Would u be annoyed?

[Queenofkittens]

My mum looks after my 3 children at our house whilst I work on a Wednesday (I'm a nurse) and OH is a teacher. My eldest is 13 so does her own thing and it's then my 7 and 2 year old. So I have been sorting out my garden for weeks, weeding, cleaning, putting down nematodes to kill leather jackets, grass seed etc to make it a lovely garden for the kids. Well today I got in and my mum had been sat out with the kids and allowed them to trash the garden. Mud up the fence (I just painted it) my son has dug a hole in the soil, filled it with stones that were on the border and buried it and then flung a load of stones all over the grass. He knew it was wrong because when I walked in he was very sheepish but he did it because my mum let him get away with it. I'm so disappointed and upset like why bother, so disrespectful, I want to say something to her but I feel like I can't because my mum does 10 hours free childcare every Wednesday and if it wasn't for her I don't know what we would do. Would u say something or just accept shit like this will happen and it's free childcare and I should be more grateful? (Btw son has had a serious bollocking!)

The latter. I'd be annoyed, but at the end of the day, it isn't the most important thing in the world. Nobody died.

Kids want to play like that though, digging holes etc. The mud will wash off and the stones can be relocated. I know it's frustrating when you're getting something looking nice but if you're doing it for them then their idea of a nice garden is probably not quite the same as your idea of one! Get him to help you tomorrow to put back all the stones, wash off the mud etc - natural consequences.

Well your 13 year old and your 7 year old are old enough to know not to trash your garden.

And your Mum should have been supervising your youngest so he didn't trash the garden.

I would have been devastated if my mother had allowed my children to this.
I love not only my own garden but gardens in general. And I can't understand why any one trashes,or sits back and watches others trash, gardens. That's what vandals do.

It's actually a kick in the teeth for you and shows how little she respects you.

I would be telling her how upset I am .

I would advise you to say nothing as your mum is helping you out and may just say that she is not going to help anymore if you go mad with her.

Is your mum also a keen gardener? If not she might not realise how much effort you have put in.
I wouldn’t make a big deal of it but would probably ask her to tell them off if she catches them doing it again.

That being said I do agree with pp that letting them dig holes and play with stick and stones and get muddy is pretty much the point of a garden with young kids. Do you have enough space to dedicate an area of it to messy play?

I would say nothing to your Mum. The kids on the other hand would get a right a mighty telling off and suitable punishment for this

Yanbu

Yes I would be annoyed and have been in the past about my kids making a similar mess. I've since let it go and just let them get creative with stones, sticks and weeds. Instead I focus on my veg pod and out the front where they aren't let loose. I will have a nice garden one day again once they've grown up. I'm sure I'll miss stepping on a rock in the dark or the plastering on an excited face at their latest 'camp fire'.