Problem with some kids in the neighborhood.?

Question

okay, so today i was going to get my oldest daughter from a weekend with her dad. when i went out the door, i had my two youngest ones (one under each arm). I noticed a hand written note stuck in my mail box. it was a child's handwritting and written in pencil and crayon, advertising yard services and house cleaning. well, i was running late and kinda in a hurry, trying to get the little ones into their car seats and all, and the kids who wrote the note came up to my mini-van and asked if they could do some work for me. i said, "not now honey, i'm pretty busy right now and my husband does our yard work..but maybe i will get you all to pick up some pine cones next time my husband mows the yard." they said "Okay, just call us and we will come over!" i said okay and they went away and i left the house and was gone for about 2 hours. well, when i got home, i was gettin the kids out of the van and they children who wrote the note came back and said "we raked half your yard and trimmed your bushes and we cut down those pokey things over on the side of the house...can you pay us 50 dollars?" i was standing there sweating and trying to get the kids inside, (while my 2 year old is squirming like a worm to get away from me....) and i said "well, thank you! but i didn't know you all were going to do anything today! my husband won't be home till 8, so i will look at what you guys did and i will come and give you something (no way in the world i was payin 50 bucks!)...but next time, wait till i ask you to do something for me and that would be better, okay??" they said okay and went away again. well, i decided to take a look at what they had done...oh...what they had done. my boxwood bushes are all cut to the ground, the trimmings left all over. those "pokey things" they were talking about were the rose bushes that my late mother planted for me the year she died...cut to the GROUND...i mean, nothing but a stick left poking up from the ground about 2 inches (they were full of roses). and they came into my house and "got a snack and used the bathroom" while they were here too!!!!!!! my back door was unlocked, as we live in a very nice neighborhood until now. i do not know these ppl, they just moved here about a month ago, and they don't seem to have a mother. the only adult there at the house is an uncle that seems to not really care anything about any of this. what can i do!!! should i call the police? they left stuff all over the yard and i am very upset about my mom's roses. what should i do about all this????

Answer 1

Calling the police is not necessary.  However, having a stern talk with the adult at their house is essential.  Let the guardian of these children know what they did and although you are more than willing to give them a few bucks for doing some yard work, they need to know that the yard work must be approved first and that a reasonable amount will be payed.  Not $50.  Then you need to let them know that the children came into your house without permission and helped themselves to food and drink while you were away.  Let them know that this is incredibly unacceptable and if it happens again, you will call the police and file a formal complaint.  That being said, don't ever leave your doors unlocked.  Even "nice neighborhoods" get broken into.  In fact, they are targets because the people think its safe to leave their doors unlocked, just like you did.

I'm sorry that your yard was all but destroyed, but since they are only young children, there's not really a whole lot that YOU can do about it.  Just tell the children that they are not allowed to do ANY yard work without supervision, but because they ruined some sentimental things, you won't be asking them to do anything anytime soon.  Also let them know that it is not OK for them to come in your house.  The guardian of the children needs to handle the rest of it.  Hopefully it will be taken care of.  Good luck.

Answer 2

Tell those kids to GTFO!

Call the cops and tell them about these kids so they don't mess with other ppl's yards.

Answer 3

i had kind of the same problem with a kid wanting to play at my house with me and my wife ( mind you I'm 28 she is 29) and he would bang on my door every day and leave my gate open which let me 125 german shepard out to chase ppl any ways all you have to do is ask them nicely to stay out of your yard or if they dont call cops trust me coming in your home isn't a good thing because next thing you know they will show the creepy uncle how to get in your home.