neighbour problems

Dormouse

nickinoo wrote:

You sound just like me Doormouse, I am only in my (very) early thirties but got the impression the kids from next door thought I was a miserable old bag as I used to regularly go out & tell them off for jumping the fence (& damaging it), they would ask for the ball once a day but the rest of the time just help themselves. I have to say I took great pleasure in letting my dog out just to put the wind up them (he was a boxer & soft as butter so no worries there). I just got fed up with the invasion of my privacy as a new mum with PND. I loved it when the dog popped the ball ;o)

We have new neighbours now :O) just a shame they bonk loudly all night!

Thanks nickinoo, I guess that makes us two young witches

And I had to LOL at your last comment, as that sounds just like our neighbours on the other side! :rolleyes:

Milky_Mocha

It's a tricky one, the balls! Its quite annoying when you come home from a weekend away to find that the neighbour's ball has made a small brown patch in your lovely green grass. If you don't have kids yourself you'd be less understanding about these things. They are kids playing and if every now and again a ball goes over then just toss it back. However if its happening several times a day then just knife it!

Dimity

maybe a quick reality check will help? I had to have meetings with police, councillors and care workers about my previous neighbours. We finally have some peace after 2 years and a lot of hassle.

I know the balls are annoying, but children having fun is a lot nicer than plenty of other things. Maybe you don't like your neighbour but is it worth making it any worse over this? I know your son is a little kid but maybe it's a lesson to be learned...

Counting_Pennies_2

Dormouse wrote:

At the risk of being very unpopular, I have to say that there are two sides to every story. I appreciate that this neighbour might be a problem anyway, but you cannot blame her for being cheesed off with balls in her garden.

I completely agree with both previous posts, I too am in my early thirties and feel like an old bag for not giving back the toys, but having a newborn out in his pram last summer I was constantly petrified of flying gadgets from next door landing on him. It was my only way of trying to stop the missiles.

I am sure the children mentioned in the original post were well behaved and only occasionally lost the ball, but I have had toy soldiers, balls, and any other toy they could get their hands on chucked over the fence. Mostly when we aren't outside, so it isn't attention seeking, just a game. I don't give any of the items back, my philosophy is chuck it over and you'll lose it. It is different if a shuttle !!!! or tennis ball come over by mistake.

We have had to grow a large bush to hide behind when we are in our garden as the kids stand on the climbing frame and keep asking 'what are you doing'. It is so rude.

gravitytolls

one set of our neighbours are just the same.

They are always asking,
"do you mind if we trim your trees, they spoil our view?
Can we come in your garden to trim the parts of the hedge we cant reach from our side?
Can we put the cuttings on your bonfire?
can you not llisten to the radio in the garden, even though it is only about twice a year, and isn't blaringly loud?"

yet as soon as a ball goes over, she threatens to keep it because she thinks the hcildren should be old enough to have more control over it.

we had words ast year, and i refused further requests of access to the garden for their benefit.

however we always pass the time of day and our civil, we have had no further problems.

maybe if this person is a complete old bag, she could be buttered up a bit. a bunch of daffs, or hand picked pos from your garden, with a home made card by the children, apologising for the intrusion, and thanking her for giving the ball back, may be enough to sway things.

Annie_SW

Instead of balls etc I've started finding 2 pence pieces in my garden... Makes for a pleasant change !

nedden

counting_pennies and dormouse, your little babies will soon turn into ball wielding maniacs who spend their summers re-enacting the test match and the latest football final! this kind of thing has been going on for generations of kids......surely you remember???

Housenet

I bought my son a football in a net bag that's felcrowed to his wrist or ankle so it never goes to far. The're pretty cheap and it does save a lot of unease.

Sorry about the spelling,

Lucie_2

It's nightmare isn't it. The kids next door to us come round & ask ever so politely for their ball back (on the rare occasion it land in our garden) & are really good kids.

The ones we have a problem with are from about 3 doors down on the other side of the road. They are constantly playing on our driveway for some reason??!! The entrance to our drive is on a bend in the road behind a wall, so is completely blind. I am petrified that one day I will swing my car on to the drive & knock one of them over. I have tried explaining to them that it's dangerous, that I can't see them & even tried the "shouting loud to make them too scared to do it again" technique, but that didn't work either. If it carries on this summer I will have to go have a word with their parents, but that makes me feel like a moaning old witch as well. No win situation.

Freebie_Hunter_2

Cut a deal with the neighbour.
Kids will be kids but it is very annoying if you're on the recieveing end.

Talk to the neighbour and compromise by saying that for every time the ball goes into her garden the kids have to do something for the neighbour, ie, pop to the corner shop or cut the grass for her. That way it'll encourage the kids to take more care and if it DOES go in her garden she gets something from it which will (hopefully) keep her happy. Strike up a rapport and turn this problem to a positive.

Alternately you could allow two strikes. The ball can go over twice but any more and the ball is kept 'til the next day. That way everyone knows their limits.

These are both great compromises if extra fencing isn't an option.