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Original poster

To not want to throw the ball back over

139 replies

NoProblama · 23/09/2021 15:00

So the family next door to me have kids around age 8 and 10, give or take a year or two. I'm here on my own with two toddlers and every day multiple times a day they're ringing in for me to throw their ball back over the fence. If I don't answer the door they stay there and keep knocking and ringing for ages.

I know it sounds stupid but I'm really fed up of it, we could be sitting there eating dinner or cleaning up after dinner and they'll just be at the door knocking over and over again, they've even opened the letterbox before to look in. I throw the ball back if I see it in the garden, there's abseloutley no reason for them to knock in constantly.

I know its a really minor problem but I'm not sure if I'm over reacting or not 🤣

OP posts:
drinkingwineoutofamug · 26/09/2021 12:21

Had this problem with next door teenage lad. Most landed in bushes though. Would find when cutting hedges .
We got a dog. We got a fence .
I explained to the lad that I will throw balls over when I see them but may not always get to if before the dog.
Most balls I did save but recently the dog beat me to it.
I threw over the balls with dog tooth marks on with apology but not popped.
Balls stopped coming over .
Never needed to speak to the parents

Biker47 · 26/09/2021 12:25

@HerrenaHarridan

Put a net above your fence so the ball falls back down their side

That’s what I did anyway.

Solves your problem and keeps them outside playing

It's not the OP's problem to have to go to that effort or expense.
HerrenaHarridan · 26/09/2021 17:18

It doesn’t have to be, no… she could be a petty fucker about it

Or she could solve the problem that’s bothering HER with a simple 10 min bit of diy

Imagine just taking responsibility for fixing things that bother you and not spoiling anyone else’s fun

Totally radical

EmeraldShamrock · 26/09/2021 17:22

Tell them no more knocking, you'll fire them over when you get a chance.
Don't stab the ball.
My neighbour LHS throws them back, RHS wouldn't return them which is their choice.
I buy LHS neighbour a bottle of whisky for Christmas.
I apologise too, its not every day.
I don't allow the DC knock on the door for a ball.

Bluntness100 · 26/09/2021 17:32

Is there any reason you can’t tell them In future to go and get it themselves and not knock the door, that’s what I used to do.

Bluntness100 · 26/09/2021 17:34

@StoneofDestiny

They are kids playing ball. Give them back their ball and remember this when your own kids want to play ball. My DC don't play it any more because the neighbour kept their balls and they have nowhere else to play. Kids can get up to a lot worse than enthusiastically play football

It's not whether the kids play ball or not, it's the fact they kick it into a neighbours garden repeatedly then thunder on the door to get it back every time, even looking through her letterbox!

It's indefensible.

OP doesn't exist to run after someone else's kids or to have her home life interrupted by such lack of consideration.

As I said up thread - some of us manage to bring football loving kids up without antagonising the neighbours. If my kids couldn't keep it low to the ground they were told to stop playing football in the garden by me. I bought them a football attached to elastic that kept it confined to our space. There are other things to do - and if football was the only option, id have to take them to the park!

Basically the OP is being forced to run around after someone else's kids!

(I imagine if your neighbours kept your kids footballs, they had suffered enough)

Gosh how dramatic 😂😂😂
LookAtMoiPloise · 26/09/2021 18:18

@HerrenaHarridan

It doesn’t have to be, no… she could be a petty fucker about it

Or she could solve the problem that’s bothering HER with a simple 10 min bit of diy

Imagine just taking responsibility for fixing things that bother you and not spoiling anyone else’s fun

Totally radical

How's she being a petty fucker?
Crimsonripple · 26/09/2021 18:20

Yes that would annoy me too. More their insistent knocking rather than the ball going over.

tigger1001 · 26/09/2021 19:56

@HerrenaHarridan

It doesn’t have to be, no… she could be a petty fucker about it

Or she could solve the problem that’s bothering HER with a simple 10 min bit of diy

Imagine just taking responsibility for fixing things that bother you and not spoiling anyone else’s fun

Totally radical

She could also fix it by not giving the balls back.

It's not out there to expect neighbours not to spend their days annoying you. Which is exactly what her neighbours have done by not parenting their children. Decent neighbours would ensure the kids are not kicking balls over the fence multiple times per day.

Some people really take pride in their garden which shouldn't be spoiled by next doors kids who seem to think it's acceptable to kick balls over.

StoneofDestiny · 26/09/2021 22:23

It's not out there to expect neighbours not to spend their days annoying you. Which is exactly what her neighbours have done by not parenting their children. Decent neighbours would ensure the kids are not kicking balls over the fence multiple times per day

Agree 100%.

simitra · 27/09/2021 01:39

This happened to some extend during the summer with the neighbours grandkids. I am elderly and walking with a stick at present and dont go out into the garden unless I absolutely have to. I cant bend without the risk of falling over and not being able to get back up. I dont throw balls back. My nephew told them that he comes twice weekly and will throw it out into the street. Then whoever it belongs to has to hope that no one else gets it first.

The ball has not once come over since then.

StripyHorse · 27/09/2021 06:49

Is it safe for them to get the ball themselves, and easy to access? (No locked gate etc).

I get how frustrating it is, the boys next door to us are a few years older than DDs and so we used to have the same thing happening. Sometimes they would walk past the ball to knock on the door to ask it they could get it. Polite, but pointless.

We told their parents on a few occasions that we were happy for them to just get the ball, and said the same to the children. They then only seemed to knock after a long gap of not needing to (like they thought the permission had run out).

DocAutumn · 28/09/2021 11:10

You don't have to throw it back. Nobody can force you to be pleasant.

Bobsyer · 28/09/2021 11:20

Next time tell them if you don’t answer straight away you’re not available and you’ll throw the ball back when you can. They don’t need to verbally ask you - you know it’s them.

Or if you have space let them just come in and retrieve it?

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