Terrorized by neighbors

[sweetpea]

I think me and Gracie are being terrorized by neighbor kids. I take Princess out back, let her enjoy her water fountain which she likes to sit there watching out for a neighbors yard, or she'll lay in the roses. She loves it out there. I then take Gracie out front which is her favorite spot to be. Since we live on a corner lot Gracie is able to see all 4 directions. So I'll take some of my school stuff and sit outside with the girls. Well lately everytime I go outside, here come the neighbor kids to ride their bikes up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. I can't help but wonder what is wrong with their own sidewalk across the street but I dont make a big deal of it. I don't own the sidewalk.

It gets Gracie worked up. She acts like she's confused by their being here and now 2 other neighbor kids who live across the street have decided my sidewalk is better than theirs. So I end up with 4 to 5 kids out here with bikes and stuff, up and down from one end of my house to the other. Poor Gracie starts getting nervous and the kids will run past her yelling "DOGGIE!" I end up having to take Gracie in. Today, it was quiet outside so I took the girls outside. One neighbor kid seen me and here they all came. Up and down, running and screaming. Gracie getting nervous about it, I couldn't do my homework I was working on. So I finally decided if I dont just go in my temper is going to expose itself and I will become witchy so I take Gracie and Princess and we go back in. We wasn't in the house 2 minutes when the kids decided to go back across the street to play in their own yard.

I'm trying real hard not to be a witch about this. But dang, this isnt fair to Gracie. We've lived here for over a year knowing any day of the week we could go sit outside and enjoy our time out there. Now this family of terror moves in across the street and I feel like a prisoner in my home. A untrained pitbull and what appears to be a couple of untrained kids! I think I'm going to lose it with them. I wouldn't get so so worked up over it if they didnt have a sidewalk or if they didn't feel like they have to do it everytime they see us go outside.
I'm just venting here. I think we will just have to start hanging out in the back yard and hope they don't see us!

[Auddymay]

Time to break out some honky tonk, C&W music for the kids to listen to, whilst they skate and be a nusance in front of you...sing along, if it moves you, loud and proud...lol.

[KathrynH]

Maybe you could try and introduce the kids to her and Princess? They could just be curious about the two beautiful chows across the street, and that's the only way they know how to get close?

[sweetpea]

Time to break out some honky tonk, C&W music for the kids to listen to, whilst they skate and be a nusance in front of you...sing along, if it moves you, loud and proud...lol.

When we had our shop we had a kid working for us, my husband use to turn his Jimmy Buffet up loud to work to it or other music. This kid was into that heavy metal stuff. One day the kid said "IF I HAVE TO LISTEN TO PUT THE LIME IN THE COCONUT ONE MORE TIME....!" I still laugh about that.
As for the kids meeting Gracie, they have. The problem is I've been nice to them (and will continue to be), and I really dont care that they play out here. Gracie likes one of the little girls. Whines everytime she sees her. But of the 4 kids, the one is the only one Gracie wants anything to do with. But put several kids together with their mothers off to work and no adult supervision (just the big sisters babysitting) the kids at times tend to get rotten. Those are the days that really bring out the irish in me. Charging Gracie and making her a nervous wreck. That and they ride this scooter close to her which scares her. She's ok with the bikes but she thinks there is something dangerous about those scooters. Oh well, I'm not so aggravated anymore. Thanks for letting me complain.

[KathrynH]

I don't know how it is in Il, but here the sidewalk is still our property, so you have every right to tell them to stop, even if it wasn't your property, if they are charging her that's not right. Oh well...kids can be such terrors, you might ask them to stop and next thing you know your house is egged or TP'd I'm sorry you are having problems!

[CoraP.]

Bad neighbors can really make life miserable! I hope the novelty wears off and the kids stay on their own side of the sidewalk. Maybe when school starts back up they will be too busy.

[Theo]

We go through the same thing....everyday!

Every time we put Titus out to do "his business" all the neighborhood kids run up and "hang out"!
He is so easily distracted, so we have finally have had to tell them, "we're trying to get him to go to the bathroom, and he won't go while you're all here!"

My husband came in last night after putting TItus out. He said the minute he put him out, they all ran up to say "HI".
They are sweet, and Titus loves them...but they just don't get it!
I

[fillyok]

How frustrating. It sounds like these kids are starved for attention and think the only way they get it is from another adult. Maybe you could get the little one that Gracie likes and take her aside to tell her how upset Gracie and Princess get with the children charging them and making noise. Make her be the bad guy. If she thinks she has some sort of "authority" over Gracie (being on the inside with Gracie's mom) she might take charge of the group of hooligans and tell them to beat it. Bad neighbors suck.

[Desi]

Thumbtacks on the sidewalk?
Water the roses when they run past" oops,sorry,didn't expect you there "
Call the police and ask about your rights too.

[Jeff&Peks]

Put some curlers in your hair, put on an apron, Heavy red lip stick then chase the kids down the street with a broom, that look always makes for a lasting impression, I know it worked on me and my friends when I was a Kid "don't go by the crazy ladies house"

Are the kids actually bothering the chows or just making noise and riding around? We have kids like that Pekoe just got use to them and ignores them now but they weren't deliberately bothering her just riding past her.

[sweetpea]

The way our front yard is we have little grass before it meets the sidewalk. Gracie is able to lay on the sidewalk if she wants or normally she'll lay next to it. When its just the two kids across the street I have no complaints. They just ride the bike up and down the sidewalk from my driveway back to the stop sign. Gracie will just lay in the yard and watch them. Once in awhile they might come and ask if they can try to pet Gracie. But when they are with friends or with the other kids across the street its different (normal for groups of kids). Today they decided the sidewalk from my driveway to the stop sign wasnt enough they had to go down the sidewalk where Gracie wanted to lay or walk around on. She'd be on the edge and they'd ride a bike or the scooter past her and at times at her, or run at her which was scaring her. Poor Gracie was really getting worked up over it. The kids were just being rotten kids today. You should see my yard now. I have a bunch of soda cans and empty water bottles and paper they just tossed in the yard.
Funny thing is when their mothers are home they arent allowed to cross this busy street to play here. They have to play on their own sidewalks, in their own yards or in each others yards. Well, tomorrow if the kids come back over I'm going to start with them cleaning up their mess out of my yard and with my telling them I don't mind them playing here as long as they don't trash the place or terrorize Gracie. They might as well learn some manners right?

[vicster605]

Ya know Sweetpea, if they aren't allowed to cross the street when their parents are home then I'm sure their parents DON'T KNOW they are crossing the busy street when they are at work......I would try and talk to the parents out of concern for the kids safety. Since the mother is so hard to deal with maybe send them a letter in the mail. (Just thought I would bring this to your attention out of concern for your children.)

[Laura]

You are all so much nicer then me .
Good news is the little darlings will be back in school pretty soon...at least down here they will be.
I would say something though about the running at and riding at Gracie. I would even do it nicely the first time...'please don't do that..you're scaring Gracie'. If that doesn't work then the tone would change. They know they are being brats so they won't be shocked if they get called on it.

[TJordan]

I don't have this problem as all the kids on my block are scared of the Butters. They know him and admire him from a distance. Perhaps I could send him to you, that would fix' em.!!!

Kids, much like our chows will keep trying you to see how far they can push. You are correct in making them clean up their mess, perhaps when they learn you are not a push over they will go home!!

[sweetpea]

Well this morning I looked out the window and seen the two girls (the ones with the pitbull) on the sidewalk playing so I decided to go tell them they had to clean up the mess. The youngest is 6 and the oldest is 11. I was nice, just told them they needed to clean the mess up and that if they are going to play here they cant toss their trash in the yard. The oldest said the other neighbor kids did it. I told her that maybe then the solution would be don't play with them in my yard then. So they picked up the trash and then went home.
My daughter is here from WI who then said I was mean to do that. She said she feels sorry for them because their mother is wicked and spends no real time with them. I don't think I was out of line by having them clean it up. I told her they just need a lesson in manners, its rude to trash someone's yard. The next person may not be as nice as me. Oh and this morning when Gracie looked out to see them on the sidewalk by our house she didn't whine like she usually does, she barked! She's come a long way with kids and people, I'll be pretty upset with all of those kids if their behavior yesterday causes her to be scared crapless of kids and people.

[fatima]

Sweetpea you are too nice!!
If that would've been me I would've knocked on all there doors and spoken to there parents, and if it was a big brother or sister watching them, then I would've told them to watch there siblings or you'll tell there parents. It's not fair your dogs have to suffer because these kids want to act up. I had a little girl that visits some family members a couple doors down. When she comes over she walks behind our house back and forth looking inside our house. Bear goes nuts, he starts barking. My hubby and I got tired of it so I opened the door and told her to go away! She got scared and left. It's real simple... I know your not trying to be mean to the kids but sometimes you have to be stern and voiceful with them.

[Jeff&Peks]

I don't have this problem as all the kids on my block are scared of the Butters. They know him and admire him from a distance. Perhaps I could send him to you, that would fix' em.!!!

Thats the way the kids and adults are in my neighborhood with Pekoe they all know you admire from a distance no touching. When ever I would walk Pekoe and Onyx everyone would ask "is that the mean Chow or the Nice Chow" no one ever knew which Chow was which so the rule was if the Chow is walking behind me, Pekoe, no touch, if the Chow is walking in front of me, Onyx, Pet all you want don't even ask.

[fillyok]

I think you handled it well. If you're too mean then you risk having more issues than when this started. I'm always very nice to my neighbors (even when they mow a strip of my lawn without me knowing it and it burns ). Since I have a doggie door, I must be careful because vengeful neighbors could throw something bad over my fence so my pack will eat it and get sick or worse. I hardly ever give anyone the benefit of the doubt...too many wackos in the world.

[TJordan]

I don't think it was mean at all. In fact they may start to respect you because you actually care about something. If their mother really is sort of absent then they probably need a nudge in the right direction. I would have said "get your little a$$ over here and pick this crap up" LOL So I would have been much meaner.

[Desi]

The junk would be in their yard the next day,along with a load of mine!
A couple of weeks ago there was an enormous bright red plastic ball on my property,and Cheyenne was scared $#itless,so after she went inside I got the ball and kept it in my garage to see if the neighbors kids would come ask for it.
They didn't,so two weeks later it was in the trash.
They know very well my property is off limits.If the neighbor has a bunch of kids over and they're too loud too long(I honestly do NOT think it's normal for kids to be loud enough for us to hear them in our house,espcially since we all have an acre and the houses are not that close together.Blame it on my being raised in a country that has 16 million people in an area that's 1/4 of the size of Florida,you teach your kids not to scream outside) I'll just let the dogs out.They usually scare half the kids there enough for them to want to go play inside.Yes,they're behind a fence
The teenagers 3 houses down get loud sometimes.Don't get me wrong,they all come to my house often ,but if they get too loud I'll tell them to put a sock in it.
Doesn't mean they can't stay for dinner later,I just tell it the way it is.
Neighbor with the noisy kids let her dog run loose once too often,we kindly informed her this 5th warning was the last one,next time her warning would be coming from animal control,along with a hefty fine.
Dog is walked on a leash now.Some people just need some education,teach the ignorant

[sweetpea]

Well we got to spend 2 hours outside without any neighbor kids coming over. Gracie got to eat bugs, sunbathe, walk by the sidewalk, watch people walk by and I got to read an entire long, boring chapter and Princess got to sit by her water pump and lay in her roses. The neighbor kids all stayed on their side of the street. Maybe they decided it isnt worth being on my side if they have to clean up after themselves. One can only hope.

[MickChick]

I think you did them a favor by making them clean up after themselves and be responsible for their actions. Sounds like it's a lesson they aren't learning at home. If it means they'd rather stay home then come on your side of the street, better yet!

Cecelia