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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to think this woman is being unbelievably precious about her grass?

205 replies

Jaylabelle · 21/04/2018 18:22

Bought my ds a rather expensive football for his birthday - it was his main present. On Friday he and his friends were kicking it about as they walked home from school. They walk along a winding road with lots of big houses with big gardens, and they accidentally kicked it someone’s garden.

He rang the doorbell, but no-one answered, so we went round this morning to ask for it back.

A woman answered the door, we asked her, and she said she had seen the football at the end of the garden, but she couldn’t get it back as they’ve just had their lawn relaid and can’t walk on it for 3 weeks!?!

Is it just me who thinks she’s being incredibly precious over some grass? I can’t believe we’re going to have to wait 3 weeks to get back Ds’s football - he’s so upset. Her walking quickly to get it wouldn’t do any harm. I offered to send ds as he’s very small and light but she refused to let him.

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPrettySister · 21/04/2018 22:26

Too bad.

He should have been more careful with his ball.

Jux · 21/04/2018 22:36

Not being precious at all. You're lucky she turfed it - when I was a small child, my grandmother dug up a huge area of our garden and seeded it, and we weren't able to walk on it for 2 years!

Ariela · 21/04/2018 22:43

Your son needs to accept they've been told not to walk on the grass for 3 weeks and go get it then. And be thankful it didn't get kicked into MY garden where our collie would have played football with it for hours, and gradually peeled the outer surface off...

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 21/04/2018 22:52

I'm amazed at how cold posters are being towards a boy asking for a ball back. I'm losing faith in humanity Sad

He made a mistake. He didn't think "mummy could sort it" he went and knocked on her door to ask for it back. A polite and normal thing to do.

I wouldn't disappoint a child, especially one knocking and asking politely. It's not impossible to retrieve the ball. It could probably be knocked out of the flowerbed with a long broom or something.
Or just tiptoe lightly across the lawn.

Christ I hope this woman doesn't have children living next door to her, squirrels digging or local cats. How will she ever relax? She was being precious. It's her "right" I suppose but not very kind or understanding.

I could never be this anal about a few marks on a lawn.

TrudeauGirl · 21/04/2018 22:58

where our collie would have played football with it for hours, and gradually peeled the outer surface off...

My dog peeled the outer skin off my tennis ball. I wonder why they do this Grin

Sorry off topic I know, I just found this funny.

SaltireSaltire · 21/04/2018 23:00

Can’t understand what the big deal is about waiting 3 weeks to get the ball back. Her ‘ball park’ her rules. (I’d not let anybody walk across a newly laid lawn - especially not for a football that shouldn’t be there). Just be glad the ball landed on her lawn and not through her window!

QOD · 21/04/2018 23:05

I live right in the middle of a housing estate after 13 yrs of a naice area.
I’d have given it back immediately. After I’d punctured it
Honest to god the fucking endless bounce bounce bounce off balls means we will love again next year having only moved this.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 21/04/2018 23:07

I think it's a natural instinct for a dog. Although domesticated, they still have a predatory instinct to chase, catch and dissect prey so enjoy acting this out on the poor ball. Grin

I can't help wondering why you would let a dog spend hours peeling a ball that's not yours though? And find it really funny. Why not take the ball away when you notice it's been kicked into the garden?

QOD · 21/04/2018 23:08

Love = move.
Honestly I could cry. The utter endless thoughtless wankers

I had a joint earlier with my 19 yr old and my puppy.

Didn’t want to but had no choice

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 21/04/2018 23:10

I give up. I don't know what's wrong with everyone. When did we become so intolerant of children playing out with balls? Confused

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 21/04/2018 23:13

I suppose I'll let you off QOD for being dramatic about the ball situation because you're stoned Grin Chill out man.

Sparklingbrook · 21/04/2018 23:14

It's MN ILost. As soon as anything regarding a) adolescent boys and b) football are mentioned you know before you start what the outcome will be. Especially in AIBU.

Luckily in RL people tend to be more tolerant.

Namechangetempissue · 21/04/2018 23:14

Oh FGS at 'losing faith in humanity' Grin.
He has to wait a short amount of time to get back a ball, he won't expire from grief. No, you can't lightly tiptoe over to get it, it isn't acceptable in this situation. The ball is in a flowerbed at the back of the garden, presumably too far to hook with a net. I wouldn't particularly want a bunch of strangers scrabbling about in my garden over my freshly laid lawn trying to get it either. It's a ball. It can wait.

Sparklingbrook · 21/04/2018 23:15

YY Brew for QOD.

ZibbidooZibbidooZibbidoo · 21/04/2018 23:17

I have adolescent, football mad boys. I still hate the fuckers. (The balls, not the boys) thud thud thud thud thud thud thud “Muuum! My balls gone over the fence!!” Thud thud thud thud thud thud Hmm

Sparklingbrook · 21/04/2018 23:18

Yep, I had all of that too Zibbidoo. Very wearing. They soon get old enough to go to the fields/park though.

TrudeauGirl · 21/04/2018 23:19

I think it's a natural instinct for a dog. Although domesticated, they still have a predatory instinct to chase, catch and dissect prey so enjoy acting this out on the poor ball.

I think you're right about the natural instinct, although i got my tennis ball back...she lost interest in it once it was skinned of all the yellow fuzz. Grin

ZibbidooZibbidooZibbidoo · 21/04/2018 23:19

If I had just forked out a fortune for a new lawn and discovered you’d “tiptoed” across to get your ball I’d be following your son home from school on Monday and presenting you with a bill for having the whole lot done again.

ZibbidooZibbidooZibbidoo · 21/04/2018 23:20

They soon get old enough to go to the fields/park though.

They both are but often “theres no-one at the park!” Grin

Sparklingbrook · 21/04/2018 23:21

I don't think anyone is seriously planning to tiptoe across the lawn are they?

Namechangetempissue · 21/04/2018 23:27

The world hasn't suddenly changed into a ball/kid hating place either -in the 80s we got loads of bollockings and ball poppings in our village. My dad says he had the same and was frequently told off by adults for kicking footballs into gardens/against walls/being noisy.

TrudeauGirl · 21/04/2018 23:28

I can't help wondering why you would let a dog spend hours peeling a ball that's not yours though? And find it really funny

Oh that wasen't me by the way, my dog peeled my own ball, wouldn't let her near somone else's ball lol I know what she's like

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 21/04/2018 23:30

I can't imagine taking a few big strides on tippy toes would fuck the lawn. I'm not an expert though. Wink

I've had years with football mad sons too so perhaps I'm more relaxed about this issue.

Sparklingbrook · 21/04/2018 23:31

I think I missed the football escapades of the 80s because DB and I weren't interested. I remember the neighbour's kid's footballs landing in our garden and just getting thrown straight back.

Namechangetempissue · 21/04/2018 23:32

It does on freshly laid lawn. Weight is weight, on tiptoes or not. It can leave indents which take ages to repair (read upthread several posters have had this with their own new lawns).