It's not just about the patio!?

Question

I told the neighbors to tell their kids to stay off my patio. All the yards are not fenced. The kids run back and forth and play with my kids. No big deal. Until they started coming into my house while I was doing university (full time from my house). They would come to pet my dogs without asking. I would hang my clothes on the line and a kid starts talking and shouting up to me. One hour, the one girl came to the door 3 times, once to tell me that my dogs want in. One morning I woke up to kids running on my patio (and my kids were still in bed sleeping in). The one girl that won't listen to me fights with my daughter and took her private journal. They all seem to have nice families and my daughter is at their yard all the time too. But they are in summer houses... I am here all year. Getting my degree full time from home. Staying home with my baby. I am a person that needs quiet and order to feel connected with myself. I was feeling very invaded and I hated it.

Answer 1

You did great.  Do it again if you have to.  I would.

Answer 2

No, you weren't wrong, but---to a point---I bet your kids will be treated differently by these neighbor kids, now.

Answer 3

its ashame how some ppl take things to an extreme. you just wanted to get your privacy back now they aren't coming over at all. well I don't think you did one thing wrong except mabe put up with it for too long. Todays kids dont  have the manners they use to have. They will run over you if you dont put your foot down and thats what you did. if it bothers you about your kids and them not coming over any more let your kids go over there.

Answer 4

I didn't realize that you had been telling the kids quite a few times. You did the right thing by going to mom. You may need to go back to her. It's your house and your rules. Maybe just tell them that they can't come over anymore unless they are invited.

I think some kids need the rules to be simple.

Don't come over unless you call or are invited.

Answer 5

no you didnt do wrong.. those kids were heathens.. they should have listened to you when you told them to stay off but instead you had to tell their parents.. i completely understand. we have a family that lives on our street and the grandparents are on one side of me and the kids are on the other.. and they are always walking through my yard going back and forth.. and they have 4 kids .. there is like a trail in my front yard bc they do it so much. i would say something.. but i just cant. i dont have enough guts.. ha.