AIBU to think my neighbour overreacted when my son's ball went astray?

[TheOpalFox]

Just got loads of abuse off a neighbour because my sons balll went into his garden!?!!!

I am far too unsteady on my feet to bend down and pick up balls. When balls from next door's visiting grand kids have come over they never got them back that day. My front gate is locked so they cant retrieve them. Next time he visits my nephew throws them out into the street where they are fair game for any passing kid. So the kids learned a valuable lesson about taking care of their property. I cant remember the last time a ball came over. I guess the parents got tired of buying new ones.

There is no excuse for swearing at people over a ball. The odd time a ball has come into my garden I have just thrown it back.

You sound proud of being so uncooperative.

parents with the kids who have balls go over fences shoul dbe the ones to live in a lone house in a field or a flat not the other way round

why are the people being disturbed the ones that have to be inconvienced becaue people who have children can't seem to realise the world does not revolve around their children

How horrible are you , seriously why didn’t you just get your nephew to put them back over the fence .

I don't think it's fair to judge. I can have over 100-200 balls over the summer coming in our garden easy. This year I'm growing some sunflowers and starting to enjoy my garden for once. No one cares about broken plants or anything like that. They were kicking them over carelessly until I got fed up one year and stopped throwing them back right away. Why is it so hard for kids or young people to go to a park!

Wow. That's pretty unkind of you. Were you never a child playing with a ball? Just get your nephew to throw them back over the fence.

Honestly, some of the comments on here are mad. As long as the ball hasn't twatted you on the head or broken a priceless statue, then just be a normal human being and throw it back!

Well, I'd hate it if someone's ball can flying into my garden. I wouldn't shout or swear at a neighbour about it, but I'd probably have some choice words about it in my head or muttered under my breath.

It's not the end of the world, but surprisingly enough I don't want thrown or kicked objects hitting my plants, my dogs, or any person in my garden. It takes all the peace from the place when you have to worry about being hit by a stray ball.

Maybe put up some netting or something on your side to keep it from happening again.

YANBU. It amazes me how intolerant some people can be. I used to have balls over the fence all the time when my neighbours' kids were young, I couldn't have cared less. Once the son came over the fence to get it and trampled some of my flowers - still couldn't have cared less.

Yeah, it's really not difficult is it? I would hate to live within 20 miles of many MNers 😄

No wonder some people are lonely and your neighbours don’t speak to you . It’s a child’s ball for goodness sake - probably light plastic and unlikely to do any damage . Where is the joy in your lives ? Some of you really are old misery guts.

My guess he’s pissed off with you in general so. This was t just about the ball
do you as a family make much noise?

If a ball comes into my garden by next door neighbours grandkids I just throw it back over. They do same with ds cricket ball.

YABU OP.

Neighbour BU for swearing. But it is annoying having other people not respecting neighbours gardens.

The neighbours garden is not an extension of your garden. If your ds can’t keep the ball on your side he needs to have a kick about elsewhere.

Context needed in terms of whether he’d been out playing for ages and making a lot of noise , thudding ball against fence etc - BUT he should not be swearing at you and aggressive

Perhaps the poster has mobility issues and enjoys sitting in the garden as her means of entertainment or enjoyment. I've taken a huge amount of time and trouble to get my back yard as I like it. Fortunately I don't have neighbours who kick or throw a ball around, but I would be upset if the plants were damaged, as believe it or not they cost me money. One person enjoying their outdoor space shouldn't be causing irritation or damage to the neighbours.

My neighbours are very good at throwing my kids’ balls back (we don’t go around and ask so as not to disturb them - just wait until they throw them back over); by the same token I don’t complain about their cat constantly coming into our garden and pissing up the wall. Live and let live, surely!

There are. But they can both involve an unreasonable neighbour.

But that poster deliberately gets her nephew to put the balls out in the street (presumably more difficult as he needs to walk round to the front of the house from the garden) rather than throwing them back over the fence, to spite the children. So unnecessary.

Who has "peace" in their garden if they live in a town or city? When I'm in my garden I can hear sirens, boy racers on the ring road and stupid motorbikes. Although the bees are proper loud when they're pollinating the raspberries.

The sound of the kids kicking a ball in the playing field and the odd one donking into the garden doesn't annoy me in the slightest. I always lob them back. Quite often before they've even made it to the front door. Yes, they've knocked the odd beloved sunflower but I'd rather the kids were out playing than too scared to run around outside.

It serves a purpose to decrease number of balls coming over her fence.
If they return them, they will come over again and again.
Putting them on the street shows there's no guarantee they will come back.

It's weird how many posters don't see a difference between two families throwing the ball back to each other and making sure their children's playing won't endanger elderly wobbly neighbours (who won't just dodge one safely) in their own garden.

If it’s the first time and presumably didn’t smash a window or a greenhouse or similar then your neighbours reaction seems wildly over the top.

If it’s the latest in a series of “incidents” or noise from your kids, then perhaps more explicable.

If you live in a family neighborhood, balls coming over fences is part of childhood
So you say....

I raised two children, including a boy, and a ball never went over the fence.

That's because a garden is not for lazy parents to send their kids to act wild whilst they scroll on their phone inside...

Because when they wanted to be loud, throw balls where it didn't bother anyone, I took them to the local park....

Because I never considered that it was for society to adjust to my laziness but me to teach my children to respect others around them.

This led to children having a good awareness of living in society peacefully. To good relationships with ally neighbours. To developing a great relationship with my kids as we did things together rather than expecting them to entertain themselves alone.

Amazing how there can be different perspectives on the matter rather than right or wrong...

My neighbour shout & scream whilst playing football, they also kick it repeatedly against the fence which is extremely loud. They also disturb me at work to ask for their ball back which is very difficult for me. Why can’t kids just kick a ball without all the drama?

I think some people get joy in their lives from plants or ornaments (that might be damaged by a ball) in their gardens. Or possibly they get joy from resting in their gardens and not being startled by random balls.

A child next door keeps kicking their ball into our garden. It doesn't bother me at all but I can't say I get any joy from seeing it for the millionth time in a month. I haven't said anything and don't plan to (as I say, I'm not bothered) but then it hasn't broken anything or landed on my head - if those things happened I can't say I wouldn't swear.