To think boys should be able to kick a ball in the street

[scruffybird]

We live in a new build close with no park or green area. There are a couple of boys who like to kick the football around by their back gate, the prolem is they keep getting told to stop doing it by this old couple, who live in the house right near them. They even phoned the police, who came round and told the parents that the boys needed to play it in their very small garden.
I find it really sad that children can't play buy their back gates without being shouted at. No wonder you don't see many children playing out side.
The mum was telling me she is considering moving because of this.
Is she being unreasonable to let her boys play football near someones house?

Totally depends. There's a huge green space outside my parents' and the kids aren't allowed to play there, which I find quite sad, as it is large and I don't think it would annoy anyone if they played there.

On the other hand, constant noise can be annoying if kids are banging the ball against stuff.

Can't they go to the park?

why is a thread from FEB back in circulation?

'Exercise and fresh air are more important than the occasional broken window which being old people in old peoples bungalows would be fixed by the council anyway.'

Jesus wept;
1: A broken window is a security risk for anyone, not just the elderly.
2: Replacing broken windows costs money - that's your council tax going up to pay for it (in your scenario).
3: Believe or not, older people do not all live in old people's bungalows - how very stereotypical - many own their own houses, and may be very pissed off on fixed incomes having to pay rising insurance premiums or for paying for broken windows, which take time and money to replace, let alone the inconvenience. My mum would be very angry at having to shell out for windows to be replaced on her house because some thoughtless kid smashed it.

Exercise and fresh air do not trump the right to not have your property damaged; and I would have called the police as well if I was being disturbed on regular intervals, and if my property was being damaged.

If my ds wanted to play with a ball, I took him up on the moor, or to the park to kick about.

"Exercise and fresh air are more important than the occasional broken window"

I keep seeing the words "My" and "Your" in that sentence

No, she's not being unreasonable to stop them playing near somebody's house - particular as that couple don't like it. They should have to put up with it, they're elderly and they want peace and quiet, that should be respected.

The mother is very unreasonable not to take her boys to an open space where they can play football. Why doesn't she?

It's kinda obvious that if the kids are old enough to play outside by themselves but not go to the park that they would get more exercise if they could play football outside their house. I think there are few parents who have all day Saturday and Sunday to spare to sit in the park supervising their kids.
I think some give and take is the best way. No playing in the early morning and late at night. And no heavy case footballs. If they are playing with a lightweight football breaking windows isn't an issue - I doubt Rooney could kick a ball hard enough to break a window with one of those.

Tough actually... it's the parents' responsibility to find ways to amuse their children. Why should everyone else have to put up with it? Housing estates are no place for ball games, property gets damaged. Yes, children should have somewhere to play but if where they live doesn't have that, it's up to the parents to take them somewhere where they can run around and kick a ball.

There is no way a lightweight ball could damage property. From my experience it is noise that is the issue. Kids can be noisy like a lot of other things when you live in a built up area - dogs barking, people having barbeques in the summer, babies crying etc. I don't think people in a built up area have a right to silence.

"There is no way a lightweight ball could damage property"

Can I come round to your house and kick this "lightweight ball" of yours against your car and into your flowerbeds a few hundred times?

Is that what the kids in the OP are doing then? Repeatedly pelting the womans house? I thought they were just playing football. And I reckon you as an adult would struggle to damage a car with a lightweight ball yes.
There are kids who play outside my house by my DHs car - it has never been damaged. Nor do I fear it being damaged.

People everywhere have a right that other people and their children/pets do not encroach on areas which don't belong to them. That is what is causing people to be grumpy and intolerant everywhere. Some people think they are entitled to do as they like, wherever they like, well they aren't.

Small gardens and playing football don't go together. The parents would be better taking them out to the local park for an hour or two. It's a shame there is nowhere they can walk unsupervised to but kickng a ball short distances in a small garden or banging it against the wall in an alley isn't playing football. I'd have thought their back gate was near their garden though so don't get the house layout here. If they were playing in the street as the title suggests I'd have thought they'd be near the front of their house not the back.

I used to live in the city....in a very nice but short Georgian Street...2 lads aged about 13 came out every night and kicked their ball up and down...hardly any traffic ever and we all agreed it was lovely to see them playing.

YANBU it's part of life..and nice to see.