Your kids were young once, weren't they

katex · 19-07-2006, 22:12

Tonight big argument with my neighbour on the left of me and the right of me ..me, mug in the middle.

Neighbour left has two lovely boisterous boys who play about with a ball on my lawn and their lawn which adjoins. Don't mind at all, they know if they break my window, dent my car.. they pay! Unfortunely they misfired tonight and went over my car and hit neighbour's on right. Well, what a commotion, (think they had been waiting for this moment). Came out shouting and screaming at them, think knocked a petal off one of their flowers.

Ok,suppose every right, but not so hard please. Neighbour on right, remember when your daughter, same age as my son played basketball down drive and used to bounce off my wall for hours. Also, did I complain when you had big boozy barbeque t'other night, smoke, loud music, children coming through my garden to retrieve ball from edge of lodge? No way: live and let live on these not too serious disturbances. Please don't think I am talking about anything really terrible, just people having fun.

My own son would not go into Mercer Park to play as considered too rough at that time, and he was correct.

Think what I am really trying to say is that when your own children have grown up, don't forget what they did as youngsters themselves,is it an age thing ? .. with some people.

garinda · 19-07-2006, 22:18

Children should be allowed to play and enjoy themselves as much as they want in their own gardens.

Like you say Kate if they break something they pay, fair enough.

God there's some grumpy owd buggers.

I bet they were the most aggravating, boisterous kids ever...but have sadly forgotten that being young is about being happy and free to enjoy yourelf.

Doug · 19-07-2006, 22:32

Sod the neighbours Kate, if your happy with the kids playing on your property encourage them. God forbid getting the little ******* out in the sun and fresh air is hard enough today with all the electronic crap they have to hand. I’d pay for my son to drag his **** out of his bedroom and into the world outside.

P.S.

Wait till the grumpy bastards have gone to bed and throw a basket ball through their window.

garinda · 19-07-2006, 22:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug

Sod the neighbours Kate, if your happy with the kids playing on your property encourage them. God forbid getting the little ******* out in the sun and fresh air is hard enough today with all the electronic crap they have to hand. I’d pay for my son to drag his **** out of his bedroom and into the world outside.

P.S.

Wait till the grumpy bastards have gone to bed and throw a basket ball through their window.

Are you a softie Dad?

Bury his P.C, MP3 player, Gameboy, whatever, in the garden and sit back and enjoy watching him 'play' in the fresh air.

katex · 19-07-2006, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug

P.S.

Wait till the grumpy bastards have gone to bed and throw a basket ball through their window.

Hey, don't give me any ideas ... one of those wonderful mischievous nights which makes you do outlandish things.

garinda · 19-07-2006, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Hey, don't give me any ideas ... one of those wonderful mischievous nights which makes you do outlandish things.

See, it's the weather.

For mischievous read sultrily horny.

Doug · 19-07-2006, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Hey, don't give me any ideas ... one of those wonderful mischievous nights which makes you do outlandish things.

Why not! It the sort of thing we would have done as kids, admit it

shillelagh · 19-07-2006, 23:01

Its one way to get your garden dug over instead of you doing it - let the kids do it!

cherokee · 19-07-2006, 23:12

well kate all i can say is good on ya. i have neighbours whose got teenagers ,now i got 4 kids myself 2 left home 2 to go , none angels all had their moments loud , boistress , and sometimes complete pain in butts but thankfully always had good nieghbours apart from when i was in ossy and woman next door was forever giving them biscuits and then used to go to local and tell folk they were always asking for biscuits nearly cholked her myself when i heard. anyway back to my neighbours kids folk here think they are a pain because they always sit outside their house on wall and are bit boistress but they never have damaged property or invaded other folks property they are never abusive directly although you do hear them swear amoungst each other but hey they re kids of today and if it isnt directed and they aint causing a problem what the hell .. but there is always someone waiting to give them a hard time

Madhatter · 19-07-2006, 23:55

If they were playing on the street by cars, or in a carpark, or by garages I could understand but where the heck are they supposed to play. At least they aren't in a car park, or breaking in to the cars.
Think they should give em a break, it's not like it was on purpose anyway.

jambutty · 20-07-2006, 12:24

During the last fifty years or so society has slowly but surely become a me, me, me, me, me society where everyone else is wrong and they are right.

The rules of the road are for everyone else except them. Their kids are angels regardless of what they are really like and every other kid is a noisy monster whose sole aim in life seems to be to stamp on their car, their plants or break their windows.

Live and let live has gone out of the window as selfishness is taking hold more and more with each new generation.

Of course there are still plenty of exceptions to the me, me, me, me, me attitude but each passing year reduces the pool.

I have a simple philosophy – the world can make as much noise as it likes during the daylight hours but once the witching hour arrives it is time to quieten things down and respect other people’s desire to sleep. Kids need to play outside but should be discouraged (no prevented) from playing near cars. Accidents do happen.

It was only the other day that three kids from about 8 years downwards were roaming around my garden. I went out with a smile on my face and the words, “Hi lads! I don’t think that you should be in here.” Somewhat shamed faced the oldest one replied, “We are looking for my tennis ball.”

Seeing as my back garden resembles a meadow without the flowers, it was easy to see that a tennis ball could get lost in it very easily. “Good luck lads! I hope you can find it.” My reply saw them continue to look around and after a few minutes give up. There probably wasn’t a tennis ball and they were just bored playing in their own garden next door and decided to have a change of scene. After all grass some two to three feet high is much more interesting than a neat lawn to a few small boys.

Going out and ranting and raving will not get you anywhere, whereas a relaxed approach in a friendly manner with neutral comments will get better results. Hey! You might even get a game of football.

Madhatter · 20-07-2006, 12:47

I get annoyed with em coming round the back of the flats esp to play football, the lads that live here i can sort of understand, because although they've got a 1st floor patio, he can't play on there. There is a garden over the other side of the garages though but I suppose he'd get moaned at for causing a noise, but thats where he should be, it's as much his comunal garden to use.

Basher · 20-07-2006, 14:23

I think it's fine if they are playing in their own property or, as mentioned, another area with the permission of the property owner but when there is a risk of damage to someones property it's not on, you may say that their parents or guardians are willing to pay for any damage but there is the inconvenience of it being repaired and it shouldn't happen in the first place.

There are plenty of grassy areas for children to play football and whilst they may not be old enough to go to them unaccompanied one of the childrens parents should take a couple of hours out to take a group of them to such a place.

Respect is a word which seems to have been forgotten these days too, I played football as a child but never played it on the road or where damage to property could have occurred, myself and friends found a grassy area which was open for public use and played there, if we had been too young one of our parents would have accompanied us.

katex · 20-07-2006, 22:27

Well, Basher, wondered how long it would be before someone came back with this. Yes, in an ideal world, mum, dad, with a couple of hours to spare every night ... great stuff. Even if Mum is at home and Dad out working, you can't expect them to stay in the house all day because they cannot play in the street and have to wait for Mum to take them to open grassland. Most Mum's let them play in the street keeping a watchful eye on them of course.

They do ride up and down the pavement on their bikes, go-carts, play with their balls, tennis racquets, etc .. what else would they do ? Not everybody has a huge back garden.

My point was not really about this Pleasantville attitude, just that people forget what they and their children did in the past.

I would not sacrifice the risk of getting my wing mirror broken in return for not seeing the children laughing, screaming, playing and generally enjoying the fresh air outside my window. One of the great pleasures in life. Community spirit.

My mum lived with my brother for a while in a cul-de-sac down the road, no-one passed by and she felt lonely. Wished I could have had her living with me as know she would have enjoyed watching the children playing, yes, even in the road, and been amused by their antics. Not talking about vandalism, etc., just good children who hit a ball in the wrong direction sometimes.

steeljack · 21-07-2006, 02:14

I guess with all the re-development going on 7 and 8yr olds dont get the chance to climb up and run along the back yard coits and jump over the yard gate gaps , kind of a rite of passage to be able to jump over for the first time , the occasional neighbour would come out and yell at you to get off and ****** off home .......seems to me kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore

it was only when I left Lancashire that I found out that a queer ****** was a "sexual deviant" , I allways thought it was someone didn't drink