Advice: How can I ask my neighbour to stop her children and their friends from kicking a football?

Question

into my garden. I have a very large pond which we've just emptied and currently filling in.

I'm not always around but I have on the odd occasion found the children clambering over this area to retrieve their football. I'm just concerned that one of these children will hurt themselves on the rubble. It was a very large pond so it is a large area I'm talking about here.

There is a six foot high fence which separates the two houses so they must be either climbing over it or coming in through the side entrance. Huge garden so I cannot keep and eye on them all the time.

I live in a secluded place but there seems to be loads of kids. Where do they all come from I wonder. I'm home alone all week and feel that if I start telling them not to do this they will do it all the more.

I do not want to stop the kids from enjoying themselves.

Answer 1

Kids will be kids....we were all kids once.  I'm sure that they don't see any harm or wrong in what they are doing.  However, they are trespassing, and have no right to just clamber over etc without asking first.  You should talk to their parents, who, I hope, will ask them to ring your doorbell within acceptable hours.  It will go a long way in teaching them politeness, respect for others, and their own limits.  This will stand them in good stead for the future.  It did for me.

If the situation doesn't improve, then you could inform the police......although...

Isn't there a park nearby where they could play?

Answer 2

Ask the neighbour to ask her children to ring the doorbell.

Answer 3

Talk to the parents about this and tell them the children are not allowed to retrieve the ball if it goes into your yard. They will need to wait until you are home and ask you for it.

The parents should invest in some additional balls so the kids can keep playing while waiting for you to come home. After they lose a couple of balls they will either be more careful or find something else to do.

If my kids knock a ball into our neighbor's yard that is fenced they know they are not  allowed to go in after it without asking permission. It's just rude to run into someone's private, fenced yard.  

How old are these kids?They should be old enough to understand this rule---my five year old does!

PS I would lock the gate!

Answer 4

A tough one, honestly, alert the parents next door to what is going on, ask them to stop it, and have them play somewhere else. Tell them that you are worried someone is going to get hurt, and that is why you are filling it in. Go through all the motions to protect yourself from any injury, as a matter of fact, I am not sure of the side entrance, but my guess its you entrance to the backyard from the front yard. Close and lock the gate. Its just more you are doing to protect the area from children, especially while under repair. I know that the law here requires if you have a pool you have to have a latching gate, and a fence all around the pool. If the ball goes in the backyard, have them get you to get it. Tell the parents next door the same thing.

So, my assumptions is you have some similar laws. Just warn the kids, warn the parents, and cover all the bases, so if something, hopefully not, happens, you did everything you could. If something does happen be prepared for the lawsuit. It seems to me that there are many other places for the kids to enjoy themselves.

Answer 5

you just ask and explain about the pond   and tell them it is rude to climb people fences and they will just have to wait until you get home to have there ball back  Id sit down with the mum over a cup of tea and say that you know they are just enjoying themselves.. people never used to be scared of telling kids when they were being rude .

Answer 6

Burst their balls, or put netting above your fence or a barrier around the pond

Answer 7

you could try saying the words "Please ask your children to kick the football away from my yard".