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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be sitting here willing a small child to fall off my wall?

34 replies

hecate · 04/04/2008 14:37

I am, I know I am. And if she actually fell, I'd be straight out there with big cuddles and a lollypop, I know I would!

But she is running up and down my wall and around my front garden and her mother is sitting on my wall, just watching her. (they live next door - but not the other half of my semi, they're on the unconnected side of me, iyswim!)

I thought they didn't realise I was in, so I made a point of going and opening my window, so they knew I was there...they disappeared for a minute and then the little girl ran back along my wall. And now she's running along my wall and around my garden.

FUCK OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFF! Go play in your OWN FECKING GARDEN IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THIS ONE!!!!!!!!!

This one is mine

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 04/04/2008 14:42

Open the door, step out, and say (firmly but politely!) "Can you get off my wall, it's not for running on". Then stand there until they go.

ChasingSquirrels · 04/04/2008 14:42

no - not CAN you get off. "Off the wall, it's not for running or climbing on".

tiredemma · 04/04/2008 14:43

Throw a stone at them

Original poster
hecate · 04/04/2008 14:44

Yes but then I'll look a miserable old cow to the mother. Plus I am fearing I am being unreasonable to be bothered by a little girl having harmless fun ...

.... in my garden....

OP posts:
meglet · 04/04/2008 14:45

((rushes in with a calming cuppa and biscuits for hecate))

Probably not worth getting in a ruck with your neighbour about, it's her problem if her daughter falls off I'd say.

I hope the little girl isn't trampling your garden though, that would annoy me.

Original poster
hecate · 04/04/2008 14:45

I wonder if I can borrow ds's pea shooter and fire at them from the bedroom window, without being seen.....

OP posts:
Original poster
hecate · 04/04/2008 14:46

ahhhhhh tea and biscuits.

You're right of course. Pick my battles and all that. I'm just very territorial

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 04/04/2008 14:46

well either you do something or you don't. Personally I think it is adults NOT doing something that has lead to alot of the problems we appear to have in society.

DarthVader · 04/04/2008 14:47

didn't you enjoy walking on walls as a kid though?

Miggsie · 04/04/2008 14:48

I had the same problem, several prickly overhanging shrubs later and problem is miraculously solved.
Oh, and euphorbias too so when any passing drunk tries to uproot plants from my garden as a "laugh" they get a really nasty skin iritation!!!!!!

Evil emoticon

duchesse · 04/04/2008 14:50

Yes YABU. We're always banging on here about how little freedom, exercise, etc children get these days... Surely a small lend of your wall for the common good is a Good Thing?

ChasingSquirrels · 04/04/2008 14:50

yes, of course I did - and my parents made sure that when I did it, it was somewhere that wouldn't bother other people - ie not SOMEONE'S wall, but more public walls. A value of respecting other people and their property that I still hold.

Original poster
hecate · 04/04/2008 14:51

I was never allowed, DV!

Good plan, Miggsie, now...how much is poison ivy?

Well, reassured by you lot that I was not being unreasonable, I stood up to go and ask them to piss off move, but before I got to the door, they'd gone back. I wonder if they felt 'vibes'.

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 04/04/2008 14:52

pmsl.

The thing is to tell them reasonably, don't ask - it's not a choice you are giving them, but don't be aggressive about it (well the first few times anyway!).

bigmouthstrikesagain · 04/04/2008 14:56

I totally relate to this as in our last place a garden flat the neighbour's daughter (or child of Satan as we affectionately called her) used to regularly climb on our wall and hop over into our garden - but mostly just sit sullenly on the wall staring us out.

We were not all that keen on our neighbour for a number of things that I won't go into. We did not tell the girl off instead we built a F**k off fence on top of the wall (which was very low) thus protecting our privacy and preventing her wall climbing shenanigans. Her presence was very unsettling so I sympathise Hecate.

Chequers · 04/04/2008 15:19

Message withdrawn

Threadworm · 04/04/2008 15:24

Go out there and get the mum to sign a big disclaimer form saying you won't be held responsible for injury or loss of life.

KellyKateneedsaholiday · 04/04/2008 16:22

go out with a hose to clean driveway/ water plants/ accidentally soak anyone who is too close.

Divvy · 04/04/2008 16:30

Do you have a dog?

The old poo on the wall trick!

OrmIrian · 04/04/2008 16:38

What is special about your wall I wonder? Odd to make a special trip out just to run on a neighbours wall

I don't think I'd mind unless it happened regularly. But then again, it's a slippery slope. On your wall today, smashing your windows with a brick tomorrow. Mark my words .

bigmouthstrikesagain · 04/04/2008 16:41

Oh well if you insist Chequers (Hope you feel better soon)...

Our neighbour was a stupid rude and drunken 'irish twat' (that was our pet name for him) coming from a large family of drunken scotch and irish I felt justified to feel that way. He cut down our tree without permission(that previously provided the privacy that we regained with the fence). He did this literally the day before we moved in so we came to our new home welcomed by a butchered tree and sackfulls of foliage that he never removed, my husband eventually got rid of the stump but our neighbours only offer was a can of cider after dh nearly broke his back levering the thing up... there were other similarly unneighbourly actions (inc. tuneless penny whistle playing at all hours) so we remained civil but were really happy waving goodbye to that sad little man.

sorry to go off topic.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 04/04/2008 17:01

sorry - should read that I am from a large drunken irish / scottish family -

Bridie3 · 04/04/2008 17:06

Why not say you're a little worried because your brother in law who's a builder has pointed out that your wall isn't actually very safe and needs reconstructing. You'd hate her to have an accident...

glaskham · 04/04/2008 17:21

Oh you know what i hate this...i have the same problem with the boys from next door....i now watch for them playing in MY GARDEN then i go out and just aimlessly start tidying/weeding/ putting kids toys in or out of the shed!! i stay there long enough for them to realise what i'm doing and they piss off in!!!

one day i went out and the oldest kid (about 8-9yo) and his friend decided to play on the roof of the shed in their garden. there's a massive hole in the roof and the youngest (around 6yo) was passing spades and rakes up through the hole to them to throw across the garden. The mother shouted from the window 'one of you get down off that roof, what if it falls through? I dont mind one of you on there but not two'....FFS if the roof is going to fall through it'd do it with one kid still- so thats one kids to take to hospital when he's fallen a good 6ft through a roof onto all sorts of crap in her shed!!

I swear i hate her!! I've even considered calling social services.....but thats a whole new topic!!

Chequers · 04/04/2008 17:26

Message withdrawn

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