Kids in communal gardens?

[WintryShowers]

If you live in a flat with a communal garden how are you policing (for want of a better word!) your DC and other DC who also use the garden and are used to playing together?

Round here they just let them out to play together (not my kids)

Not entirely certain if you mean you’re in a communal garden but don’t let your kids out, or you don’t have kids?

If I let my DC our when the garden is empty the others appear within a few minutes (mum working from home, her DC are younger so mine can “supervise” hers).

Send a message around suggesting a timetable for kids in the garden, as they aren't as able to socially distance.

Call yours in as soon as another family go out. It's annoying at first but the other family will get the message.

Could you ask the other mum if you can arrange a time for your kids to play out in the garden alone as your kids aren't supposed to play together? She might get the hint then!! or not...

It's fine, they're outside...

Get yours to come in everytime the other ones are out. Or make it difficult for the other mother by buzzing her everytime the little ones do anything wrong. If it is too inconvenient for her she will stop doing it.or you buzz asking her to supervise her children.,.or go out and tell her children to stay away from yours.

Basically she is doing it to get some peace. You and yours have to be more annoying than her kids.

Not a communal garden but there's a public footpath through our field and sometimes friends of my children's come through with their parents on dog walks. We usually spot them and chat to them at the gate if we're in the garden but the kids know they sadly can't get together. They are older though, 12 and 10 - it must be a nightmare trying to get younger ones to understand :-(

Get yours to come in everytime the other ones are out.
But that means my kids get 10 mins max in the garden which is hardly fair to make them come in as soon as they’re out.

Or make it difficult for the other mother by buzzing her everytime the little ones do anything wrong.
My DC don’t need/want supervision in the garden, I just check on them every 10 mins or so and leave a window open so I can hear them.

But you have to work through a few days annoyance to get to the bit where she changes her behaviour.

And that means calling them in- unless you can trust them to come in on their own- every time.

How old are yours and hers?

Basically, you can't tell her what to do. You can only manage your own children. If you don't want them to mix, you bring them in. Or organise a timetable. Or tell the other mother yours aren't staying out if hers come out.

You've got to ride the inconvenience for a few days while you establish a new system.

How is it any different to kids playing at a playground. In fact prob more of a risk at a playground due to touching equipment?
Wouldn't bother me too much really.

7&4 vs 11&8

Let them play. Life is crap enough for kids as it is at the moment. They're outside. How old are yours? If they're old enough to be outside unsupervised, presumably they're old enough not to be licking one another. I'm sure they'll be fine.

11 & 8 - definitely old enough to be able the "social distancing". I wouldn't stress it.

Get your kids to buzz her, not you. Enough to make her not to keep sending them out. Her kids are not your kids responsibility. Or get you kids to shout at them to go away. Or fucking report her if the four year old playing out is dangerous.

I’d just let them play out in the garden and remind mine no touching/keep a distance.

I wouldn’t worry about it personally. Obviously it is different to going to a public park etc, because these kids know one another and so are more inclined to interact. Unfortunately you either have to be fine with it or don’t let your kids play there.

I would keep them in if others are out as you aren’t supposed to be mixing or take them elsewhere to play with no one around.