‘Neighbour’s kids have irritating habit and I want payback’

A woman was left wanting to get her own back on the neighbour’s kids after they repeatedly did one annoying thing at least five times a day.

Rosie, who posts on TikTok as @rosie010896, explained she “needed to know” whether she was being “a Karen” with her issue with the neighbours, so came to the social media platform for some advice.

The mum said she was very “in her head” about the situation, but didn’t know whether it was “that deep”.

First, she explained she lived in a cul-de-sac, which meant there were gardens backing onto hers, not just neighbour’s next door.

She said: “And I’m not joking, every day, there are like two little boys in the house over there, and then the garden next to it, there are another two more little boys, and they both play football, so I’m not entirely sure which ones it is.”

“But literally every day there are about five or six footballs landing in our garden.”

Rosie said her grass was “looking a bit s****,” and they’d just “seeded it” trying to “keep things off the lawn,” but the footballs came over every single day.

She moaned daily she found herself having to “lob five or six footballs” back over the fence to their rightful owners, saying she wouldn’t mind so much if it was “occasionally” happening.

The mum continued: “They go out every morning and they kick their footballs against our fence at like 9am, and then it’ll be at lunchtime, and then it’ll be at like 7 o’clock in the evening as well when my kids are in bed. So, that’s annoying.

“But it’s not just that; it’s also when my kids are playing in the garden, they literally get whacked on the head with footballs.”

She acknowledged she needs to allow “kids to be kids,” and doesn’t want to become “that neighbour that’s moaning,” but admitted she was at her wits’ end.

Rosie revealed “normally” she’d throw the balls back over, but had chosen to seek retribution in the hope it would encourage them to be more mindful.

She explained: “Do you know what, there are never any consequences to these boys’ actions, so I’m just gonna keep the footballs here, and I’m gonna make them come round and ask for them.

“And then when they do, I’m just gonna politely say ‘Would you mind just… controlling them [the footballs] a little bit more?'”

She emphasised she didn’t want to become “that whingy horrible neighbour,” but was exasperated, pleading: “Can someone just tell me if I’m being a Karen?”

In the comments, someone raged: “Consequences to their actions? They’re playing football, not shoplifting.”

Another responded: “Their actions are hurting her own children by the ball landing on their heads and being unable to enjoy their own garden. It’s about respect and morals.”

Someone else proposed she visit the parents directly, rather than posting about it on TikTok. They suggested: “Maybe instead of posting it on here, knock on their door, the parents might not know it’s that bad, and maybe the kids haven’t told their parents each time it goes over.”