Kids will be kids. However, I’m at the end of my patience and need advice.
There are a group of around 5 particularly poorly behaved children, aged 5-11, that like to run around my housing. My rural housing area has one small apartment building, one duplexes, and 5 single homes. I live in the duplex and have my own yard. The kids often like to climb my garden wall and run around my garden, as well as the front of my house where I park my car. They’ve also enjoyed throwing rocks at my building.
I have been patient and gentle with them and politely asked them to not play in my yard and that throwing rocks is not very nice.
Here’s why I’ve reached my limit. I have adopted two cats. One is very野良猫 and exists outside, while the other is friendly and I am registered with the vet as the owner. The kids love to chase the cats. This honestly wouldn’t be a big issue, since I know they will never catch them, except these little idiots chase the cats up the residential driveway and onto the main road.
Today I caught them chasing one past my house and I finally yelled, “だめだめだめ!! 危ないよ! そんなことするな! わかった?” I got several nods from the girls but then one boy giggled and said “バイバイ”.
My Japanese is low level. So please help me. Is there something I can say that will seriously drive the message home and let them know I am not joking?
TLDR: neighbor kids are stomping my plants and chasing cats into traffic.
INFO and UPDATE:
Wow! Thanks to everyone who provided solid advice!
For those telling me to keep the cats inside, these ain’t your city cats. These are 野良猫 (field cats) that were born outside. I feed two that trust me and have taken one to the vet that needed medical treatment. This is the way in my small community. I live in an ultra rural farming town where people keep cats outside specifically to reduce rodent problems around their farms and properties. It’s not a perfect system. But it is how things are done here. Even if I manage to transition these two into homebodies, there are others around that I would also prefer not to see become pancakes.
I’m giving big get off my lawn and leave my cats alone energy, I know. But I am also concerned about seeing kids running into the main road and getting hit by a car. Teaching kids not to chase after things into roadways is important.
Thanks again to those who took time to offer good advice. I appreciate it.
I will not be reading any further comments. Have fun!
by only_on_vhs