A mum has expressed her worry after her new neighbour "angrily" knocked on her door to confront her after she told her sons they weren't allowed to take her two-year-old son out to play alone.
The mum and her partner moved into a new flat two months ago with their young son and have yet to get to know their neighbours properly, though have exchanged pleasantries. In the last few weeks, the mum's downstairs neighbour's sons have "repeatedly" asked if her two-year-old son can go out to play with them.
Feeling uncomfortable by this as she doesn't know the boys "at all", she told them she would accompany them outside for a little while. The boys then got "annoyed" as they wanted to take her son with them alone.
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After this, the mum declined and shut her door, assuming the issue was settled. The next morning, the boys' mum knocked on her door and confronted her about the situation, "getting angrier", before "shouting" and "swearing" at her for having a "problem" with her children.
Taking to Mumsnet's popular Am I Being Unreasonable (AIBU) thread, the mum asked whether she was in the wrong for declining the children's request to take her son out to play with them. She penned: "The last 2/3 weeks I've had the downstairs neighbour's sons asking me repeatedly if my son can go and play with them. For reference, I don't know them at all. I have briefly said hi to their mum a few times but that is it. At an estimate, I'd say one of them is 11 and the other one, 12/13.
"I don't have an issue with these boys but I do find it slightly odd they want to spend time with a 2 y.o considering they have nothing in common. These boys are kind of known for being a bit rowdy. According to one of the other neighbours, one of them put dog poo in her letterbox and they're generally known for hanging about outside all the time, getting into trouble, vaping etc etc etc. However, since I didn't want to make things awkward between myself and any neighbours (I have said no to them before saying we were busy etc) I said sure, let me grab my things and we can all go out for a bit. (Communal garden) by that point, the eldest was getting annoyed and said he would be taking my son out by himself?! I declined, shut the door and thought that was that.
"This morning, mum comes knocking saying what am I playing at, and what my problem is. Increasingly getting angrier. Shouting, swearing, I eventually managed to get rid of mum but only because my DP [dear partner] had returned from the shops by this point and told her to leave or he'd involve the police. I really don't think I am being unreasonable but mum has made me feel like I am? I am also concerned that they will not leave this alone. We only moved in 2 months ago so am worried my response will have caused so many issues for us."
The worried mum's post met with a string of responses from fellow Mumsnet users keen to share their thoughts. One said: "I don't think you are being unreasonable! Just tell them firmly but nicely he us too little to be out without his mummy but thank you for asking!"
Another Mumsnet user simply asked: "How can you possibly think you're wrong in this scenario?" A third said: "Of course YANBU [you are not being unreasonable], it would be completely irresponsible to send your toddler out with a 12 year old even if you knew them a bit better. The mum is insane, no one is entitled to spend time with someone else's child, ever. Even if they're related".
A fourth commented: "Absolutely no way are you being unreasonable. Your son is 2 years old!! The mother sounds like a psycho tbh [to be honest] and best approach is probably to ignore her. I can't imagine how she thinks it's acceptable for to hand over your toddler to 2 boys you don't even know!!"
And another said: "You are not expected to hand your 2 year old to anyone who asks and certainly not two young teenage boys. I would’ve told their sweary mother to get to f*** too. I'd ring the police if the harassment gets worse."
A sixth explained: "She sounds crazy! So many reasons as to why you're not in the wrong - they are too young to have a toddler outside alone with them. You don't actually know them and your little one is only a toddler. If they come knocking again just politely tell them he is too young to play outside. If she comes knocking I'd point out that your child is 2 so won't be going to play with her much older children and if she continues to turn up shouting then you'll involve the police."
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