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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:
longtompot · 18/02/2023 16:36

A lot of birds would love the little bits of apple and other fruit around the garden. I have blackbirds all over my grass trying to find things to eat

Floralnomad · 18/02/2023 16:42

I just can’t see the point of this , water balloons of different sizes I get but smashing fruit just sounds like a disgusting mess to me .

Soozikinzii · 18/02/2023 16:45

Sounds reasonable to me - a bit of harmless fun . I hate foot waste but would still be OK for pets ? Better than screentime I think .

GlassBunion · 18/02/2023 16:46

Id be saying no if it were my children, sorry.
I think its disrespectful to treat food in this manner.

DizzyRascal · 18/02/2023 17:08

All those saying "it's better than screens" ..you do know you can take kids screens away right? I'm not saying you should, but you can.
I feel more and more that my generation are scared of upsetting their kids to a damaging degree quite honestly.

CafeCremeMerci · 18/02/2023 17:38

Ihatethenewlook · 18/02/2023 16:10

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

Show quote history

@Ihatethenewlook

Well, they're not squashing 'A' banana are they🙄🙄🙄

They're going to buy a lot of fruit, some peoples entire weeks food budget, just to destroy it.

Its odd, to me, that you don't think it would be better to give that to children that are hungry!!

they could have played virtually the same game with stuff from the recycling.

c0nfusedasalways · 18/02/2023 17:50

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.

hear hear!

UsingChangeofName · 18/02/2023 17:59

They're going to buy a lot of fruit, some peoples entire weeks food budget, just to destroy it.
Its odd, to me, that you don't think it would be better to give that to children that are hungry!!

Bit simplistic there though. Foodbanks can't take fresh food like that. It isn't a straight choice between kicking a ball at some fruit and 'doing good' with it.
You are taking it back to the level of children being told to clear their plate as there are starving children in Ethiopia'.

I'm not a fan of encouraging children to play with food. I know it has been popular in Nurseries for some years now and it isn't a choice I would make, but, in this case, if that's what by teenage lads were planning, I'd roll my eyes, let them get on with it, and bring it up in conversation later that possibly it wasn't that sensible.
But which teen is always sensible ?

Blondeshavemorefun · 18/02/2023 18:11

So did they do this today op?

GoodChat · 18/02/2023 18:20

Blondeshavemorefun · 18/02/2023 18:11

So did they do this today op?

Presumably not as they wanted to do it on Sunday

Blondeshavemorefun · 18/02/2023 18:23

lol. Good point @GoodChat

MissMaple82 · 18/02/2023 18:24

I would not allow this shit

oioimatey · 18/02/2023 18:26

Total waste of food but when I was 16 I'd microwave eggs until they exploded, so who am I to talk? They'll hopefully do it once and realise what a waste it is before going to play football at the park from now on

KickHimInTheCrotch · 18/02/2023 18:29

It takes me back to a summer spent playing vegetable cricket in the mid 90s. Good wholesome fun.

Ponderingwindow · 18/02/2023 18:32

Not voting because it’s not clear to me which side is which.

the arguments against would be good waste and bothering the neighbors. If your garden is big enough and they don’t plan to do this every weekend, I would just let them get to it. Don’t impose a bunch of rules. Just make it clear that they have to figure out how to clean it all up when it is over. It will be a good memory for them.

KickHimInTheCrotch · 18/02/2023 18:34

And we never asked permission to play vegetable cricket. We picked things (tomatoes, onions etc) from the garden and pinched things from the fruit bowl and vegetable basket. Parents weren't overly impressed but I don't recall it being a big issue.

MumOf2workOptions · 18/02/2023 23:59

MissMaple82 · 18/02/2023 18:24

I would not allow this shit

I agree I wouldn't either
There's a lot of families who'd be very grateful of fruit not to just waste it I don't agree with it at all and I don't think it's setting the right example to be honest

JemimaTiggywinkles · 19/02/2023 00:30

I’d let them, it sounds like fun. And I’d let them use football boots - grass recovers really well and it really won’t be long before they’re both too old to want to play football together in the garden.

Of course there are people who are hungry, cold etc. But you can bet your last penny that the posters on here don’t limit themselves to essentials only and give the rest of their money away to those in need! Almost everyone spends some of their money on things which are unnecessary, such as the electricity required to access MN.

TheOrigRights · 19/02/2023 00:35

This goes against how I have raised my children. It just wouldn't sit well with me.

Tempone · 19/02/2023 00:37

All those saying use water balloons, they are harmful to the environment any small bits of food will decompose and go back to the earth or eaten, big bits can be fed to the birds. Ask the shop for out of date fruit.

I really don't see an issue here.

toomuchlaundry · 19/02/2023 00:39

The OP was wondering whether to spend £40. That is a lot of fruit to waste.

Tempone · 19/02/2023 00:47

She asks what's a reasonable amount 10, 20 or 40...I don't think anyone suggested 40.

Original poster
SoccerMum1 · 19/02/2023 07:46

Morning all,

Crikey, what a stir this has caused - i'm not a fan of food waste either but this is a drop in the ocean compared to everything else really. @UsingChangeofName 's comment stood out to me - probably not the best use of resource but it's something for them both and their mates to be doing together outdoors that's active and seems creative

I've told both DC's they can give it a go (as a one off) and i'll fund their fruit for this (we agreed on £25 worth) and some pizza after. They're off this morning with their mates to get some stuff - hopefully if they stick to apples / bananas / oranges etc they'll manage to get plenty of bits - think they want a few bigger bits though like watermelons, pineapples etc (as according to them this will be more 'satisfying' - whatever that means 🤔)

They've already agreed to tidy up after and to wear their nike air forces rather than footy boots so they're not ruining the lawn

Hopefully as a one off they'll have some fun for a few hours and there's a lot worse they could be doing at their age - i'll report back on here this later on this evening and update everyone on how they found it

OP posts:
Original poster
SoccerMum1 · 19/02/2023 21:06

Hey all,

Fruit football all done for today - both DS's and they're two mates really enjoyed it and has a blast - really glad to see them both getting on so well. Youngest is a tad annoyed he didn't manage to destroy as much fruit and score highly as the others but still had a good time. DS 16 glad he won - never seen him so competitive!

Garden was left all tidy and all the left over fruit was placed in a corner for the birds. DC 14 regrets wearing his airforces - they're a bit fruity but sure that'll wash off, left them in the garden to dry as the grooves underneath were covered in bits of fruit.

DC's were chuffed with their selection, £25 spent in total and bought plenty, a pack of apples, bananas, oranges, a pineapple and a couple of melons and water melons!

Probably not the best use of resource but glad everyone has a good time - thanks to all those convincing me it was okay to let them play - glad to see the smiles on everyones faces and having a fun time - lasted a good few hours of fun for everyone and great bonding time so probably not bad for the money - could have been spent in worse ways.

Thanks all,
SoccerMum1

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 19/02/2023 23:24

I love to see teens actually playing and having fun.
Well done OP.

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