Children/teens need boundaries, if their parients won't provide them,
then you might have to, at least when it comes to your own property.
I live on a large circular green and last year we had a problem where a group of youths kept
coming on playing football. I didn't mind this, but they kept playing close to my house (why
they didn't have the brains to play in the middle of the green I have no idea). None of them even
lived on the green they lived further down the road.
So the ball kept coming in the garden, they didn't even bother to knock on the door,
they just kept running in and out, trampling the plants and leaving the gate open.
Several times over different weeks, I went out to tell them to move into the middle of the green
but each time they came to play, they came close to the house.
Then one evening the ball hit the window twice, the second time I was waiting and I got the ball
before they did.
They all lined up shouting over the garden hedge asking for their ball back.
I said I would give it back to the parents of the kid who owned the ball, so if they
wanted it back they would have to get the parents to come and get it!
They all ran off and I thought "O lord I hope dad isn't too big!" Lol
Anyway it was mum who came around wanting to know what the problem was, so I told her.
At that point my aunt was also sleeping downstairs in the living room and I said the last thing she
needed was kids running in and out of the garden and footballs hitting the window.
Anyway she told them to play further away from the house and that if they made any
more trouble, she would take the ball off them!
Problem sorted, it never came in the garden again and it didn't this year either when they have been
on the green. So I think they got the message.
Plus....mum started going to my church earlier this year and she has given me lifts home on a
couple of occasions. Never say God doesn't have a sense of humour!