden.
I wouldn't allow people who feel entitled to use your garden.

I can't stop laughing at this 😂

But she has a garden - she just needs to clean it up.

When I was a kid, I was apparently 'posh' because my (coalminer) dad had fenced our section of garden out the back of the block of flats where we stayed. He kept ours tidy and also the garden of the elderly lady who lived in the flat diagonally opposite ours.

My dad's pal at the other end of the block kept his garden tidy. The other garden plots were one mass of weeds and we kept getting other kids wanting to come into our garden, because their parents couldn't be bothered to clean them up. Nope. Only my friends and only when I was already in the garden.

They certainly wouldn't have been allowed in when either of my parents was in there getting a bit of piece and quiet.

98% on the poll and the OP herself have all said no….

Apart from anything else, if something were to happen to one of her kids she might try to claim that you're liable.

FGS, all she has to do is strim the shared garden and plunk down a paddling pool. Unless she's disabled, she can surely manage that.

Over the last few years there have been a few threads from people in the exact same situation. I suggest that you put a strong lock on your gate.

It won’t just be the heatwave, it will be every time it is a bit sunny and she has a free activity to occupy her kids. I would lock the gate, install a camera, rescind any invites, practice saying no. She had to push her luck didn’t she?