Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Balls over fence. Lots and lots of them.

125 replies

Ballhater · 07/05/2020 11:52

Perhaps more of a WWYD?

NDNs are really nice but have 3 teenage kids who play football in the garden every day. In fact that’s all they do in the garden. They have a full size goal at the end of the garden which spans the whole width.

We get a lot of balls over the fence. One or two a day at least. The record I think was 7 in a day.

This is really starting to piss me off. Especially as I have two little kids who might get hit by a ball. Also we have plans for that end of the garden and I don’t want any plants or garden features to get squashed.

We’ve tried asking them to be more careful when my kids are playing out. Not really had much impact (2 balls came over yesterday).

My DH is pretty relaxed about it all and kicks balls back the same day or the next day.

We’re on good terms with our neighbours and I don’t want to change that.

I’m thinking of a fence topper? We could grow things up it which would be nice. But not sure if that would have much impact as I don’t think they can be that tall.

What is reasonable to do here??

I haven’t even got into the constant fucking thud thud bang clash of the bloody balls against the fence. We own the fence by the way.

OP posts:

Burplecutter · 09/05/2020 06:58

This used to happen all the time to me too. I used to throw them back no problem, but tolerance does wear thin when they make a game of breaking every pane of glass in a greenhouse roof.

They stopped coming over about a year ago. I'm not sure if it coincided with their eldest growing up and growing out of playing kids games, or if it was that their balls just kept always landing in fresh dog poop which always got into the seams, so took a while for the parents to clean off.

bamboodled · 09/05/2020 07:08

@ballhater, my 2 teens have been sending several balls a day over the fence to our elderly neighbour's garden during the lockdown. Thankfully she had 2 children of her own, so is sympathetic and very lovely about it. Have you thought about what will happen when your children are older and the tables are turned?

I've bought sponge balls, so they don't hurt anyone or damage anything - perhaps you could suggest that? I've also bought several of them (7 at last count), so they have enough to keep them going without needing to pester for throwbacks. The balls tend to come back over all at once at the beginning or end of the day.

EveryLifeHasASoundtrack · 09/05/2020 07:10

You’re concerned about your small children being hit by a ball but you’re thinking of installing a pond?

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that. There’s no safe way of having a pond with young children.

Mintlegs · 09/05/2020 07:25

Absolutely shocked at some of the replies on here. Teenagers need to let off steam during lockdown (or otherwise). The nastiness of some of the advice is astounding. Your sweet angelic children will be teenagers one day and you may change your mind! You may also want to assist them avoiding being obese and encourage a healthy lifestyle. I know it’s annoying when balls come over but, really in the current climate?!

Mummyoflittledragon · 09/05/2020 07:25

I think I’d stop throwing the balls back and go and talk to the parents, not the children. They are irresponsible allowing 13 plus year olds to kick balls out of their garden. I would also say the ball has hit your father and he has a bruise on his cheek and you are very concerned for your children. They can’t check in lockdown, can they?

As for going halves on that net suggested upthread, no. The parents need to pay for that or turn the net to face their house. Bet they won’t see the funny side of it then.

TwistyHair · 09/05/2020 07:28

What? When you said lots and lots I was thinking at least 20 a day. Two a day. It’s not a big deal. Or is this a wind up?

Choctimeout · 09/05/2020 07:33

My sweet angelic teenagers have been raised to respect other people's property and that their right to enjoyment doesn't top that.

It's called 'parenting', you're welcome.

SkippyDies · 09/05/2020 07:48

Apologies if this had already been suggested but can’t your neighbours move the goal so it back up to their own house?
This should stop balls hitting and coming over your fence as they should mostly be being aimed towards their own property.

Work the hitting your own small children/ destroying plants/ thud thud thud and virus vector angle into your suggestion they just move the goal.

EveryLifeHasASoundtrack · 09/05/2020 07:52

It's called 'parenting', you're welcome.

🤪🤪🤪

Mintlegs · 09/05/2020 08:13

Absolutely enjoyment for all with compassion and consideration on both sides. Your little children will be teenagers one day Choctimeout, I am sure you will be the model parent!

comedycentral · 09/05/2020 09:50

For those of you that pop the balls. I presume they just end up in landfill? What a waste.

heartsonacake · 09/05/2020 11:17

For those of you that pop the balls. I presume they just end up in landfill? What a waste.

comedycentral Not my problem. I didn’t buy them or make them.

00100001 · 09/05/2020 11:55

It's a dick move to pop/burst the balls.

I'm sure you'd be fucked off if someone deliberately destroyed your property.

Let them down, fine. But to destroy it is about far...

DeRigueurMortis · 09/05/2020 12:06

Mintlegs

Re: Absolutely shocked at some of the replies on here. Teenagers need to let off steam during lockdown (or otherwise). The nastiness of some of the advice is astounding. Your sweet angelic children will be teenagers one day and you may change your mind! You may also want to assist them avoiding being obese and encourage a healthy lifestyle. I know it’s annoying when balls come over but, really in the current climate?!

I don't know of any other scenario in MN where your neighbours children are causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage, where people would post that you should suck it up so teens can "let off steam".

Furthermore, most posters who have experienced this have done so prior to lockdown, but even as stands it's ridiculous to suggest that it's acceptable to engage in behaviour that causes significant damage and inconvenience to the people you live next door to.

heartsonacake · 09/05/2020 12:17

I'm sure you'd be fucked off if someone deliberately destroyed your property.

00100001 If I was repeatedly throwing my property into someone else’s garden then no I wouldn’t be annoyed; I’d think it was fair game.

Original poster

Ballhater · 09/05/2020 13:15

They can’t move the goal to the other end - they’d not be able to fit past it! Plus balls going towards the houses would be even worse! Their neighbours on the other side would get balls then.

For those thinking this is due to lockdown, it isn’t. There were just as many balls before but it is worse for me as I am home with the kids and not at playgroups, nursery etc.

My main issue is concern about my kids getting hit or frightened by the balls.

Secondary concern is for plants / pond getting damaged but that isn’t an issue right now as there are few plants that end.

And yes I know about pond and safety. I’m talking a mini pond (like a butler sink) with a sunken grate. But I won’t do if I can’t make it safe / leave it for a few years.

Anyway, thankfully I think my NDNs get that balls being lobbed into my garden while two toddlers are there is not on. No balls yesterday! I feel they’re making an effort to play less aggressively while my kids are outside.

I wouldn’t damage the balls but I am going to kick them back over less frequently.

When we get round to sorting that end of the garden of balls are then damaging my property, plants etc I’ll talk to them and suggest some sort of netting.

OP posts:

BoomyBooms · 09/05/2020 13:16

We had the exact same problem with our next door neighbours, and the kids were telling at the top of their lungs the entire time they were outside too. This was often until 9pm at night. Not normal, understandable children-playing noises but literally running around screaming as loud as they could. We used to send balls back over when we could be bothered, but we also let the dog get a couple eventually so we could say 'oops sorry we didn't know it was in the garden, he got to it before we could' to try to encourage them to stop or at least ask for their balls back. It had no impact.

BoomyBooms · 09/05/2020 13:17

Oh and watch out for your fence too, ours was getting damaged by them and wearing big gapa in the wood!

Original poster

Ballhater · 09/05/2020 13:18

Oh that sounds crap @BoomyBooms. Is it still a problem?

OP posts:

Original poster

Ballhater · 09/05/2020 13:19

Yeah I worry about the fence getting damaged. The ball is really thwacked into it

OP posts:

BoomyBooms · 10/05/2020 09:44

Fortunately not... Only because we moved!! Not because of them but it was a silver lining.

888central · 01/07/2021 00:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 01/07/2021 00:36

I can’t believe you keep returning them. Bin them instantly and plead ignorance.

888central · 01/07/2021 00:40

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 01/07/2021 00:44

Zombie thread. That’s hilarious.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Swipe left for the next trending thread