Neighbour’s kid picked my daffodils

pick them

wow, wait a whole year for the little thief to strike again? This is why we can't have nice things.

OP - i'd go to the house and explain what happened and tell the parents to instruct the child to a) apologise to you and b) stop thieving

How old was the child? Anything under 10 would surely have a parent with them? If it was a 5 year old, on their own, there's bigger issues around the child

I can't remember but I did have a toy pram.. so maybe 5??

Picking flowers from someone’s garden is actually theft, with a side helping of trespass.

I get this is a child, but I would absolutely write a note to parent stating that while it may seem cute, what their child has done has upset you because they have taken ALL your flowers, without permission after coming onto your property. Suggest that next year (because if you do not address it this year you’ve implied permission for them to repeat it next year) can they come and ask permission and, perhaps, you may permit them to pick a few. This way you are not coming across as a snotty neighbour but offering a path to teaching them how they should have behaved. You can reserve the right to decline permission next year, but you also have it within your power to give a little. If the parent has any morals, they’ll be a bit mortified. In their shoes I’d buy you a plant and insist my child writes a letter of apology to go with it.

I’d also plant a few more bulbs for next year to ensure you have masses and masses of daffs!

As someone whose garden is full of daffodils right now, I feel for you. It’s not sweet, it’s not cute, it’s theft. Wouldn’t give a crap about any sentimental bullshit around Mother’s Day, I’d be round there wanting an apology and my flowers back on the basis of if I can’t see them in my garden, then I’ll see them in vases in my house.

I also have daffodil theives but in the form of woodlice. The little buggers eat all my flowers. Dd is obsessed with woodlice and encourages them into the garden so not much I can do about it. I even planted lots of chilli plants thinking they would leave those alone but they ate the lot.

Glad you're going to talk to their parents. Even if it doesn't go well, it should hopefully prevent their child from picking your tulips next...

When my father (82) was 8, he wouldn’t have dared picked flowers from anyone’s garden. Not his parents, nor his neighbours. Nor would I, I’m 54. My children wouldn’t have, they’re 28 & 30 and my little grandson, 15mths, will be taught the same.

I don’t know how old you are, or where you live, that children stealing from others “filled people with joy”, but it never has anywhere I’ve lived.

So that makes it ok then? You can't have flowers in a front garden cos someone will nick them, so no one else can be upset about them being nicked from theirs?

It's wrong in all the areas and you shouldn't be accepting it as par for the course.

Children will pick flowers they come across when out and about. However, what I would be very annoyed if a child beyond toddler age just walked into my garden to pick flowers. A child of the age you describe should know that you do not go into other peoples gardens - not just because you need to respect others property, but because it could be a safeguarding issue for the child herself.

Can someone come plant some for you? I would, if I was close enough. Love seeing my bulbs pop. Daffs do really well in nice pots if you can't have them in the ground too.

@abracadabra1980
ate you off your bloody tree . The lid nicked her daffy and you want to go round with bulbs to grow her own ffs
the mother should be apologising not being fucking rewarded

Is it still sweet if the child was in a Shop and saw a chocolate her mum might like so she just took it or is that different.

If you see it as the chids intent was a good one, trying to make her mum happy, then it's sweet.

If you look for my second post I do agree Op should speak with the Mum. So Mum knows and can stop it happening again. Because I wouldn't be so forgiving if it happens again either.

Are you kidding?

I'd be livid. My kids (age 4 and 7) have always been told that they can pick daisies (the common type that grow in the grass, not fancy ones in a pot) but nothing else. We have been clear and consistent with this and apart from a few errors when very small (e.g. age 2) they have stuck to the rules. Parents need to educate their kids properly. It's not difficult, just tell them that picking flowers will make the bees sad or something and then we won't have much honey.

oh they are still around....mainly I see them around garden subjects
let your neighbour put scaffolding all over your drive
let next doors kids retrieve footballs ad lib
don't put up high fences to preserve garden privacy
let your neighbour use your EV charging point

Perhaps it was a tiny child wanting to sweetly gift their dear mum a tree bouquet for Mother's Day who just didn't understand about not trespassing and stealing, because what can you say, eh? The garden owner should have purchased a small woodland and gone round with a dumper bag of topsoil and a shovel, to kindly gift it to the child's family.

You stole as a kid, and therefore feel entitled to tell OP what she should and shouldn’t get upset about?!

Wow.

Unbelievable.

This is why I plant flowers only in my back garden & never put a wreath on my door. In my area, wreaths don't last long unless it'd wired to the electrics.

The kids nick the flowers and their mums nick the Xmas wreaths and shamelessly stick it on their front door!

I know right. Imagine rewarding a thief with the item they were stealing as a gift.

In my part of North London, if you have a front garden, you can't plant anything in it unless you accept the risk of it being stolen. Flowers, small shrubs, even a tree was removed from a front garden a few years ago.

Exactly this.

if they are old enough to be out without an adult, they are old enough to know not to go into other people's gardens or pick anything.