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Originally Posted by brennan  We just moved to a very small town and we love it! We live in a town house that backs onto an acreage that is shared but we have a small yard that is our own, and has the only trees in it, but it is only fenced on 2 sides and only 6 feet out, and the rest is open to all the other town houses. We have a 17 month old dd, who loves to play outside so this seemed like the perfect solution! However, there are 2 sets of kids on either side of us, one family has 4 kids and the other 3 and they are constantly playing together, and always playing in our yard (as it is between the 2 homes). This town house has either been empty or with people without kids for a long time so this was never an issue, but I want my daughter to be able to go out and play. The other kids are much older 5-13 years, and like to dig up our trees (our precious trees!) and have made it very clear that my daughter is not allowed to play with them or in their yard, and yet they are constantly in my yard. We do have the option of putting up a fence that runs the whole property line, but I would kind of feel like a jerk if I did that.
The kids are also coming up to our sliding door and looking at our wii or toys or last night when we were watching a movie after dd went to sleep they came and stood at our door and watched it, which made me feel super uncomfortable! They are homeschooled so they are always around so we dont' really have any time when they're not playing (being that it is beautiful weather).
Any advice? The parents told them to stop coming to our back window, but they keep doing it, and I want to do stuff like hang a laundry line (like other town houses have done in this complex) but I think that they are just going to be touching my clothes and running in between them.
Thanks!
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I've always heard fences make the best neighbors...if you can afford to do the fence thing, the best time to do it is as soon as you move in--and then you can just say: well, we had a fence in our old yard/we plan to get a dog/etc., and folks won't think much of it.
We did that when we moved to our current home (the kids were tiny--one toddler, one newborn at the time) and we put up a fence right away because we have dogs. Our next door neighbor was furious because he didn't like the "look" of our home being the only one with a fence. Too bad. They moved a year later--and then we find out (only after they are gone) that the rest of the neighbors couldn't stand him because he had such strong opinions about everyone ELSE but never seemed to turn the microscope on himself.
Now, after six years and two additional sets of neighbors, we are the "old" family on the block and everyone assumes that the fence has always just "been there". I'm glad--with two dogs and two kids--I would prefer not to have to chain the dogs to a tree when they are out--or have to walk them every single time they have to use the potty. I know dogs are not your issue--but tearing up your trees? Darn, that just calls new fence to me!
