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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed about her collecting the stones?

207 replies

forestblade · 09/04/2024 00:02

I thought there was an unwritten rule that if you found a stone someone had painted you would pick it up and hide it somewhere else for someone else to find on their walk etc.

My SM now has a collection of painted stones she's found and leaves on her doorstep. I was round the other day and noticed the collection had grown somewhat and was quite surprised and then annoyed. She doesn't paint stones and leave them for others herself, just collects everyone elses!

AIBU??

OP posts:

Thread gallery

TitInATrance · 09/04/2024 09:26

Feeltoooldtostudybutdoingitanyway · 09/04/2024 00:49

I assumed that now that it was relatively well known that painting on rocks that are left out in nature isn't great for the environment, local eco systems etc.... that people would have stopped doing them by now. I've seen less locally than I used to.

I think they look awful in the natural environment, lovely muted scenery interrupted by garish colours like a crisp packet. If people take them home so much the better - it’s litter picking.

Dbirk · 09/04/2024 09:24

It's a bit of harmless fun that only Mumsnet could find vitriol for. You can keep or hide them again. I tell my kids if they want to take one they need to paint and hide a new one.

WillJeSuis · 09/04/2024 09:22

I don't think it's a massive deal, although I have a friend who paints stones for her child who died. The thought of one of those ending up on a random doorstep is a bit strange but I'm sure she's aware it's a possibility.

SussexBonfireViking · 09/04/2024 09:20

hayless · 09/04/2024 09:19

Hate this twee crap and am grateful to your SM for taking them.

I hate it when people arrogantly feel the need to 'decorate' places that are already beautiful. I don't want to see your shit handpainted naff stones. It screams 'I don't know how to behave in the countryside'.

I also don't want to see your stupid piles of pebbles either.

I live in a village with houses and walls, and a school, the children seem to like the ones I drop?

We're country, but still urban

hayless · 09/04/2024 09:19

Hate this twee crap and am grateful to your SM for taking them.

I also don't want to see your stupid piles of pebbles either.

BusyMummy001 · 09/04/2024 09:15

Until this thread I didn’t even know this was a thing - the pictures of the painted stones some of the PPs have done are lovely and I’d be taking those home to put in my garden! Will now have to start looking for them on my dog walks.

Linedbook · 09/04/2024 09:14

I'm willing to bet that if someone she actually liked had a collection of painted stones on their doorstep, OP would be telling them how lovely it was to see them there. Only a SM/MiL/SiL gets this kind of response.

clairelouwho · 09/04/2024 09:11

They’re stones.

are we really getting worked up over stones nowadays?

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 09/04/2024 09:11

@SussexBonfireViking I definitely would have kept some of yours!

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 09/04/2024 09:10

Another here who doesn’t know the unwritten rule and if I seen a particularly nice one I might have lifted it too (but I haven’t).

NameChangedAgainn · 09/04/2024 09:09

I've never heard of this unwritten rule, the facebook groups local to me encourage people to keep them if they like them.

PotatoPudding · 09/04/2024 09:08

She’s putting them on her doorstep, so people hopefully still get to enjoy them.

Zonder · 09/04/2024 09:07

IncognitoMam · 09/04/2024 00:17

What's an SM?

Sado-Masochist 😊

BoudiccaOfSuburbia · 09/04/2024 09:07

User1979289 · 09/04/2024 08:07

Those fucking stone are a bane of my life. Whimsical families keep stuffing them in my dry stone walls and it's horrendous. Please STOP!!! The wall WILL collapse on your child's fingers if you mess with it's structural integrity. What is the matter with you all?

This exactly!

’Creative’ families encouraging kids to mess with the natural world, rural and farming life, without knowing or educating or finding anything out about that life!

caringcarer · 09/04/2024 09:07

SussexBonfireViking · 09/04/2024 09:01

I painted hundreds, possibly in the thousands of stones over lockdown and a bit further on ( I was the 'pebble lady' in my village)

I didnt care what people did with them - keep them, re hide them ( obviously thats just our village )

Your rocks are beautiful.

whywonttheyeattheirfood · 09/04/2024 09:06

I've left painted stones before and I'd be happy for the person to keep them.

ForestForever · 09/04/2024 09:06

SussexBonfireViking · 09/04/2024 09:04

I did halloween and easter and valentine themes

They really are stunning. 🤩

ForestForever · 09/04/2024 09:04

All groups that I’ve ever seen says keep or rehide. I can’t believe I’m saying this to presumably a grown adult but you can’t police painted stones. If you don’t want the chance of them being kept, don’t paint them as you can’t control where they will end up. I wish I had this little shit to care about in my life to be honest. YABU, massively.

SussexBonfireViking · 09/04/2024 09:04

I did halloween and easter and valentine themes

To be annoyed about her collecting the stones?

BoudiccaOfSuburbia · 09/04/2024 09:01

If people insist on leaving gaudy daubed stones out and about in the natural landscape they can’t dictate what happens to them.

(I concede yours are beautiful @SussexBonfireViking , and I would prefer to see them on someone’s doorstep than on s remote shingle beach which is a SSI, for example)

SussexBonfireViking · 09/04/2024 09:01

I painted hundreds, possibly in the thousands of stones over lockdown and a bit further on ( I was the 'pebble lady' in my village)

I didnt care what people did with them - keep them, re hide them ( obviously thats just our village )