Ask Emma

Question: Our neighbors’ son loves to jump the fence and use our swimming pool when we are not at home. Once we actually had to ask him to leave when we came home in the middle of the day. We spoke with his parents, and they said it would not happen again, but it happens again and again. We are not friends with our neighbors; just maintain good hi-and-bye relationships. The boy is 12 or 13 years old, and does not do anything wrong besides using the pool, but that’s a little too much for us to handle. We would like to keep our dwelling to ourselves. Is there anything we can say or do without being rude?
Answer: Your situation is not as harmless as it might look from the first sight. If the boy who doesn’t do anything wrong besides swimming in your pool drowns one day, his parents will most likely hold you responsible for his untimely death. Install a higher fence if you can, or make your existing one less comfortable to jump over. I know barb wire looks despicably bad, but there must be something on the market that is less gross and as effective. A No Trespassing sign is, of course, a must, and if all else fails, call the cops every time the boy is trespassing.