Neighborhood kids driving me nuts... (husband, children, adults, house)

[jrsydevil82]

My husband and I purchased our home back in June. We live on a cul de sac and our house is kind of angled so the side of the yard is kind of touching the street, as well as the front. I thought it was a good sign when moving in that the neighborhood kids would play basketball or hockey in the circle, since I figured it was a sign that it's a nice & safe neighborhood. Back in June, right after moving in, I noticed the kids would end up somehow in our back yard. I found this a little irritating, but I also was concerned because our dog does not like strangers, especially on his turf (he did bite someone once, luckily it was just a scratch). So, my husband kindly went out & told them they couldn't play on our yard, as our dog doesn't like kids.

For the majority of the summer they weren't out there, since I'm assuming they were in camp. So now they are back, and more annoying than ever. Last night I come home from work & they're all on their bikes, crowding the street & shouting over my car to each other as I passed. Oh well, boys will be boys. As my husband is cooking dinner, I look out the front window to find them playing kickball in the street, and just as I looked, what do you know the kid kicks the ball right into my house. They continued to kick it toward our yard, constantly running in the back yard to get it. I see them kick the ball into the siding of the house several times, & I see the ball hit my car at least twice. We finally had enough & my husband yelled at them, telling them this is not their property, & not to kick their ball at our house like that. They then left. Now I'm worried they are going to do something out of spite, like break windows or spray paint. I know I should not assume this, but if they are as obnoxious as they seem, who knows what they would do? I don't know all of their parents or where they live, either, so it's not like I can go talk to the parents. Once in a while their dads will be out there with them, so maybe we should call them over & talk to them about it? It's one thing for them to be in our yard, after we've warned them about our dog, but to be using my house as a 'stopper' for your ball...that's just bull. They don't even live on our street!

[timberline742]

Sounds like normal kids playing. Glad to hear they are outside and not on a computer!!

If it bothers you they are in your yard (I certainly understand this) put up a fence.

Be forewarned, even then a baseball/kickball/wiffleball is going to end up in your yard. Just wondering, were they not supposed to get their ball?

Part of suburban life, really.

[Lilac110]

If you don't want kids running into your back yard, put up a fence or some hedges that will prevent it. If you're worried about your car, put it in your garage. I've never seen a house on a cul-de-sac that didn't have a garage.

As for the rest, there is nothing you can do. You bought the house in part because you thought kids playing out front was a good sign. Now you see the flipside of that and want the whole neighborhood to change for you. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. It's one thing to be concerned about them possibly, just by accident, hitting a ball through your window--even though that is part of living in suburbia. We didn't live on a cul-de-sac and there were always kids playing street hockey out front. Yes, every now and then they'd have to come up onto the lawn to get the ball, and they even hit a few cars. No one threw a hissy fit. If they broke something, their parents paid for it. (And then the kids took pains to be more careful!)

It's another thing entirely to sit there and watch kids hit the house and car over and over and not say anything, then have your husband go running out there like a lunatic yelling at them. You should have just spoken to them the first time they hit the house or car, and if they kept it up, then you should speak to the parents.

[Heidi60]

We had neighbors who also thought the long cul de sac was their playground and not a public street. Eventually, the parents joined in the street gang mentality. It got so bad one night that when I arrived home from work, I realized I had forgotten to buy milk, so I need to back out of my driveway and leave again before I even got my car in the garage. Apparently, using the public street disturbed the adults so much that shortly after I came home with milk, the cops were knocking on my door claiming I attempted to run over their thugs. After I explained my own forgetfulness about the milk, and reminding the cops that it was a public street, they told the thugs to stay out of the public street.

Maybe some rose bushes would discourage intruders from entering your property. I think you may have discovered why the house was on market in the first place. Eventually, they will grow up and leave but in the mean time you are the target of their gang mentallity. Anyone who has had neighbors like that understand how stressful it can be to not be able to enjoy your own property. Maybe in the Spring you can put it on the market again as prices do seem to be increasing.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Lilac110

It's another thing entirely to sit there and watch kids hit the house and car over and over and not say anything, then have your husband go running out there like a lunatic yelling at them. You should have just spoken to them the first time they hit the house or car, and if they kept it up, then you should speak to the parents.

Exactly. Yelling at them was the worst thing you could do. Speak to them, don't bark at them.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Heidi60

We had neighbors who also thought the long cul de sac was their playground and not a public street.

I'm not sure where you live, but I lived on a cul de sac, we, and even kids that didn't live on one, used it for kicking the ball around and wiffleball. That is pretty normal, especially in suburbs with smaller yard lots, or it was. The cul de sac I grew up on and my mother lives in now has a basketball net set up on it that a neighbor put up. Yeah, public street. Nothing wrong with that. Its great neighbor kids are getting outside and playing!

[Mattie]

I live a the end of a cul-de-sac, although my house is set up high, and it is a favorite place for the kids to play. When mine were younger, it was a safe spot for them. Now mine are away at school, and new children have moved in. I am guessing OP, that you don't have kids yet, but may someday? And I'm guessing that your own offspring may want to bike and kick balls in the same place you now want to remain clear.

Make friends with the kids, and their parents. It will be well worth it in the long run. Take out some bottled water when they are playing, and ask them to move home plate so the balls are kicked away from your house. Buy the biggest candy bars and hand them out on Halloween. Buy cookies from the Girl Scouts if they come around. All this good karma will pay off in spades.

We have a huge hill, and a couple of years back had a very rare snowstorm. Some of the neighborhood kids came up to us as we were clearing the driveway, and asked if they could sled in our yard. We told them yes, but to go home and bring their parents back first. We really didn't want the liability of anyone getting hurt without parental supervision. Then we built a fire and heated up cocoa. It turned into an all day party that people still talk about today. And, when I see kids running through my flower beds down by the street, I'm likely to get a quick apology, not attitude.

[eggalegga]

I too live on a cul-de-sac. Two older children used to play catch with a softball...one standing in the street in front of my driveway, the other further down the street. When the one standing by my driveway would miss the catch, the softball would crash into my garage door--damaging it and making both me and my dog jump from the impact. I told them they needed to change the direction of the throw so that they were throwing and catching away from my garage door. Perhaps they should stand in front of their own property so that the ball could hit their cars or garage doors. Well, that didn't last. Two future times while playing catch, my next door neighbor (whose cars were parked in her driveway) told these older kids the same thing regarding the missed catches hitting either her cars or her garage doors too.

Also kids would create then LEAVE skateboard/bike ramps in the street. I understand play time so I cautiously would drive around the ramps while kids were playing. But after dark when they didn't remove the ramps, it became dangerous and perhaps damaging to my car if I hit the ramp.

I've had scooters, bicycles, balls, shoes, etc left in MY driveway. Bicycles & scooters would go in my garage until a parent came to claim them. The other stuff went in my trash. Why should I have to get out of my car to remove their crap from my driveway?

As a child I was taught to be responsible & respectful of my property and other people's. We were taught not to leave bikes on driveways, and to make sure our bikes were home in the backyard every night.

And before anyone labels me a "kid hater", I've driven some of these kids to work, to school, to visit their friends, to the store....I've attended band concerts, plays, football games....I've supported various fund raising projects at their school, taken them on walks when I walk my dog, attended their birthday parties, etc.

[Heidi60]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I'm not sure where you live, but I lived on a cul de sac, we, and even kids that didn't live on one, used it for kicking the ball around and wiffleball. That is pretty normal, especially in suburbs with smaller yard lots, or it was. The cul de sac I grew up on and my mother lives in now has a basketball net set up on it that a neighbor put up. Yeah, public street. Nothing wrong with that. Its great neighbor kids are getting outside and playing!

I was living in Phoenix when we had those rude neighbors. After a long day at work, it wasn't fun to come to their behavior but not backing down encouraged them finally move on, much to the relief of all the neighbors.

In our HOA, and most others, those basketball nets are strictly forbidden with good reason. It is difficult for a peaceful homeowner to get away from the endless noise and thugs they attract. Consideration should be a two way street. There are plenty of school yards to play in without intruding on other's peace and quiet.

[grumpyandfunny]

Originally Posted by Heidi60

We had neighbors who also thought the long cul de sac was their playground and not a public street. Eventually, the parents joined in the street gang mentality. It got so bad one night that when I arrived home from work, I realized I had forgotten to buy milk, so I need to back out of my driveway and leave again before I even got my car in the garage. Apparently, using the public street disturbed the adults so much that shortly after I came home with milk, the cops were knocking on my door claiming I attempted to run over their thugs. After I explained my own forgetfulness about the milk, and reminding the cops that it was a public street, they told the thugs to stay out of the public street.

Maybe some rose bushes would discourage intruders from entering your property. I think you may have discovered why the house was on market in the first place. Eventually, they will grow up and leave but in the mean time you are the target of their gang mentallity. Anyone who has had neighbors like that understand how stressful it can be to not be able to enjoy your own property. Maybe in the Spring you can put it on the market again as prices do seem to be increasing.

You are spot on!!!! Even if you politely ask, believe me, parents get offended at you asking that their children not throw things at your home, car, etc. as their children do NOT do those things! I use to babysit children for years and kids can be bullies, some of that comes from their home environment!

We have nasty neighbors next door, they let their kids throw anything and everything onto our property and we never said anything to the parents for a year. We got tired of picking up their toys, food, kitchen utensils, etc. that was thrown over the fence, mostly on purpose. I know why our house was put on the market!

Kids will be kids???? Since when did teaching kids manners and the respect for others property go out of the window? I get that kids throw toys/balls over into someone's else yard by accident and is not always an issue, but there are some whacked out people who could care less about your property. And you know what else I feel? If you do not have children, you are really targeted. I like kids despite not having any, so on the whole, I do not have an issue with peoples kids until they show their bullying side, then it is time to take lawful action.

If it becomes a problem, get a video camera and start taping these kids when they around your home getting into mischief. Protect yourself. And by law, you have to give back toys otherwise you can be cited! And the good news for us and it has taken 4 long years, we finally got the nasty neighbors and their kids to stop throwing all sorts of stuff in our yard (and it was done almost daily and not just one item, it was a slew of crap!)