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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to nick these kids balls and stamp on them till they burst?

29 replies

ifancyashandy · 30/06/2010 19:50

the balls that is...

Basically, I live in a small block of flats on a small private estate. I am on the 2nd floor, so have french doors onto a balcony. All the flats on the ground floor have the same doors that open onto a communal garden (all the flats overlook this). Course, in this weather everyone has got all the doors and windows open

There are 3 boys that play football every single day on the communal gardens. They start when they get in from school, until about (at the moment as it/s hot / light) 9.30pm. They are about 7-9 years old.

Now, these are nice kids (polite, smiley, say hello when you walk past them and all that) BUT the constant sound of a ball hitting a foot or wall and the accompanying shouting is beginning to wear a little thin. And (not that this bit effects me too much) the fact they are playing footie pretty much renders the garden theirs - as in, they are all over it (each ground floor flat has a little patio but there are no fences or real boundaries.)

But it's the constant noise I object to really - our estate is really quiet - no traffic to speak of and ALL I can hear are their voices shouting to each other.

By the way, there is, not more than 30 secs away, a patch of grass that can be seen from out garden but doesn't have any flats overlooking it, so they could play footie there. AND there is a small swing / slide park righ next to it (and no roads to cross to either).

Just would love to have an evening with a leetle bit of P&Q.

Generally I don't mind other peoples kids but my, their voices are shrill!

So, am I being unreasonable to holler 'Shut the feck up' occassionally? Or to nick their ball(s. they have many).

OP posts:
activate · 30/06/2010 19:53

you'll learn

grinch

ifancyashandy · 30/06/2010 19:55

Seriously though, from 3pm to 9pm every. single. day. And all day Saturday and Sunday.

Could you really tolerate it?

OP posts:
AmazingBouncingFerret · 30/06/2010 19:56

Must be a bit annoying but, wow, it sounds like a lovely place to bring up children!

activate · 30/06/2010 19:57

you have no choice

it is a communal garden

gardens are made for playing in and if these children belong to the flats they have the right to play

you could go out and invest in a swingball or something and leave it out there for them to play with instead

kids play

fact of life

they're 7 to 9 - babies

megonthemoon · 30/06/2010 19:58

It'll be raining next week and then you'll be moaning about that and think back wistfully to this week when it was sunny (albeit noisy)

TBH, you do sound a bit grinch-like. You say the children are polite, smiley and say hello - that to me is way more important than whether they are a bit noisy when playing out. If they are that polite then if you did go into the garden, I'm sure they would take note of that and not kick the ball in your direction or tone it down a lot.

Give them a break - they sound like nice children enjoying the summer. I'm sure if you have children you will expect other people to be tolerant of them playing in the communal garden in future, provided they are polite, smile and say hello! Please show the same tolerance to these children.

I understand where you are coming from - I speak as someone with teenage boys as next door neighbours who play footie every night and often kick a ball over the fence. They are so polite and friendly that I really don't mind, and treat them as I would like my DS to be treated when he is bigger.

ifancyashandy · 30/06/2010 20:00

It IS lovely for kids and like I say, I like children (got one of my own!) and these are nice boys.

But Activate you've hit the nail on the head - they are supposedly communal gardens. But they are not - they are the garden of these boys (disagree that they are babies tbh)

But liking your swingball idea....

OP posts:
megonthemoon · 30/06/2010 20:29

Well go out and start using the communal gardens - then you might have the right to tell them to calm down if they don't give you space to use the garden too. But if nobody else uses the garden then of course the boys will use the whole of the garden available to them!!!!

compo · 30/06/2010 20:32

You're going to have to move
if it bothers you now when they're only 7-9 what do toy think it'll be like when they're teenagers?

Mutt · 30/06/2010 20:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bibbitybobbityhat · 30/06/2010 20:45

Yanbu.

Why do the rights of children to enjoy the communal gardens override everyone elses?

I wonder why they don't use the other patch of grass?

PortiaNovmerriment · 30/06/2010 20:47

Get out there on your sunlounger with a book at two-thirty and when they come out to play just smile and ask them to use the other grass area if their parents don't mind. Then fire up a barbecue.

pointydog · 30/06/2010 20:56

I don;t think I;d be bothered. I used to live with a communlca garden with loads of roaming kids out teh back. The noise of children shouting and playing didn't bother me. The fact they were jumping on people's huts and generally wrecking the joint did. Also, they constantly pestered me by knocking on the bakc door. So I can't empathise with you on this you.

SugarMousePink · 30/06/2010 21:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mumcentreplus · 30/06/2010 21:17

OMG..are you turning into one of those next-door neighbours who gets a dodgy evil nickname...

ifancyashandy · 30/06/2010 22:34

Nope Mutt - you're wrong, I'm afraid. I don't mind them using them. Thanks for the reasoned point of view

I thought I was probably being a bit unreasonable - which is why I haven't nicked all their balls (yet)!

Thank you Bibitty for being a sympathetic ear! I think they don't use the other bit of grass as the gardens are literally out of their french windows - they are effectively a joint back garden and it's gated (although the gate is always open).

I could absolutely sit out there - except I don't have direct access. As I said, I live on the 2nd floor with a balcony and to go out there means lugging sun lounger / book / wine drinks down 2 flights of stairs and round the front. Hassle. Just want to be able to sit on my balcony / have my doors open without hearing them EVERY SINGLE NIGHT (they went in at 9.45 this eve)

And it's not their daytime useage - don't have any issue with that at all. It's more from sort of 7pm onwards. Adult time by then, surely?!

OP posts:
scurryfunge · 30/06/2010 22:40

If you don't like communal gardens and all that comes with them...move to a more isolated dwelling......would rather little kids were playing football then anything else.

peeringintothevoid · 30/06/2010 22:53

YANBU; it would drive me up the wall too. I'd bear it with gritted teeth during the day, but I especially agree with after 7ish being adult time when it's reasonable to think that you could enjoy the peace and quiet of a sunny evening without the repetitive thumping and shrill screaming filling the air.

But then I'm not wildly child-friendly, as you can probably tell...

ifancyashandy · 30/06/2010 23:01

HaHa Peering - I think we could be friends!

And wouldn't mind if it was the occassional evening. But it literally every single night until late. Just wonder why it should always be us that compromises - not the 2 families with kids.

OP posts:
BelleDameSansMerci · 30/06/2010 23:11

Oooh shandy I started a thread where I dared to suggest that children being excessively noisy (and I mean really noisy not just normal play noise which is actually nice to hear) was a bit "off" and got a complete pasting.

So, IMO, you're YANBU. It is annoying and even more so when they could be in a more appropriate space nearby (which is exactly the scenario with me too).

MitchyInge · 30/06/2010 23:15

You might like this

BelleDameSansMerci · 30/06/2010 23:18

Mitchy

gerontius · 30/06/2010 23:48

YANBU. I don't think I could put up with it that much.......

ifancyashandy · 01/07/2010 00:15

Mitchy how did you guess?! I would like that VERY much!

And thanks for the hard hat warning Belle!

And again, nail, hit, head... There is a designated play area not 30 seconds away. But am a bit chicken to say anything to the parents. And don't get me started on one of the neighbourhood kids that comes a'knocking. Little hoodlum angel makes Foghorn Leghorn seem shy and retiring...

.

OP posts:
Ronaldinhio · 01/07/2010 00:23

i think you should go outside
seize a ball
stab it repeatedly with an oversized knife whilst muttering
die, die, die

that'll sort it

ifancyashandy · 01/07/2010 08:10

Ronaldinhio you made me splurt porridge all over my laptop!

I have a vision of myself looking slightly (more) mad and terrifying small children. In my head I look like Joey from Friends agent...

OP posts: