Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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. :(

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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. :D

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

Are you a softie Dad?:eek:

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

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

See, it's the weather.:rolleyes:

For mischievous read sultrily horny.;)

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

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

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

the kids round here play football nr my house ...they just come in for the ball its an agreement that we have .that they shut the gates on the way out cos of sam my dog & if they don't shut it ......thats when i shout must admit they are not too bad, todays kids are tommorrow's adults treat them with respect & mabe they will help me when i need them in the future.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

I wonder what Garinda will be like when he grows up?

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

If I'm very lucky, just like you.:D

(But with warmth, wit and charm...oh, and hair!):D

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

someone decide to let their kids play football in the pub car park yesterday. After the ball bouncing of every car in the car park they set off an alarm on a motorbike. The parents then decided to try to dissable the alarm because they didn't like the noise.
Some parents shouldnt be allowed to have kids, no wonder some turn out the way they do and don't give a damn about others property.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

:engsmil: :engsmil: My, I don't know where you live, but it must be great for the kids round your way, and good on yer for letting them play. When ever I'm out I keep noticing signs on, private estates, council estates, streets and roads where families live. " NO BALL GAMES " No wonder most children stay in the house watching T V or playing on computers etc No-one seems to want them playing ouside where they should be, keeping fit,and not getting fat. People have certainly forgotten their childhood. My motto is. :engsmil: " Let the kids be kids,they grow up soon enough" :banane58: :engsmil:

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

They should be allowed to play at home, I always did and if my ball went into a neighbours garden then I would go round and apologise.
It is safer for children to play at home.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

Kids don't have values, it dont matter how well brought up they are, how many times the parents take them to the park etc...

They dont care that you have just spent 15 grand on your car, to them it's a piece of metal opposite the lampost thats just perfect for a goalpost, that geranium that you have spent hours lovingly watering for the last 3 months is just something no more important than a dandelion to be hacked at looking for a tennis ball,

When I was young Accrington cemetery used to be one of my playgrounds..(and I am eternally ashamed of this)...we used to have what we called 'sorry missus' graves...the graves with marble chippings we used to swipe handfuls for our catapults whilst saying 'sorry missus'..as a child you just dont think

Also, when I was younger, one old guy, (probably younger than I am now :P) used to shoo us away from his prize Austin 1100, (so we did it all the more) until one day he asked us into his house and showed us his electric train set , whistles, bells, papier mache painted hills and tunnels, etc, etc, etc. After that we used to knock at his door asking if we could come and watch 'Uncle Jim' (aint it amazing everyone was your uncle in those days) playing with his trains. Most of the time we were rebuffed, 'he's working', he's in the bath' (thinking back he so obviously wasn't) but occasionally he let us in to turn that transformer dial from 0 to 50.....wonder what todays anti-pervert, obsessed social workers, parents looking for a front page headline and a few quid would make of Uncle Jim.

Then again if i broke a window, I'd get a clout of the bloke whose window I broke (no such thing as ring childline and claims'r'us), then I'd get a clout of my dad, who would go round immediately and come to an arrangement about paying for the window.

So same situation today..we got an old pervert who plays with trains (must be weird) and invites young boys into his home and we got parents who scream 'weren't you young once' when little Tarquin breaks down your lovingly tendered sunflower.

Bottom line, as long as you as a responsible parent are willing to make good on any damage caused, I got no no problem with Tarquin, Kylie, Fifi Trixibelle. The problem isn't with the kids...ITS WITH THE PARENTS!..Those parents who at the slightest provocation scream...'you were young once!'.......and as an answer I say.'yes we were..and our parents had values..something many parents nowadays (I hasten to add not all) do not!.

Re: Your kids were young once, weren't they
 

exactly I still can't believe a parent encouraged his kids and other to play football in a carpark full of cars and use a car and motorbike as the goal posts.