To let my kids play football in the road?

[sandyballs]

It's a quiet road and they are 12 so not little. I've told them to keep the ball low and avoid parked cars and I've watched them and they do. They're also good at looking out for cars coming.

They told me tonight that a neighbour freaked out at them saying how dangerous it was and to get out the road. She has much younger kids. I'm just pleased weather is nicer, evenings are lighter and they're outside and not on some kind of screen. AIBU?

[twofaceshenanigans]

I live in a cul de sac and there are currently about 15 kids sat outside my house, ranging from 5-12 , they have scooters, bikes and footballs. They are being noisy and the girls keep squeeling but its nice to see them all out playing.

[marjproops]

in your defence OP thank you for at least asking if its okay, those posters that are saying whats happening right now outside their houses , well their neighbours havent bothered asking. so well done at least for that, OP.

theres no excuse for not going to a park. there are ALWAYS parks/playgrounds/greens/play areas nearby , wherever you live. yes its nice kids are getting fresh air and stuff, but their outside making a niusance while 'caring' parents are inside zonked in front of the tv and not keeping an eye on them, or at least knowing where they are.

only other solution is.... ...please rain....please rain....please rain....

[EMUZ]

My car got damaged by a football. Went to have a word and it ended up with police being called. Child was too young to be responsible for anything. We have a park about 30m away. Parents said they didn't want him there, he was to play in the road so they could watch him (bollocks because neither f them did and neither could be bothered walking up to the park)
So I was left with a car with damage (approx 70 football marks all over it) and a child that still uses my car as a goal post
Now a sponge ball would be a fab idea. And before I get flamed I've even offered to walk said child up to the park

[marjproops]

exactly. these dont think of peoples property. cars cost money and then when theyre damaged (as mine was once )they wont take responsilbity for it.

[BegoniaBampot]

I can understand folk not wanting their cars damaged but i wonder how many folk here played in the streets when they were young, when there were much less cars on the roads, when cars weren't king and had taken over, where now folk are obsessed about protecting their nice shiny car above all else.

[GreenPeppercorn]

Playing football in the road in a residential street is selfish, bordering on yobbish behaviour.

[BegoniaBampot]

now kirby was a great game and can only be played in then street. our kirbs aren't square enough so the kids will never know the joys of kirby.

[DialsMavis]

My DS plays football out on our road with neighbours children. After reading this thread I will be ordering them a sponge ball!

[missingmumxox]

YANBU in the area I live all the local children play in the road, football and cricket being faves, in the 2 1/2 years I have been here not one broken window, or dented car (this is a lie I dented one last week walking to friends house tripped over the curb and went flying into the back of a neighbours mini in their drive...whoops!)
It is a real mix of age groups here as well, we got 1 complaint from someone who reported the children to the police! FFS! For playing and they didn't even live here using our road to park for the local hospital... Don,t get me started on that and people even using our drive ways during the week

[imour]

yabu 12 is old enough to go to local park .

[EMUZ]

Begonia - I did play in the road but had I damaged something my mum would have clipped me round the head and sent me to apologise and would have paid for the damage. And I wouldn't have been allowed to do it again. My car is valuable to me, I'm not precious about it but seeing a car that you've worked your ass off to buy damaged within a week made me cross
Plus at the age the child is I was off to the park and fields etc, he isn't allowed to leave the road

[Floralnomad]

I'm not bothered about moving cars or the safety of your children that's your concern ( harsh I know) ,what concerns me is the safety of my property and my cars sat on my property . We've had this problem with a neighbours 11 yr old and his friends with balls bouncing off my plants and cars and there is a large green less than 50 m away ! I've told them several times to go play outside their own house and I don't care if people think I'm a miserable cow . IMO they're either big enough to play in the park or they should stay in their own garden .

[racheael76]

children playing football on the street with a large soft/sponge ball should be encouraged.my son was 10 last year playing in the street with friends with a sponge football the neighbour came out and told them to clear off.

neighbours should be happy and encourage children to play sports it keeps them out of trouble.much better then the kids causing nuisance in the neighbourhood kicking fences ,grafitti,causing mayhem because if they tell kids to buugger off they will just stand on the street bored so trouble cause for laughs.or maybe they want the kid stuck inside on the x box turning into an unsocialble freak.not good for their career they need team building skills which they get from playing football in the street .these are our next generations so let them play on the street its much better for society than other options kids turn to because they are bored.thses kids could be your next nurse or dentist doctor eg so encourage social,team work,be happy they play outside your house much better then hanging on street corners bored causing havoc drinking or social recluose.lets encorage a nice generation and stop taking good things away from kids.

[Latara]

It sounds as if there are angry neighbours where OP lives already - she says that her daughters' friend ''did give a neighbour some lip'' so why is that?

Is it worth falling out with neighbours when the kids could easily go to the park?

[AmIthatSpringy]

racheael you're so right. I should be happy to be disturbed and pay for repairs to my car and replacement plants because the future of other people's children is down to me

Good grief, I've heard it all now 😗

[prettypleasewithsugarontop]

YABU

[EmmelineGoulden]

I don't think there's any moral right for a car owner to be able to inhibit the activities of others because they want to protect their own property. People were playing on public land long before cars came along. I think it is just as reasonable to say if you want to protect your car park it in a garage than it is to tell kids they have to go to the park.

[chaime]

Is there a back street with no cars where they could play football? That's where we used to play when the park was full of rough kids and drugs and the road was too busy.

[EmmelineGoulden]

mutt this isn't an "I'm alright Jack" argument. My kids don't play football in the road.

I'm just pointing out that cars have appropriated public space and changed the way a lot of land can be used. A lot of people up in arms about their right to have their property protected don't seem to appreciate that they have had a huge impact on everyone's environment and exeternalised costs that we are all paying.

[AmIthatSpringy]

Well my car isn't in a public space, nor is my garden. My driveway is not a public thoroughfare and I have every right to expect others to respect this

How exactly does this impact on everyone's environment?