What to do with neighborhood kids' stuff left in our yard?

[laurajetter]

We live in a neighborhood where the houses are fairly close together and kids run around and play straight across peoples' front and back yards (Took me a while to get used to that!). There have been a bunch of times that balls end up in our yard; although I don't really know whose house they came from, I usually just look around to make sure no one is watching then I quickly kick it into one of the neighboring yards (they both have several kids).

Also on occasion there are other items left near our house like clothing. So far there's been a sweatshirt, t-shirt, and winter hat. What am I supposed to do with these things? It's kind of annoying, actually. I don't really like having kids run around in our yard but it seems to be the accepted thing of the neighborhood and I don't want to seem stuffy by complaining.

When they start leaving their things in my yard, I feel guilty to get rid of them, but what am I supposed to do, go asking around to see whose kid it belongs to? That's not my responsibility, yet I feel bad getting rid of it. I usually let them sit out for several days to see if they are reclaimed; usually they aren't. I hate leaving them out though because it's junky looking. I have a hard enough time keeping my own junk under control, I don't need someone elses!

Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[powellrj]

We do. I just leave the things on the porch until someone takes it home. When I see a group of kids in the yard, I will ask who the item belongs to. Usuallly someone will claim it or will know who it belongs to and take it to them.

DH finally had to lay down the law this fall. We were having large groups of kids in our yard and garage and our kids weren't even home! Dh told the kids they can only play in the garage when the kids are home.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

Have a yard sale and invite all the neighborhood kids. I bet they won't leave their stuff in your yard anymore.

 

[MushyMushy]

How odd! I've never lived anywhere where that was a problem.

I'd probably put it in a box on my porch or something.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

The neighborly thing would be to keep a box or something outside where you put things like the clothes or the balls they leave behind so the kids can come back and get them later.

Tossing them out, although not as neighborly, might teach them a lesson about leaving their things behind. Losing a favorite shirt or hat might encourage them to be more careful. Yeah, it sounds mean, but (a) like you said, it's not your responsibility to find out who's it is, and (b) the box idea is just enabling their carelessness.

If this was us, we'd already have a fence around the back yard because of the dogs, so kids in the back yard wouldn't be an issue. If it's a huge issue with you, have you thought about quietly putting up a fence?

 

[TJ's Mom]

A little off subject but your description of the kids playing reminded me of our neighborhood up. It was great - and it was safe. We could play tag and football and hide and seek right in the backyards. My favorite was playing the Olympics. I was sure I was the next gold medalist in track as we did the three-house race!

But then one of the neighbors got a pool and fenced in their yard. Then someone else fenced in his yard and soon we had a fence too. While it seems safer and keeps out the kids, where did the kids go? Now we walked a few blocks, where the parents couldn't seem them, to a park. Before, all the parents looked out the window and kept an eye on us - now we dealt with high school students and others at the parks. I missed the safety of the backyards.

I know the articles of clothing can be annoying. One of these days, your kid will be leaving things on someone else's lawn. I know, you want to say - not my kid - but be careful because they will. What do you want done with it? If you want it thrown away to teach a lesson, then there is your answer. If you would rather, it get returned, there is your answer. Unfortunately, neighbors have long memories and some are just spiteful. I am afraid when your kid is 8 and leaves that coat on the lawn to go play football, it might be returned or thrown away based on what that neighbor remembers.

 

[Hannathy]

I think TJ's Mom s right. You have a little one who in just a few short years will be running thru yards with these same kids and neighbors. The kids around here run thru the yards and play together all summer all day and it is great! I just put stuff on the porch or patio and they come looking or I'll ask one of mine whose stuff it is. I try to have my son return bikes in the evening but I have put a few in the garage overnight so they wouldn't be stolen, they get reclaimed. We have a very friendly neighborhood and help each other. Is it really that much work to put a few things on your porch or to yell at a kid when you see him "whose coat is this?" they usually know who, it is amazing! Once a reputation is attached to a person by the neighborhood,especially the kids it is almost impossible to get rid of it. So make sure what reputation you want. She is also right about your kid, we have discovered a few times late at night that one of our bikes,scooters,jackets is at someone else's house but we don't worry because we know they have put it up or away and we will get tomorrow.

 

[Virgo10]

Happens here too but I know that all the stuff I find is from the people next door.

Besides all types of balls - basket, soccer, beach, ETC!!! - a couple of weeks ago I found clothing, a plastic cup and a golf club!

Like the OP, I'm not too happy about picking up after someone else's kids. BTDT!

BTW, I just throw the stuff back into their yard.

 

[Disney Doll]

Sounds like you have an old-fashioned kind of neighborhood, which s nice. That's how I grew up...playing in the yards all over the street with my friends. I live in a town now where everybody has play dates or after school activities so kids just never run around and play. It's kind of sad, really.

What I'd probably do is keep the stuff in a box and as the kids run through, tell them to look in the box for their stuff. Or else stick a note in the mailboxes in your neighborhood addressed to the moms and saying something cute like "Are your kids clothes disappearing??? Come on over to my house on "X" date for coffee and to go through the lost and found box." It could start a fun tradition in your neighborhood!

 

[Minnie824]

I would put them out in the street. We live in a cul de sac and kids in our neighborhood leave their bikes on my grass along w/everything else. If something is there overnight, I put it in the island the next morning. It does not belong in my yard.
And....my kids will not be leaving their stuff in other peoples yards and running thru them, etc in a few years. They'll learn respect for other peoples property, cuz to me, leaving your things in others yards, especially if you're not even at that persons house, or playing with their kids, is disrespectful. Just my opinion.

 

[my4kids]

Wait 5 years, and see how you like it when the young couple down the street is too unfriendly to bother yelling out the door (is this your son's hat?) It's neighbor thing, are you really that busy?

 

[MommyPoppins]

We live in a neighborhood where the houses are fairly close together and kids run around and play straight across peoples' front and back yards (Took me a while to get used to that!). There have been a bunch of times that balls end up in our yard; although I don't really know whose house they came from, I usually just look around to make sure no one is watching then I quickly kick it into one of the neighboring yards (they both have several kids).

Also on occasion there are other items left near our house like clothing. So far there's been a sweatshirt, t-shirt, and winter hat. What am I supposed to do with these things? It's kind of annoying, actually. I don't really like having kids run around in our yard but it seems to be the accepted thing of the neighborhood and I don't want to seem stuffy by complaining.

When they start leaving their things in my yard, I feel guilty to get rid of them, but what am I supposed to do, go asking around to see whose kid it belongs to? That's not my responsibility, yet I feel bad getting rid of it. I usually let them sit out for several days to see if they are reclaimed; usually they aren't. I hate leaving them out though because it's junky looking. I have a hard enough time keeping my own junk under control, I don't need someone elses!

Does anyone else have this problem?

Have a yard sale.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

We live in a cul-de-sac and get the occassional item left on our front lawn. Near the street just on the other side of our neighbor's property line are one of those electric boxes that the kids like to sit on. We just set them up on there and they always get claimed.

 

[Allison]

I think TJ's Mom s right. You have a little one who in just a few short years will be running thru yards with these same kids and neighbors. The kids around here run thru the yards and play together all summer all day and it is great! I just put stuff on the porch or patio and they come looking or I'll ask one of mine whose stuff it is. I try to have my son return bikes in the evening but I have put a few in the garage overnight so they wouldn't be stolen, they get reclaimed. We have a very friendly neighborhood and help each other. Is it really that much work to put a few things on your porch or to yell at a kid when you see him "whose coat is this?" they usually know who, it is amazing! Once a reputation is attached to a person by the neighborhood,especially the kids it is almost impossible to get rid of it. So make sure what reputation you want. She is also right about your kid, we have discovered a few times late at night that one of our bikes,scooters,jackets is at someone else's house but we don't worry because we know they have put it up or away and we will get tomorrow.

You just described my neighborhood and it is wonderful. We have extra bikes all the time and we just put them in the garage and let whoever they belong to come and get them. I seem to end up with extra sweatshirts in the laundry too and I don't mind it a bit. It really is a wonderful environment.

 

[dg39]

I would just get a box like some of the other posters mentioned and put everything inside it. Keep it somewhere where it doesn't annoy you to look at it. When you see some kids call over to them and ask them if any of it is their stuff. 9 out 0f 10 there'll claim it all.

I know it can be annoying, but, just be glad that this is innocent things the kids are doing. It can be much, much worse.

(I also learned many years ago, when it comes to kids, never say never)........

 

[DawnCt1]

When the kids were little, that was always the case in our yard. Through the teen years I have had a collection of pool towels, bathing suits, flip flops, sunglasses and lotion. I put them in a basket inside the garage and remind guests to check the lost and found box when they come back. A lot of stuff gets claimed. If it doesn't, it can go into the Goodwill box the following spring. If it looks pretty new however, I give it another season.

 

[DawnCt1]

Tossing them out, although not as neighborly, might teach them a lesson about leaving their things behind. Losing a favorite shirt or hat might encourage them to be more careful. Yeah, it sounds mean, but (a) like you said, it's not your responsibility to find out who's it is, and (b) the box idea is just enabling their carelessness.

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On the other hand, I can recall my kids leaving their stuff in someone elses yard because a group of kids were playing with it, (baseball stuff, street hockey, etc) and they had to go home, or my kids were playing with someone elses stuff and the guests didn't want to take it away. We have all heard about the kid who "takes his ball and goes home". Getting rid of other kids' toys, hats, etc, just seems mean spirited.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I keep thinking at least these kids are outside playing rather inside sitting playing games or watching TV.

I dont have that problem because my yard is the ONLY yard the kids play in so I always have balls and extra stuff in it.

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

Or else stick a note in the mailboxes in your neighborhood addressed to the moms and saying something cute like "Are your kids clothes disappearing??? Come on over to my house on "X" date for coffee and to go through the lost and found box." It could start a fun tradition in your neighborhood!

I love this idea!! You could encourage everyone to bring all the assorted paraphernalia they have accumulated and go through it.

My friends and I used to gather for lunch once a month at one of our homes. We'd each bring a basket of whatever clothes our children had outgrown and we'd trade. Worked great with children's books too.

You could do something similar, if the stuff remains unclaimed even after you reached out to your neighbors, then Goodwill it - that way, you were neighborly and you still won't be stuck with this stuff laying around.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

On the other hand, I can recall my kids leaving their stuff in someone elses yard because a group of kids were playing with it, (baseball stuff, street hockey, etc) and they had to go home, or my kids were playing with someone elses stuff and the guests didn't want to take it away. We have all heard about the kid who "takes his ball and goes home". Getting rid of other kids' toys, hats, etc, just seems mean spirited.

Yeah, it is. I was thinking about this thread since posting, and kept thinking back to when I was a kid vs. today. When I was a kid, I used to run across the neighbors' yards to get to a friend's house, and playing would occasionally flow into the yard of a neighbor who didn't have kids. I'm sure I left some things behind in other's yards every now and then, but for the most part when it was time to go home, I took my stuff with me. If I didn't, my mother made sure I went back and got it right then or I would go back and get it ASAP.

There's one big difference between then and now that goes through my head -- back then, my parents and I knew our neighbors. Not just those that lived in the houses right next door, but those several houses up the street. These days, I rarely speak with the neighbors. If one of them happens to be in their back yard when I let the dogs out, we'll exchange a brief "how's it going" and maybe a little more. That's it.

Like someone else said, in a few years the OP's 1 yr old in her signature may be doing the same thing. After rethinking what I posted, the best thing to do would be to have a box or something to put those things into, maybe even keep it inside so it doesn't get ruined. Keeping it inside would also mean the kids have to come to speak to you and ask if you have what they're looking for. You can get to know the kids better (and by extension, their parents), and maybe also encourage them to keep up with their things better so they don't get lost or ruined in case you aren't around to collect them. The neighborhood could end up being a lot more neighborly, but you could end up finding a babysitter. Seriously, though, a potential babysitter is sure to babysit for "the nice lady who held on to something" rather than "the mean lady who trashed our stuff."