Neighbour’s kid picked my daffodils

Totally! Shocking.

Snorting at that nutter who would take a gardening kit round to the thieving kid! Hilarious!

Virtue signalling used to be more prevalent on here. Was very funny. An op would post about something outrageous a stranger had done and these loons would pop up saying how they would have taken the angry stranger out for lunch / given them their car / taken them on holiday and op was a real meanie for not doing so.

Gosh talk about negating OP’s valid feelings.

OP I once had all the plants ripped from my front garden. It’s was so upsetting.

Can you go and speak to the neighbour to explain how wrong this is?

What age were you when you picked the flowers @Crazybaby123 ?

A lot of people are missing the point.
1.They are OPS daffodils, not the neighbours. Neighbours kid is perfectly fine to pick their own.

1. They are in OPs garden. Neighbours child should not be there.
2. OP planted them for her enjoyment.

An 8 year old shouldn't be on someone else's property uninvited. They shouldn't be taking something that isn't theirs.
Also, daffodils might be inexpensive but nor everyone has disposable income. If there is any replacement, neighbour should be offering it.

The state of this thread. Some of the answers, no wonder children (and increasingly adults, who presumably grew up surrounded by similar attitudes) think they can do what the fuck they like.

It's not even just about stealing - a lot of people are very emotionally attached to their gardens and the plants they grow in them, they aren't just 'property', they nuture these little plants from seed, care for them, get joy from watching them grow and flourish - then some random stranger goes and ruins them? That is really hurtful, painful. Taking someone else's flowers from their garden is a spur of the moment act of total thoughtlessness and selfishness that might bring the taker a few minutes of pleasure but totally at the expense of the gardener who is then left really sad that they've been deprived of enjoying the flowers they loved and cared for. Honestly, I'd be less upset if someone keyed my car than I would if they picked my flowers, it's a cruel thing to do - even if that's not the intention. People's front gardens are not fair game, they are a part of someone's world that means a lot to them. Flowers are not just property, they mean so much more than that to a lot of people.

Completely unacceptable, kids need to know boundaries and respect other people’s possessions. I have had three kids and they never picked daffodils in parks etc.

I think this is the most batshit thing I've read on Mumsnet, ever. And Mumsnet is a very batshitty place.

@Sminty2 so what if the kid wanted to do something sweet, you don’t pick other people’s flowers from their bloody garden

I’d go and pick theirs!

Yes. It's not just the OP that enjoys her daffodils, they are there for everyone else to enjoy too.

What!!!!??? You would spend time and money to reward a child that has nicked flowers out of your garden!? What kind of a message does that send? If I do something wrong, I get presents? What a confusing message. A clear stern "You do not pick flowers from people's gardens," from the parents to the child would be more apt.

I have a child with SEN, just shy of 6. I would be very unhappy if I found out she had done this and I would absolutely want my neighbour to tell me if she did, so I could try and make it up to them in some way by offering new plants or something. That said, my child obviously doesn't go out roaming the streets unsupervised to do this due to her age and needs. I am not convinced it would even cross her mind to wander into a neighbours garden to damage property, I would never have enticed behaviour like that. Especially if, as you say, she had daffodils in her own garden to pick and left them untouched!

8 year olds should know better and they certainly should not be wandering into other peoples gardens. For safeguarding reasons also. I'd be addressing it with their parents!

This. Seeing my daffs, crocuses and tulips come up was one of my greatest pleasures. I'm disabled and my world is very small. Unfortunately I was moved into adapted housing last year, and my back garden is bereft of daffodils. I miss them SO much, they're my favourite flower, and I'm unable to plant them myself, so I would be bloody devastated if someone had picked mine in my old place.

People just go around living their privileged, able-bodied lives and don't comprehend how something that's "minor" to them is huge to others.

I did this as a kid, picked the neighbours whole bed of tulips from their front garden, put them in my toy pram and gave them to my mum as a present. I had sneaked round the front to do it.
I got sent straight to bed at about 4pm, my mum was absolutely livid. I was in trouble for a whole week. Was not the reaction I thought I would get. She went round to apologise and I am sure it was extremely embarressing for her and the neighbour was an alderly lady who I am sure they would have been her pride and joy
As an adult I would be very upset if someone did this. But it was a kid picking flowers, not worth getting upset over. It was unlikely malicious, just misjusdged.i would go round and speak to the parents. Hopefully they are decent people and will tell their child off.

That is shit. I am loving driving home from work at the moment and seeing all the splashes of yellow along the roadside.

If you know who it is, I would definitely knock on their door and let the parents know. You don't have to go in guns ablazing but you don't want a repeat on your tulips!

@Wishingplenty , the first words of your post are apt..
'Once upon a time...'
Because you are trying to weave a story here. Not at any time would stealing and vandalism by children be acceptable to anyone (apart from Fagin and Bill Sykes, in keeping with this fiction)
Ridiculous

Exactly.

Stealing has never filled people's hearts with joy.

They'll be dead by Mothers' Day.

Once upon a time not so long ago, this would have filled people with joy to see a child do this

I'm old I have never known a time when I would have been filled with joy to see a child going into someone else's garden and picking all the flowers. I presume my post about a 10yo picking all the flowers on the gravestones at our local church was joyful too?!

That puts a different slant on it.
The daffodils in the child’s own garden are untouched 😮
i would let the parent know.
The child might be unaware at 8 years old hmm, unless she had special needs she has done anything wrong but needs to be told not to do it again.
I would be upset too OP as the daffodils in my front garden are gorgeous this year.

Nothing has changed. I'm 70 and absolutely would not have been allowed to pick someone else's flowers. Also nobody has suggested those punishments the child just needs telling not to do it.

The child is eight not two, that's old enough to know it's not ok to pick flowers from someone's front garden. I have DC of a similar age and they know not to. I have just started gardening and really name an effort last year, walking into my house and seeing the daffodils in my front garden also gives me a spark of joy and would be quite upset if some child came and picked them all.

I was at a National Trust property on the edge if a city the other day. The long driveway up to the property is lined with verges full of daffodils. Our guide said "they'll all disappear next week as it's Mother's day"
Hopefully they'll make lots of Mothers happy - and at least they're not nicking flowers from the local graveyard!