Posting here, because honestly, I don't know where else to post this, and secondly, I find this forum one of the more friendly forums.
I have a couple of neighbor problems and cannot figure out how to tactfully handle each situation.
I have a neighbor directly across the street from me with two children that are no younger than 10. The younger one will come to my window and stare through it. He also used to go into my back yard before I put a different lock on the gate (including times I was not home, nor was any other adult).
He and my son used to play together, but when I let his parents know that he cannot go into my yard anymore without permission,especially my back yard, which has a koi pond, they basically don't allow him to play.
Now, I have a new issue with the family. Their daughter comes outside early in the morning (around 6:30-7), and will bark (I kid you not) with her dogs. She is almost 12. I would generally ignore this behavior, but with a baby, and it being hot, it is hard. Central AC is not justified where I live, we get maybe 4-6 weeks of HOT weather, something a window unit, fans, and open windows works just fine for. On top of this, she will bully my son freely if he his outside playing with neighborhood friends. She calls him names and hits him and if he so much as tells her to stop, she goes in crying to her mom, saying he hurt her feelings. I have witnessed this with my own eyes several times. She has also started to help herself to my flowers! I got a video of it, just in case it happens again, only because the way she picks them has injured a couple of the plants severely (she yanks up and it causes shear tears and root disturbance/tearing) and they are not cheap to replace.
Because her parents and I are not on friendly terms, what do you suggest I do? Write a letter? Knock on the door and hope they listen? I am always nice in the way I present things, and generally non-confrontational.
My other issue is with a neighbor who doesn't live near us, but lives near the neighborhood park. She walks her dogs through the neighborhood. Last time she was walking, she asked if my son and daughter frequent the park and I said yes. She then asked if they play with nerf guns. I again said yes, as do many of the neighborhood kids. She then proceeded to rip me a new one, saying that now her grandchildren cannot play at the park (which is NOT HOA, is PUBLIC, and HUGE, with many playscapes, as well as a forested area, where my kids play, look for frogs, garden snakes, etc) because my heathens may hurt them. Her words. She then went into a tirade about airsoft pellets (my kids are only allowed their airsofts at the gun range, but other kids play in the forest with theirs) and how she mows the park and her dogs eat them and plastic certainly cannot be safe for dogs (she has large dogs). I tried to explain to her that when my husband was deployed when my son was a baby, my son got into and ate some of his airsoft pellets. I later found them in his diaper. No hurt. They are tiny and plastic, and spherical, so no real danger unless a TINY critter ingests on. But she interrupted me right at "My husband was Navy active duty deployed and", with "So was mine, your point?" I wanted so bad to tell her that if she didn't interrupt, she would know my point, but I didn't have the gall. Now, every time she walks her dogs, she takes her grandson and makes snarky comments about "dangers" when she gets to my house. "Watch where you are walking, that trash can is on the sidewalk". No, it is on my driveway, where the sidewalk ends, and it is 10 minutes after the trash has been picked up. "Watch where you are going, she left lopping shears out". Umm, I am right beside them, picking up the rose canes, so that no one falls on them. "Watch out, the mulch is out of the bed". Yes, there are two pieces of bark on the sidewalk. My bad. Ugh. How do I deal with someone like this? She is hurting her grandson in the process and that makes it worse.
Sorry for the long post. I get along well with all of my other neighbors, but these two, unfortunately, I have unintentional daily interactions with. And thanks for letting me share my rant!
PS, feel free to move this thread if there is a better forum for this issue!
greentoe357
zzackey
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greentoe357
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greentoe357
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