Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DS and mates playing football in garden

78 replies

SoccerMum1 · 17/02/2023 22:26

Hey all,

First time posting but a long time lurker - in a bit of a predicament

DS 16 and 14 are having a few mates round on Sunday and are wanting to play footy in the garden (all sounds reasonable right), but here comes my problem - they're wanting to use fruit to hang up in the nets to aim at.

They've seen a video on youtube (showed me earlier, think it was ). Apparently they're gonna hang up a load of fruit and take it in turns to try and hit it, scoring different amounts of points. Apparently they'll be using the left over to practise kick ups with and use the fruit as a footy instead

AIBU to think it'll make a load of mess and be a bit expensive? Both DS are dead keen on it as they reckon it'll be fun to hit and destroy it? DS16 say's he'll pay for the fruit and tidy up but i'm not so sure - think it's messy and not a good use of his money? Don't wanna be a killjoy though - AIBU?

OP posts:
InPraiseOfBacchus · 18/02/2023 10:44

This sounds like the most wholesome activity ever. I wasn't nearly this active and creative when I was 14. Sounds like you've got really great kids. :)

GoodChat · 18/02/2023 10:46

£20 will be more than enough.
Tell them it covers any snacks they want too.

Blondeshavemorefun · 18/02/2023 10:47

Sounds fun

Tho I wouldn't spend £40 at your top range of fruit to be squashed

That's a lot of bananas pears grapes etc

Equally they could spent that at an arcade and animals don't get fed

So ,,,,,,

Pic before and after would be good 😂

Luredbyapomegranate · 18/02/2023 10:49

Why would you not let them?!

It sounds fun and is such a tiny drop in the ocean of food waste as a one off.

IntegrityisDead · 18/02/2023 10:57

Mine used to do similar with balloons filled with water, or worse!
I can see the appeal of smashing things, certainly most tech games celebrate destruction but I feel more uncomfortable with it in 'real life' maybe because even if it isn't sentient it's organic... or I'm just old and getting sentimental 🙄

Eastereggsboxedupready · 18/02/2023 11:09

Can't they use water balloons instead?

Ketchupwee · 18/02/2023 11:16

I would allow it, but I certainly wouldn't be paying for the wasted fruit

Fleamaker123 · 18/02/2023 11:19

I would let them, the mess will eventually disappear with birds eating/rain washing away. Like others have said, it's better than them being holed up in their bedrooms.

Although if they're wearing studs you'll have no lawn left!

19lottie82 · 18/02/2023 11:23

I was out shagging constantly and getting fucked off my face on eckies at
15. I think you can allow this.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Oblomov23 · 18/02/2023 11:24

Let them get on with it. Sounds fun. Let them play in the garden, then x box. Order pizza 🍕. Fab.

HolyZarquonsSingingSeals · 18/02/2023 11:46

At 16 your son is old enough to decide what he does with his own money.

Surroundedbyfools · 18/02/2023 11:50

At 16/14 I’d be sending them to the local football pitch, park or grass unless you have a huge garden. Lads that age r too big to be smashing balls around gardens ! Fruit wise I’d just let them crack on with it. Least they r not glued to PlayStation, birds will eat the waste

Jessbow · 18/02/2023 12:15

£10 should be ample.

DizzyRascal · 18/02/2023 12:28

I really hate this idea! Just wasting food for fun-I think it's gross. So I would say sorry, no.
When my kids were a similar age I stopped their mates coming over to play football in the garden anyway as they just got too big and destroyed my plants and lawn ( plus the neighbours weren't mad on all the swearing..) So I would tell them to go let off steam in the the park/ rec ground tbh, but feed them after, or give them cash to get pizza.

ScreamALullabye · 18/02/2023 12:51

Seriously in a few years time you'll be wishing they were kicking fruit round on your garden!

mondaytosunday · 18/02/2023 13:56

My worry would be breaking windows (as four of mine were broken over the years).
But if you have the space with no window breaking dangers sounds like loads of fun! And cheap too compared to the go carting/paint balling type parties!

UsingChangeofName · 18/02/2023 14:12

Bit of a stir here - all the comments saying go for it and the vote the complete opposite - any other opinions?

I think it isn't very clear which way your AIBU is.

Does YABU mean you would be unreasonable to say they can't ? (which is how I interpreted it)

or
Does it mean it is an unreasonable thing to do (which I can see it might).

I wouldn't place too much importance on the vote.

I mean, I think it is a bit of a daft / wasteful thing to do, but it is their time they are using and their money and they have said they won't leave mess, so I'd shrug and let them get on with it.
There are a LOT of things dc of that age could be doing that are a LOT worse.
I'd be pleased my dc still happy to be inviting friends to my home....still happy to be out doing something that doesn't involve a screen....are still talking to you about their plans ..... are aware it is something they need to plan and work out how to do it .... are understanding they need to clear up.... realise it is their activity and therefore their expense to meet......
All in all , sound like decent lads.

c0nfusedasalways · 18/02/2023 14:53

First World Problems. People don't have food to eat and most people here think its totally reasonable to kick food about for fun😳

unless it's absolutely rotten and mouldy, its a 👎🏻 from me.

2bazookas · 18/02/2023 15:08

Let them buy the fruit themselves; and they must clean up to your satisfaction after.

If they have half a brain they'll negotiate some spoiled fruit fron the local greengrocer.

MoreSleepPleasee · 18/02/2023 15:20

Let them enjoy themselves and have a lovely time. I voted yabu as in yabu to stop them having fun.

ThinWomansBrain · 18/02/2023 15:25

why not suggest that whatever they spend on food that they're going to destroy, they donate an equal amount to a local food bank?

PinkPantherPaws · 18/02/2023 15:27

I wouldn't care who bought it or who cleaned the mess up or whatever. I can't abide senseless waste, especially food waste. Giving kids food to purposely destroy is gross.

It would be a hard no from me. I'm surprised so many are all for it.

CafeCremeMerci · 18/02/2023 15:32

It would be a hard no from me too & I'd feel I'd failed as a parent if my kids thought buying fruit to waste like that was 'fun'.

There are families going without food up & down the country and you're happy to let them buy food to trash -I think you & those posting agreeing should be ashamed of yourselves frankly.

They could have played a similar game using recycling.

Ihatethenewlook · 18/02/2023 16:10

CafeCremeMerci · 18/02/2023 15:32

It would be a hard no from me too & I'd feel I'd failed as a parent if my kids thought buying fruit to waste like that was 'fun'.

There are families going without food up & down the country and you're happy to let them buy food to trash -I think you & those posting agreeing should be ashamed of yourselves frankly.

They could have played a similar game using recycling.

Pmsl. Yeh totally failed as a parent if your child squashes a banana 😂

ManchesterGirl2 · 18/02/2023 16:24

Leave them to it, but make them pay. It's a 'waste' of food in a sense, but most activities use up some resource or other. At least the fruit is biodegradable, a lot activities these days involve buying throwaway plastic tat.