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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Trampolines

84 replies

Rivendell2013 · 20/04/2020 19:55

Hi all, my neighbour has just knocked at my door and asked me to take down the trampoline in our garden because it encroaches on her privacy. She said that the children bouncing and looking at her in her garden "makes her feel uncomfortable". The trampoline has been up for one day and the only reason I bought it was so that my boys have something to do in the garden during lockdown. Also it was my sons 10th birthday present. I am a high risk person so cant go out and i'm home schooling 2 boys each day. The boys stay at their dads for 3 days a week as well. Am I being unreasonable telling her that it isn't coming down?

OP posts:
Nelliana · 20/04/2020 22:07

I'd peg a sheet or something onto it so they can't stare into her garden, but I wouldn't take it down. The kids need the exercise and the trampoline is perfect for that. Tell them not to scream and shout but aside from that I think that's a reasonable compromise.

lljkk · 20/04/2020 22:07

If you dig a 3 foot deep pit & sink the trampoline into it, the bouncing kids may not see over fence. Yes we did this!

BobbinThreadbare123 · 21/04/2020 09:20

@lljkk that's a really good idea - it's safer to have the kids jumping at ground level as well

PubsClubsMinistryOfSound · 21/04/2020 10:12

Even if the kids are staring, shrieking etc, the appropriate solution would be for the neighbour to ask you to deal with that behaviour, rather than for the trampoline to be taken down.

stakeholderwizz · 21/04/2020 10:17

Tell kids not to stare and tell your neighbour that you are entitled to have what you like in your own garden!

vanillandhoney · 21/04/2020 10:28

If you dig a 3 foot deep pit & sink the trampoline into it, the bouncing kids may not see over fence. Yes we did this!

This is a really good idea and much safer too.

lljkk · 21/04/2020 18:11

... but, if you dig a pit, create a ramp on the side for things like frogs that fall inside the pit, so they can get back out. You'll need access to get underneath for things like dropped toys, too.

pinkrocker · 21/04/2020 18:16

@lljkk I'm hoping to do this too, do you need to shore up the sides of the pit with bricks etc?

SachaStark · 21/04/2020 18:19

My neighbour’s daughter plays outside on her trampoline a lot, and I bloody love it.

But, that is because, 1: she is utterly adorable, and she sings Disney songs whilst she bounces (I have been known to join in for a couple of choruses whilst doing the weeding), and 2: when the neighbours installed it, they deliberately put it as close to their own house as possible, and as far from our house as they could manage. To mitigate the noise and privacy issues, somewhat.

I think people who choose to buy a trampoline, and then put it as far from their OWN house, but right up against their NEIGHBOUR’S fence are a bit shit, to be honest.

Roselilly36 · 21/04/2020 18:49

That’s a shame that the neighbour is unhappy with the trampoline. Don’t take it down. We are past the days of trampolines here but my Ds’ really enjoyed the ones we had. Could you DC’ jump facing your house rather than overlooking your neighbours as a compromise. Children need to play and let off steam. Tough times for everyone at the moment.

Thescrewinthetuna · 21/04/2020 18:52

I would have laughed in her face

Thescrewinthetuna · 21/04/2020 18:52

Obviously I’m joking. But I would have said I’m not taking the trampoline down and that’s that. I’d have a word with the kids about staring but that’s all.

lljkk · 21/04/2020 19:15

yeah, DH put in paving stones & brick lay around the slides to stop caving in. And that sort of layer that stops weeds coming thru.

chickedeee · 21/04/2020 19:22

Just ask your kids to face away from her house when they bounce and then if she calls again say ' it is my garden and to respect your privacy I have asked my children to face away from your house' and then nod and repeat as she rambles on.

It is your garden and she is being unreasonable Sad

CrazyTimesAreOccurring · 21/04/2020 19:46

She does realise that unless you are all in bungalows, when you go upstairs you can be looking in her garden doesnt she? Or does she want to to black out your windows too?

whatnow40 · 21/04/2020 19:53

We have one of these, it protects against sunburn as well as light drizzle. My kid loves it and obviously the neighbours can't be seen when he's inside it.

Trampolines
TARSCOUT · 21/04/2020 19:55

Weirdly enough this wouldn't bother me, and I'm not really kid friendly! Far better them having fun on a trampoline than kicking a ball etc. Peg a sheet to the side facing onto her garden?

steppemum · 21/04/2020 20:00

Hmm, in principle you are not unreasonable, but it really does depend a lot on your garden and theirs and where the trampoline is.

If my nieghbours put it up next to my patio, close to the fence I would be pretty irritated, because at the moment, when we sit there it is pretty private, their upstairs windows can't look down on it.

So, go outside, take a long hard look at where it is compared to their house, and garden, and where they sit, and think if you have really been unreasonable in where you have sited it.

If not, and it isn't in an unreasonable place, then they just have to put up with it.

As for 'telling you to take it down' I would have been pretty pissed off. The most she can say is can you move it/screen it etc.

steppemum · 21/04/2020 20:04

If you dig a 3 foot deep pit & sink the trampoline into it, the bouncing kids may not see over fence. Yes we did this

yeah, my SIL and BIL (2 families) have both done this, it looks great, really much safer and more user frinedly too. But both ended up having to put a pump in as the pit filled with water.

Figgygal · 21/04/2020 20:08

Can you not just relocate it in the garden?

Outtedagain · 21/04/2020 20:21

Can your kids bounce blindfolded? That should please her surely.
I would have used my best telephone voice and said no. That doesn’t suit me. Have a nice day. Feel free to come and have bounce sometime though.

Unusualusernames · 21/04/2020 20:39

Your neighbour is a twat.

Umnoway · 21/04/2020 20:43

Of course you shouldn’t take it down, she sounds like such a joy.

HedgehogHotel · 24/04/2020 14:17

Depends where it is.

If it's within metres of the fence/property boundary. YABVVU.

If it's not, then YANBU IF you have told your children to not stare into the neighbour's garden and to face their own garden since this is an issue.

BanKittenHeels · 24/04/2020 15:14

I am loving that there is a thread based on a similar scenario but from the other perspective and the replies are totally different.