As parents, we often find ourselves having to teach our children that some areas aren't safe or suitable for them to play in - that includes places where they might get hurt, such as roads, and private places such as their neighbour's garden.
But one woman has claimed her neighbours have failed to stop their 13-year-old son from crossing the boundary onto her property to play on her driveway and said it almost ended in "disaster" recently when she nearly ran him over when trying to park her car.
She explained there are bushes that run along the boundary between the two houses, and when she was coming home one night, the teenager darted out from the bushes in front of her car as she pulled into her driveway. The woman also said she has tried telling the child to stay on his property herself, and has even spoken to the boy's mum - but to no avail.
In a post on Reddit, she said: "I've told the kid numerous times to stay on his property, as well as discussing it with his mother. Now, some people might not see that as a big deal. But one night when I pulled into my driveway, the kid almost ran into my vehicle, when he darted from behind the bushes on the corner of his house. These bushes are smashed up by my driveway, so it's literally impossible to see him until it's too late. Had I been going two miles an hour faster, it would've been a disaster.
"The kid is 13 years old, they have their own driveway. There is no need to use mine. So I truly don't know why he continues to do this. We put up a private driveway sign, and he would mark it every day, and eventually that private driveway sign disappeared. Not saying he did it, but he was the only person seen on my Ring camera that was near it around the time it disappeared one evening.
"We had our property surveyed almost a month ago now, the property stakes are up, and fence people have come by with estimates. We are now waiting for the fence supplies to be shipped and installed. You would think all of this would keep the kid off our driveway, or his parents further tell him to stay off. But nope!!!! He continues to ride his bicycle up and down my driveway.
"Now he has a friend who looks about eight years old, also using my driveway. I am not even sure the fence will keep them off, he probably will go around the fence. The fence is going to just be between the two properties. He just doesn't grasp the fact that we want him to stay in his own yard/use his driveway."
The woman said she believes her neighbour's "entitled" behaviour comes from the fact that when her dad lived in the house before her, he used to let the kids play in the driveway whenever they wanted. And now that she wants to change the dynamic, the neighbours are refusing to cooperate.
She added: "What stinks is this house was our father's house, and our father let the neighbour and his kid use the driveway. But I've since let the mum and the kid know that we would like him/them to stay on their own property. They are just acting very entitled."
She is now considering sending a formal letter to the neighbours from an attorney to get them to stay off of her property, but is worried the move could be too "drastic" - but commenters on the post have urged her to do so.
One person wrote: "You need to send the letter so if he does get hurt you have proof you have trespassed him from the property."
While another said: "Send the letter. It's not going to stop until you escalate."
And a third posted: "I don't know why it is so difficult to understand for people. The neighbour is not the owner. The owner said no. So just keep it out. Jesus."
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