How do you stop neighbors from your front yard?

<p>Not to be grouchy, but not on Sunday mornings or in the evenings. We have a beautiful tree swing in the front yard. I love it when kids from the neighborhood use it. A family with young children moved in recently. The mom brings her three kids and their cat on Sunday mornings. Do I bring out a pot of coffee and entertain in my PJ’s? How do I calm down my dog who goes nuts at the sight of the cat?</p>

<p>^You go out and talk to them. Tell them you don’t mind them using the swing, but you’d appreciate it if they’d wait till later in the day as you don’t like being woken up by your dog. (And it probably wouldn’t hurt to go out in your bathrobe - they need to realize not everyone has kids who get them up at the crack of dawn.)</p>

<p>Hmm. I’m going to guess that you have told the kids it is okay to use the swing. Do you always go out when they are using it? I would not feel obligated to go out. I would not feel shy about asking the neighbor to leave the cat at home, though. Just tell them what you told us… that it makes the dog crazy, which isn’t much fun for the dog or you. And it could be dangerous for the cat if the dog ever accidentally got loose.</p>

<p>Or you could put up a nicely worded sign. “Swing open for use during the day, please do not use evenings or Sunday mornings”. But it would be nicer to talk to the neighbor in person ahead of time than have them find the new sign with their kids.</p>

<p>Not to be a killjoy… but make sure you have general liability insurance.</p>

<p>intparent, I was thinking the same thing - unfortunately, nowadays igloo should make sure that he/she has plenty of liability insurance.</p>

<p>You could time the sprinklers under it to come on about that time.</p>

<p>I was thinking the same thing too. You are much less risk adverse than my H. No way would he let neighbor children come and go and use a swing in our yard. I can easily think of 5 people I know who broke an arm falling from a swing. Do like the sprinkler idea though :)</p>

<p>You can’t have it both ways (maybe you can, but it would be difficult); you gave the neighborhood access to your front yard, but now you want to take it back only during certain times (your neighbors aren’t mind readers).</p>

<p>It sounds like you want to be altruisitc in letting others enjoy and share in what you have, but maybe it should only be when you invite them over.</p>

<p>Have you heard of “Good fences make good neighbors?”</p>

<p>We do have a liability insurance. It crossed my mind but… I’ll talk to the mom when she is alone.</p>

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<p>Nothing to do with altruistic. Kids from the neighborhood use it from time to time. No big deal. It was always very brief. I hardly notice it. The whole family coming over on a Sunday morning is different.</p>

<p>My little yappy dogs would love to chase a cat, can’t you let them out? “Oh I didn’t see you there!” I am not a cat lover and when the neighborhood’s wandering cats come into my yard, my dogs get some exercise. They are good for chasing deer away too. And little neighborhood kids…</p>

<p>Put a wet paint sign on it every Saturday night. ;)</p>

<p>Your yard, your swing, your ground rules. I see this as one where it will be extremely tough to “have it both ways”. From a liability standpoint, I would not allow it, but these are personal choices.</p>

<p>Sprinkler, Wet Paint. Oh, I don’t know. I’ll just talk to the mom. I guess I take the liability lightly compared with others.</p>

<p>I don’t get this “having it both ways”. I am not trying to earn a good neighbor reputation. Other kids have been using it. Always in the early afternoon. When we moved in with our toddler, our D was invited to use our neighbor’s play system. It never occurred to me I would take my D to the neighbor’s on a Sunday morning or in the evening.</p>

<p>Just have one “ooops” moment when the dog mysteriously got out, apologize profusely. You are still good neighbor, people just might think twice about bringing the cat next time.</p>

<p>I used to have the same problem. It resolved when a child had a life-threatening injury falling off the swing in a truly freak accident.</p>

<p>The child in question was my own and I was standing next to him. </p>

<p>I think you’re making a mistake in having it there, but I respect your wish to see other kids enjoy it.</p>

<p>Best to be straightforward whenever possible, so I like mathmom’s approach. Going over during the day is going to be less embarassing for her than showing up in your bathrobe, but if she doesn’t get the message, then yes, bathrobe and full-on cranky look. </p>

<p>If that doesn’t work, then the sprinkler/dog/wet paint ideas can be put into play. </p>

<p>I’ve gotta say, your neighbor is really socially clueless.</p>

<p>My parents had a great swing when our kids were younger. Long ropes to a limb in a big tree, a very looonnggg swing arc. My mom (about 75 at the time) was swinging on it one day and it fell. The rope had come undone at the top. Boom, on her tailbone. Miraculously she only had a bad bruise. That was the end of the swing :frowning: Our kids still talk about it fondly (the swing, not Grandma falling on her butt).</p>

<p>I bet one of the neighbors told this mom, “Oh, yeah, our kids use it all the time. They don’t mind!”. And if her kids are small, she probably doesn’t want them coming over alone (hence she comes with them). And probably can’t leave the other kids at home alone. Sigh. I guess if you really don’t want to use the liability point to keep them away altogether, I would just ask that they use it just during weekdays, and not on evenings or weekends.</p>

<p>Hmm, bathrobe, hair in curlers, put on a facial peel mask. Then go out and offer coffee :)</p>

<p>Ha…the swing doesn’t seem so bad compared to one I had when my kids were little. Neighbor would send her young boys over unannounced. They were 2 and 5ish. Never wearing any undies or pants, just shirts with everything dangling below. I finally told her they were jumping around off things (true) at my house and that I worried we might have an injury. Asked if they could wear undies at my house :slight_smile: lol.</p>

<p>LOL :wink:
I’m still chuckling!</p>

<p>Remove the seat and tie the rope to the tree trunk unless you are in the front yard using it.
Say you don’t want any children to get harmed using the swing unsupervised.</p>

<p>*You could time the sprinklers under it to come on about that time. *</p>

<p>I love it! LOL</p>

<p>I talked to the mom. I am not sure if she sees it. We’ll see. I may have to install sprinklers.:)</p>

<p>I do love to let kids use it. A looong swing arc as intparent’s swing. On a slope at that. It’s never been a problem until now.</p>