To stop chucking neighbours kids ball back?

Tell them to talk to a Mr Potter or a Mr Amorim as their football skills are such they might get a game!

Don't puncture the balls, keeping them and throwing back once they are asleep might be an option. Or once the school term starts when it will be less of an issue.

@TenderChicken Yes or their kids are the ones doing it. It’s also going to be an issue when her small children are being pelted by footballs when they play in the garden.

I had students next door and it got to the point I started hiding the balls behind my shed so they couldn’t have them back and couldn’t see them from their upstairs window, threw about 10 back at the end of term but they stopped coming over as much once they realised I had stopped throwing them back anyway

Yes it really does! I hate it. When it was occasional it never bothered me, but the sheer number of times it happens is just incredible and the entitlement of expecting them back instantly is something else.

This is us currently.

kids climb over the fence, damage stuff in our garden. It's constant.

the kids, despite me asking them not to come into the garden, and I will throw over the balls as and when, come in anyway. They are in the garden more than I am. Feel I have no privacy and avoid the garden as it's just not enjoyable.

it's multiple times a day and nothing has stopped it. I wouldn't want to puncture the ball (and not always footballs - hard balls, tennis balls) but I can understand why some would.

Those saying "just throw them back" clearly haven't had this problem. I would have 5 balls in my garden, throw them back, and they'd all be back in my garden within the hour. Every time. It gets tedious very quickly.

Ah yes, she might call the police and then the OP would be in BIG TROUBLE 🚔

This

And just chuck the balls back when you’re passing.

I don’t understand all this angst about children’s balls. How petty are you? You say you are moving shortly too. It’s amazing what kinds of “issues” take up people’s brain space.

Tbh I'd just keep chucking them back over. I hate my neighbours, and they hate me, but we still throw the balls backs over into the others garden, or let the kids go and get them when they knock.

Puncturing it is criminal damage isnt it?

Wowzers you sound like a lot of fun

I’d say throw them back during the day but tell them if the knock past (insert time of your choice) and wake your babies up you will not be throwing them back anymore.

Your post is so petty.

So the kids stepped on your drive while playing and looked in your window? Gosh, how traumatic for you. Please tell me they didn't shudders smile at you? Or worse... WAVE?? 🤦‍♀️

And at 5 and 7, they don't have perfect ball control and accidentally knock the ball into your garden occasionally? Have you consideted callingthe police?! This is serious!

You should probably demand that they stop playing outside altogether and just sit silently inside on the iPad with headphones on so you never have to face the hideous ordeal of hearing the laughter of a child.

Even with your meldramatic language (kids "banging" on the door - do you mean knocking?) you're still coming across as incredibly petty.

Just throw the ball back, this is SUCH a non issue. It sounds like you're pissed off with the mum for not being friendly enough and wanting to stir up trouble.

I wouldn’t bother with the bin, neighbour at work or on holiday…….and I would be refusing to accept any parcels too. If the neighbour can’t be arsed to say thanks when collecting packages then she doesn’t deserve the neighbourly interaction required. Let her arrange a re-delivery or have stuff taken to a drop off point.
As for the balls………..collect them up and return on a weekly basis.

Do you have a garden the other side and or behind? chuck their ball into one of those.
say it went straight over . Maybe they’ll get fed up of having to hunt for it!

Give the ball back. When your kids are older, their ball will going in others garden.

Wow! Imagine being nasty to a 5 year old

For not wanting to do something for a neighbour who has no manners??

Yeah, what a nasty person OP is 😂😂

No wonder there are so many people pleasers about with comments like this

@softlyfallsthesnow totally agree. I had this in my old house. Always threw it over 5 mins later it was back. Even caught them
trying to climb over my fence once. Knocking on the door constantly got to the point I didnt want to be in the house cos it was a constant ball coming over and knocking for it. The mum was a waste of time, speaking to her did nothing.

Fill the ball with dog shit, then send it back.
(No...don't! You're moving very soon. Keep smiling and don't tell the incoming purchaser)

Christ a lot of talk of popping kids balls, what a bloody miserable bunch you are. When we had this problem I just said to the kids, please don’t knock, just go and get it yourself but please close the gate behind you. Whatever issue you may have with the parents, the kids are just kids.

I would look at the kids fiercely and say 'if you knock on my door again after teatime I will puncture every ball hat comes over the fence. Do you understand?'

I wouldn’t throw the ball over. When they knock on I would say ‘Sorry, I’m busy at the moment. I’ll throw it back over when I get the chance but it might not be for a few days.’ Hopefully if they realise they’re not going to get the ball back on their terms and only when you’re ready they will be more careful.

You could always get a bit confused, throw the parcels back over the fence and put the balls by their front door………

If you are moving I'd just stop taking the parcels but throw the balls over. Make it clear to the children they are not to bang your door after a certain time.

With my horrible ex neighbours I was happy to throw the ball back. But I stopped having their numerous parcels after the one time I wasn't in and they wouldn't take mine. I'm not the holding bay.