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Original poster

Would you find this annoying?

142 replies

BlackCatsRock · 28/05/2019 08:21

My son and I play football in our back garden. We use a soft ball, not a proper football. Occasionally (maybe 5 or 6 times a week) the ball will go over the fence into our neighbour's garden. We don't go knocking to ask for the ball back, just wait to see if they throw it back over. If you were my neighbour would you find this situation annoying?

OP posts:
ZippyBungleandGeorge · 28/05/2019 09:54

Five or six times over the whole summer would be ok, but as regularly as you are saying is unacceptable. I grow a lot of fruit and veg and at the moment have a lot of young plants in my garden, they'd get damaged if hit by flying footballs. You need to do something to stop it happening. Cat netting or a trellis might work.

CrazyCatNerd · 28/05/2019 09:55

Yes, it would really annoy me. It would damage my plants and put my pets at risk. And I wouldn't be putting myself out to throw the balls back either, as I'm disabled.

In our old house, the children next door kicked their heavy football over multiple times a day, then would knock the door. I stopped answering.

Original poster
BlackCatsRock · 28/05/2019 09:56

We have now got a goal, so I'm hoping that will help.

I'm also going to add trellis to the top of the fence to see if that helps.

I'm genuinely concerned about annoying my neighbours (although they do several things that are annoying to me, but that's a whole different thread!) but I don't want to stop my son from using the garden.

OP posts:
RestingBitchFaced · 28/05/2019 10:05

The ball coming over wouldn't annoy me - I would just throw it back. But it would annoy me if there was knocking at my door every day to ask for it back. As long as your waiting for it to be returned when they see it, I don't think it's that big a deal to be honest

MrsTommyBanks · 28/05/2019 10:06

Wouldn't bother me at all. I just throw them back over.

beansonbread · 28/05/2019 10:14

I wouldn't even begin thinking about being annoyed that a child's soft ball occasionally lands in my garden. I may not see it to know it's there and throw it back, but if I did I'd pop out and chuck it straight over.

I used to play outside as a child all the time and rarely see children doing it now so to be honest, I'd rather a ball lands in my garden a few times if it means someone's outside enjoying themselves.

Life's too short to get annoyed about silly things like balls in gardens. It's not as if it's a bowling ball coming over that will break green houses or plant pots. It's a soft ball specifically chosen so not to cause damage.

LaganOnABubble · 28/05/2019 10:45

We had this and it drove me up the wall, answering the door several times a day for requests to go out and get a ball back.

KellyW88 · 28/05/2019 11:04

Nope wouldn’t bother me, we recently moved into a middle terrace house and the kids on one side are curious about us and our little toddlers so they often drop toys over the fence into our back garden, they’re quite young and well behaved/polite children so I think it’s a little game for them. One time the young son did drop a rather large rock over the fence and I did have to ask him not to because we have cats and I don’t want to risk them being injured, he apologised sheepishly and hasn’t done that since, but it still didn’t annoy me, kids are kids after all 😊

I just collect whatever random toys they’ve dropped over and pop them in a bag and hang it on their side of the fence when I’m outside.

Luckily both sides have kids where I am and I do find that helps with being empathetic as my two are toddlers they can be quite noisy so I know they have to put up with that! 😂

I second the higher fence/trellis idea for the side where the neighbours aren’t too chuffed with the ball landing in their garden.

Yeahyeahyeahyeeeeah · 28/05/2019 17:05

People are so bloody miserable! What harm does this do? See ball. Bend. Pick up. Lob. Job done. The exercise might do you good.

Whatevermission · 28/05/2019 17:15

Lagan I think it would be annoying if they knocked on the door to get it back. But OP said that they don't do this

DirtyDennis · 28/05/2019 17:16

Yes, that would fuck me off intensely

MidniteScribbler · 29/05/2019 09:27

Thanks for the free dog toys. You wouldn't see your ball again.

fraumaximoo · 29/05/2019 09:35

1 or 2 times a week, no.
5 or 6, I'd be throwing the ball over the back fence into the alley until he learnt to be more considerate.

Original poster
BlackCatsRock · 29/05/2019 09:56

He is a very considerate child. Just because his ball accidentally bounces over the fence sometimes does not make him inconsiderate. If he kept going round to ask for it, or expected it to be thrown back over then maybe. But he doesn't, he's well aware that if it goes over then the game is over and he might not see the ball again. At no point have I seen him purposely kick the ball over, why would he when he knows he might not see the ball again?

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 29/05/2019 10:10

Kicking the ball over 5 or 6 times a week is clearly very annoying.

Yeahyeahyeahyeeeeah · 29/05/2019 12:24

Kicking the ball over 5 or 6 times a week is clearly very annoying

Not clear to me. As long as the child has no expectation of immediate return, and it seems they don’t, what’s the issue?

BillGiggeloe · 29/05/2019 12:34

Not at all, you've only got to pick it up and put it back over.

I always have to get to the ball before my dogs do though.

BillGiggeloe · 29/05/2019 12:35

Should have said, I have a neighbour where this happens quite a lot, balls or shuttlecocks normally.

Doesn't bother me at all.

BenWillbondsPants · 29/05/2019 12:42

No, doesn't bother me. I used to worry if DS's foam ball went into next door and went to apologise. They said not to worry and that they loved to hear my DCs playing in the garden. Fast forward ten years and they now have two little grandchildren who play footie in their garden so it comes into ours a lot. It makes me smile hearing them. I just throw it back.

BenWillbondsPants · 29/05/2019 12:46

Thanks for the free dog toys. You wouldn't see your ball again.

Really? Do people really keep a kid's ball?

I find this so bizarre.

Babysharkdododont · 29/05/2019 12:46

I'd be encouraging him to use and enjoy the garden in other ways, you've acknowledged that your football annoys the neighbours and yet you continue, why is that?

Fedoratheexploreer · 29/05/2019 12:50

It wouldn’t bother me. It takes about 30 seconds to throw it back over.

PCohle · 29/05/2019 12:53

Regardless of whether random mumsnetters would hypothetically find it annoying, you know that your real life neighbour actually does. Surely that's all you need to know to do something about it?

Personally I'm totally fine with the occasional ball coming into our garden but 5-6 times a week is far more than occasional (yes I've read your update). Even a soft ball would damage some of my flowers.

Deadringer · 29/05/2019 12:57

Wouldn't bother me at all, unless it landed on me. I would just toss it back when I noticed it.

TheRLodger · 29/05/2019 13:00

I’m going to say it.
This is a reverse post right! Your inconsiderate neighbours are 5-6 times a week kicking the ball across your fence. You’ve spoken to the neighbours next door but one and they don’t seem to mind. Although they might just be trying to keep the peace. You want to check before you say something to the mum? I’m which case ywbu to say something.

If in fact you are the person kicking ball over fence yabu

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