Footballs over the fence - AAARRGGHHH!!!

[ssd]

we live in a tiny house with a tiny strip of a garden. both ds's are football mad, ds1 esp. kicked a ball before he could walk

elderly, well in her 60'2 neighbour is very fond of her gardening and has every type of flower imaginable in her tiny strip of garden

we have a large fence and we recently put up trellis to try to raise it up further

the boys football goes over the fence on average once/twice every few weeks, they play well but at 7 and 9 sometimes hit it too high and it goes over in accident

said neighbour goes mad, that ball broke a stem etc etc.

this has been going on for a few years now

boys can't go to the local park alone as too far and they get told off by other neighbours for playing in the street in case a car gets scratched(they've never done this)

I'm at my wits end, I'm constantly telling the boys not to play which to them means don't play football, as I said ds1 is football mad, has many other things to play with but only interested in a ball

is there anyone esle with this problem, feel like I'm going mad, have phoned the community police who said you both have to live together, but neighbour is on my case whenever I step out the door

I'm about 9(-) that away from telling them to piss off, dh is () that away

Hi. I have 100 balls in my garden, yes thats right 100 and increasing everyday. I throw them back within 10mins they're back. Ive saved them all and put them into garden bags, then left them at the front door of their house. That evening they are emptied onto their back garden and back in my garden before the evenings out. I have asked mum, dad and gran of the boys for help but i get "it's what they like doing so I will get softer balls and tell them to kick them at the end of your garden"! What can I say to that. They are 9yrs, 17yrs and 19yrs old! I have popped a few and sent them back over. They have damaged plants, broken pots and I am worried about my windows as sometimes cricket gets played. We can't sit in the garden for fear of balls as some are the hard heavy balls. I am a mum of 3 myself and understand kids need to play out, but we have grassed areas around and other children play on the front as our gardens are postage stamps. Am I within my rights to take them up the dump or give them to the local school?

I am so glad we have tolerant neighbours. Let your boys carry on and give your neighbour a Dobbies voucher occasionally.

Zombie thread from 2008

Ha ha zombie thread - those kids will be 14 and 17 now - I would love to know how the situation developed over the intervening years. Is SSD still about? If you are please let us know!!