To be grumpy old woman re retrieving footballs

[T0R1]

Neighbours lad and his mate are always getting footballs in my garden. Just told the lad who was perched on the 6ft fence to jump in to my garden 'no, get down' through the living room window. They rang the doorbell and I ignored it as I was watching ninja warrior. So they just came in over the fence from the empty house next door and helped themselves.

I'm already nearly in double figures for the amount of balls I've thrown back over to them and we've not had that many nice/outdoor days. I've already yelled once because a ball neary hit me.

Am I being unreasonable that I don't want them in my garden. They have over 10 balls in the football net so they're not deprived by leaving it in my garden until I get round to throwing it back. I have no idea why I'm so grumpy about this. Would it be unreasonable to put a note in my neighbours door saying I don't want the boys in my garden?

[Reginafalangie]

For some reason no matter how many times I tell them or how hard they try the DC's ball always ends up in next doors garden I have even stood and watched them playing with it at ground level but somehow it does just whizzes up in the air and flies over next doors fence of it's own accord.

When this happens the DC's don't have a ball for the rest of the day. The rule is if it goes over, tough, you will have to wait until the neighbour decides to throw it back if they do decide. They do not knock or bother next door they just leave it be.

[TheFairyCaravan]

I've just come out of hopsital. The lovely old lady in the bed opposite had many broken bones because she tripped and fell getting footballs back for her neighbour's kids. Her daughter was telling me the kids were constantly banging on the door and calling over the fence so she felt like she had to get them, although she wasn't that steady on her feet. I don't know what those childrens' parents were thinking, tbh.

[jamdonut]

I absolutely feel your pain! My neighbours get all sorts over the fence,somehow. But they play football in their gàrden like they are at Wembley! You can see the ball getting higher and higher and then...oops! Its in our garden.

If it was just once or twice in a while I wouldn't mind, but it is all the time,especially in the summer. It makes us both angry. I never used to let my kids bother others like that,and it annoys me that others have no problem with letting theirs irritate others

[ChestyNut]

Yanbu

I hate this in summer
Kids jumping over back fence to get the ball or shouting constantly all afternoon for the ball back before ChestyDog pops it.

Thread has reminded me I need to find a high fence before summer.

[SoldierBear]

My recollection of the other o thread was that the OP was annoyed ha use her neighbour had not noticed the ball, which was there for at least a day, and then his dog ate it. She was told it is not the responsibility of the neighbour to notice the ball and that it was unreasonable to be annoyed at what had happened because they hadn't gone round to ask for it back.

Balls going over is annoying but part of life where there are kids around. I'm another one who told the kids they could come into my garden through the gate to get them.

Climbing over the fence or coming into the garden without permission isn't on.

It's up to the individual if they prefer kids to ring the bell and ask or agree to throw balls over on a daily basis.

[tobytomcat88]

I had this problem last week I was breastfeeding and refused 2 answer the door (they could see me through the the window) so kept knocking and knocking and knocking till I got up 1 boob hanging out.
I told them when I was ready I would take the ball round 2 their house and tell their mother I do not appreciate constant knocking .

[crayola8]

I would bend over backwards not to fall out with neighbours.It is very unpleasant living next door to hostility and you never know when you are going to need their co-operation..
I would just tell them to come i and get them for an easy life!

[lithewire]

The neighbours' kids near my parents' house used to do this and drove us mad, knocking sometimes several times a day during the school holidays - until our dog acquired a taste for footballs. Funnily enough the balls stopped coming over the fence after a few were returned chewed to bits.

[Perfectlypurple]

We had enough yesterday. It is constant and we are always nice to them and ask them to not kick the ball towards the house. The green bit by the house is house but they kick it against our wall. It came over a few times, and hit the car once, so I took it back and asked them to play a bit further up and not kick it towards the house. They still kicked it against our garage wall and the ball came over again so I kept it and told them they would need to get a parent to collect. The kid was a bit cheeky. When the mum came to get the ball I told her I don't mind the odd time but it is 6 or 7 times a day. She said it wasn't always them but I told her I knew that but in this occasion it was as I had taken it out to them several times and that one of them was cheeky. I made it clear I did not mind them playing there but they were hitting the car and had damaged plants and I just wanted them to be a bit more careful.