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Original poster

Oh help me. Lovely FIL bought trampoline.

33 replies

Boysclothes · 26/05/2015 18:50

Lovely FIL who drives a two hour round trip once a month to look after three year old DS, who let us live with him rent free for three years, who is loving and supportive, has bought a fourteen foot trampoline for DS and erected it in the garden as a surprise today whilst looking after DS.

I could cry. The garden is our joy. It takes up the whole garden. DS can no longer run or ride his bike in the garden. You have to squeeze past. I've come home and made appreciative noises but it's just too too big. You can't sit out on the lawn anymore. You can't get to the flowerbeds. It's awful. It was off ebay.

Please help me what to say.

OP posts:
RB68 · 26/05/2015 19:43

The thing is 14 ft by 14ft so bigger than most peoples double bedrooms, we have a large garden (double house width and about 80ft and with borders, trees and such even our 12ft one can be a pain when lawn mowing and the like

drbonnieblossman · 26/05/2015 19:46

Can you not just put it at the end of the garden, or is there a shed or something at the end?

I'd leave it there. Trampoline, I think, is the best bit of garden kit for a child. Years of fun ahead. You'll get used to the UFO sized addition in time.

sleepylittlebunnies · 26/05/2015 19:55

When we got our 14 foot trampoline DH erected it in the middle of our garden, it completely dominated our reasonable sized area. The end of our garden next to the shed was uneven so DH decked it and bolted the trampoline base to it so it doesnt move. This freed up the lawn and stopped it blocking off the end of the garden. They have camoflage netting around the base so it doubles as a den. We got it for 2 year old DS and 6 years and DC2 and DC3 later it has had very regular use all year round and still going strong. It has proven to be the best value item we have bought for them.
Is it possible to level off the area at the end of your garden OP?

LinesThatICouldntChange · 26/05/2015 20:49

How did he manage to smuggle it past you without you realising? Seems strange that it suddenly appeared in your garden as a surprise? Did he actually arrange for it to be delivered and set up without you knowing anything?'

Liara · 26/05/2015 20:55

get a digger in, level a patch a bit more out of the way and maybe dig a hole so the trampoline is level with the ground.

We have a trampoline that size (albeit in several acres of garden) and it is absolutely the single best thing we have ever got for the dc. Several years on it is still used daily and actually is a great relatively safe play area for 'active' play which has spared the rest of our garden and house no end of damage.

Original poster
Boysclothes · 26/05/2015 20:56

It's only possible if we knock down the sheds. There really isn't anywhere it can go I don't think.

Luckily FIL basically said "I know it's to big, I don't mind if you want to get a different one" so phew! Crisis averted.

He bought it off ebay, left it in the car and when we went to work bought it in and erected it!

OP posts:
Fourarmsv2 · 26/05/2015 21:07

sleepylittlebunnies

They have camoflage netting around the base so it doubles as a den.

I'd think twice about this - there was a horrific accident with a child under a trampoline whilst others bounced on it last week. Can't find a link but DC was taken to hospital by helicopter.

We have a 14ft trampoline. It dominated our last garden but is perfect for this one. Best thing we ever bought :)

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