Hi Helium.
I agree with quirkywords: you are not being childish and you have your right to privacy.
I too would not be comfortable with anyone that did not live in my house taking an over zealous interest in my personal space, and can fully appreciate your position here. Their is no reason for anyone to 'need' to look in your backyard in order for them to be able to get on with their day, and you have every right to expect no prying eyes in your own property.
I have become used to people having a good squiz in my front yard, as we have a beastly 6.4l Hemi V8 car and a nice big motorcycle parked there, and in all honesty it's become a real connection point for a lot of the youth in my street - they'll walk slowly past eyeing off the car and the motorbike, and if their is nobody in the yard, they'll double back and do another walk past. At first I thought this was off - but one day when I was mowing the lawn, three of the teenagers came up to me and really engaged with me; they were genuinely interested in cars and motorbikes. It's not uncommon now for them to lurk around when I'm heading out just so they can hear the car or bike start up and rip down the road. I have also got two of the regular lurkers to come along to Karate training with me, so there is two youth off the street no longer roaming around aimlessly. There has been real connection, and I now know these kids and they know me. Fences and assumptions have been melted, and it's a great feeling.
... But this is my front yard. It would be a very different story if people were peeking over my back fence - even though their is nothing to see in the back yard compared to the front! 🙂 Your neighbors would know they have crossed a social boundary here. If anyone should feel a bit awkward about it, it ought to be them - not you.
