Rude neighbour or am I over-reacting?

[eagame]

I had a knock at the door earlier. A woman was stood there and when I answered she said:

"Hi, I live just across the street. Could you please tell your kids to stop kicking the ball in my garden? I mean, once or twice I can understand might be an accident but its every 5 minutes with them and I have more things to do than prat about going backwards and fowards in the back garden to get their ball and apart from that, I can be doing without them knocking on the door every 5 minutes. Even when I ignore them they carry on knocking until it gets answered. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know"



I'm a bit at her attitude, its not as if they're kicking it at their windows or being cheeky etc. Or am I over-reacting?

[Twiglett]

she's polite and restrained and you really need to stop your children playing football near her house

we have a 3 strikes and you're out rule for each day .. I'll get the ball twice for you and don't even bother coming the third time because it'll stay there until at least the next day

I hope you apologised

[nannyL]

i agree your neighbour is not rude at all

i have little children next door to me... they are little though, aged just 4 and nearly 2... there new game as they chat to me hanging out my washing, is to throw their balls over (they have loads, of those packs that upi put in a ball pool)
the 1st time it WAS an accident and i returned it, but now he stands their accidently on purpose throwing them over

he knows i WILL gove them all bacl once i have finished (and I do)...but i do explain that the balls need to stay in his garden as if im not here hewont be able to play with them...

ot his nearly 2 year old sister is copying lol

Obviously they are small and i DONT have a problem with it at all, they are little children just learning and there is a small baby there too so my neighbour (their mum) definitley has her hands ful.

I compleletly agree that your neighbour has better things to be doing than constantly returning their balls or answering your children knocking on their door

persoanlly id give them a rule of once the ball has gone over they cant play with it at all for the rest of the day...
i bet they would suddenly become much better at controlling their ball then

[Candlewax]

Funny how eagame has not come back to her first ever thread.

[TsarChasm]

Agree you are over reacting. She sounded nicer about it than a lot of people (ie me) would have been tbh.

[hecate]

you need to stop your kids kicking the balls over. It's very annoying.

you have options

there's no excuse to disturb your neighbours time after time

They are knocking on her door constantly, it is a nuisance and they need to stop.

[josben]

My neighbour keeps my boys footballs if they go over!

She used to throw them back but after a run in about my DS's hitting her fence with the ball (twice!)she went nuts and now hides the balls at the back of her garden! (i've seen her do it!)

When we have asked for them back her husband says there aren't any in their garden!

She objects to my Ds's playing footie in OUR garden and says they should go to the park to play!

[OrmIrian]

She's not being rude. It's very annoying. If anything of my DC's goes over the fence into the next garden it stays there until it's convenient for them to return it - my DCs know that so are very careful. Actually I'm all for children playing in the streets in general - assuming it's quiet and safe, but not football, or cricket or anything of that kind. Park only for those.

[hecate]

My sister doesn't stop the dog getting any balls that go over. She doesn't give them to the dog, but if he happens to be out there, well..tough luck and the kids know it. It's AMAZING that she never sees a ball in her garden these days...

[electra]

My FIL had a real bee in his bonnet about balls coming over. He put them all into a large bin and did not give them back!

[Jux]

When I was a kid it was normal to lose your ball for ever if you kicked it into someone else's garden too many times. You learnt not to.

[pudding25]

You are over reacting. I would be annoyed if I had to go and answer the door every 5 mins and then retrieve a ball. Can they play in your garden?

[bethoo]

my dog would nto mind if people kept kicking their balls in!

[medogsarebarking]

[moomin - cheers! I was thinking of changing it but I'm keeping it now ]

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

I use the three strikes and you're out principle, and pop the balls back into the childrens' front gardens at bed time when I remember

[LittleBella]

I don't agree with not returning balls at all.

That's just mean.