Neighbour’s kid picked my daffodils

[Lucylooloo2]

Just that really, had lots of notifications of movement on the doorbell camera and lo and behold a kid (8ish years old) from a few houses down with a bunch of daffodils in her hand.

Checked mine in my front garden when I got home and Every. Single. One. has been taken.

I’m just really sad tbh. Know there are much bigger problems in the world but they were a little spark of joy for me 😕

It is selfish to steal(pick) flowers from other peoples gardens or public places. Taking those flowers then means others don't get to enjoy the beauty of it.

Children don't understand this. It's up to the parents to teach their children to grow their own or buy them.

My point was they are a quid in the shop so no need to steal somone elses.

Do you think the girl was somehow unable to see all the daffodils in her own garden? She chose to steal the OP's and left those in her own garden where they were.

CB i’d be marching down there in a rage.
Child of that age is WELL old enough to know better.

I’d demand an apology and their daffodils, and that they not set foot on my property again.

None of this maudlin nonsense from me.

She’s not two, she is well old enough to understand the concept of thievery.

Oh sorry I misunderstood 😊
Totally agree

You would think so but considering the batshit comments on here like 'each to their own' in defence and 'super sweet' to do this... I do wonder!!!

I recall our granddaughter, about 4, being told she could have 5p for every dandelion she brought me, I showed her what they were and off she went. She came back with almost every yellow flower in the garden and a large mental bill! Damn her Maths ability.

Bloody hell! I hope their parents gave them a telling off and apologised when you told them!!

I can't believe all this " oh it's sweet, she's picked them for her mum" claptrap.

OP says child's family have daffodils in their own garden and the child knew well enough not to have picked those flowers.

I'd be round to have a word with the parents. She's 8 not 3. She understands the difference between neighbour's property and her own.

This happens where I am too. I lost a beautiful wreath given to me as a present and was baffled until my NDN told me that the naice middle class mums will steal the nice wreaths right off the doors.

They were presumably the kids nicking daffs and being called sweet by their own parents.

This is one of the most ridiculous posts on a thread with with many many ridiculous posts. I am in my 60s now and I don't remember any time when a child stealing flowers from a neighbour's garden would have 'filled people with joy'.

If I had done this at the time I was a child I would have got a smack. Not saying that was right....but the idea that there was some past golden age when people were filled with joy at the sight of children nicking their neighbours' flowers, is utterly batshit ridiculous. The OP was (rightly) upset by this & that is a good enough reason for her to create a thread.

I'd go & knock on the door,
Just to let you know that your daughter, has picked every single daffodil in my front garden. So can you tell her to leave my tulips the fuck alone, & not to set foot on my property ever again.

@Lucylooloo2

so
have you been round for a chat
wondering and waiting 🙂

You suggested rewarding theft. No one is proposing severe punishment but stealing flowers from a neighbours garden should not be rewarded.

Are you one of the many parents who advocate for 'gentle parenting' without understanding that it includes firm boundaries and consequences.

The Deer love to eat my daffodils. 😭

Maybe leave out some popcorn 😋

Just wanted to give everyone an update, messaged the mum last night on WhatsApp (it was bed and bath time by the time we got home so didn’t want to interrupt so late) - it’s still showing as unread and there’s been no reply, but my doorbell did ping again this morning. The mum come round with the daughter and left a small flower pot on our doorstep.

We were visibly home at the time so tbh it would have been nice if they had knocked on to verbally apologise instead of dropping and running without acknowledgement, but it’s something

I would be so cross with my child if they did this and would want to apologise to the person whose garden my child had vandalised. People put a lot of time, money and effort into their gardens which is their property. Is it sweet if the child goes into the house and takes something for a gift for them mum? Why didn’t she take the daffs from her own garden? She knew it was wrong and she would be into trouble if she did.

The greedy fuckers eat pretty much everything nice that grows in my garden and yet people still go "aww bless them" if I mention moan about it. Bloody Bambi has a lot to answer for.

That's very unsatisfactory. The very least you should have had were sincere apologies and acknowledgement of the damage done. Was there anything in the small flower pot or was it just the pot?

Exactly. How absurd. The child needs a stern lesson to nip this in the bud.

I agree. If my own daughter had done this, she would have been frog marched round, the door would have been knocked and I'd have expected her to apologise verbally, along with a very sincere apology from me! I'd also have brought a hell of a lot more than a small plant pot. I'd have offered to reimburse the daffodil bulbs as a bare minimum but I imagine I'd have probably brought a substantial garden centre voucher or similar along too. She has taught that child absolutely nothing beyond being a rude coward. Do wrong in life? Ah just don't apologise. Go to a door and chuck a plant on it, don't even knock. I half expect if you hadn't a video doorbell installed that she would have happily continued turning a blind eye!

Were there any flowers in the pot?

It's better than nothing, but that is all there is to say about it. The mum is either a bit dim or she lacks the courage to apologise in person (& get her child to apologise).

Can you not put up a fence, or a haha. Nothing visually intrusive but just enough to keep them out.
Ps I’m one of those ‘aww bless them’, but I’d say that for all animals 🙂