An Australian mother has divided the internet after revealing how a neighbor complained about a backyard football match she was playing with her five-year-old son.
In a video posted to TikTok last week, Adelaide mother Renèe Barendregt said she was playing with her son when the neighbor left her “shaking and smoking”.
“I was playing ball with my son, my five-year-old son, and we kicked it into the goals and, God forbid, he hit the fence a few times,” she said in the video.
Ms Barendregt said the neighbor was concerned that the sound of the ball hitting their shared fence was scaring her animals.
“I said, take your animals inside…I’m playing with my five-year-old son with a ball that accidentally hits your fence, which is actually my fence too,” she explained.
Ms. Barendregt said her neighbor responded, “How about teaching your children some respect?”
“I said, ‘Yes… my five-year-old is really trying to be evil by kicking the ball into the goal and then accidentally hitting your fence,'” she told her followers.
Renèe Barendregt (photo) divided the internet with her TikTok video in which she recounted a neighbor’s complaint about her son’s soccer match in the backyard
Many answers suggested that simply removing the netting from the fence would solve the problem
Ms Barendregt said the neighbor threatened to record when she replied: ‘Go ahead, who are you going to show, the police? They’re pretty sure they have bigger fish to fry.
“But I won’t stop playing ball with my son, and my son won’t stop kicking the ball, and if he accidentally hits your fence, go over it.”
Her video ended with Ms Barendregt angrily kicking the ball against the fence.
“Here’s another one,” she said.
Reactions to Ms. Barendregt’s video were mixed, with many agreeing with her disgruntled neighbor.
“I’m with your neighbor on this one. Take your kids to the park,” one person said.
Many answers suggested simply moving the net away from the fence.
‘Why would you put the goal against the fence? someone asked.
“You both share the fence, so I guess it’s just polite to stop kicking the ball in when you could just move the net?”
“You don’t know what’s happening on the other side just because it doesn’t affect you.”
One answer assumed the neighbors were elderly and asked, “Why are old neighbors so salty?”
Ms. Barendregt’s position did not receive much support, but some TikTok users did sympathize with her.
“A family should have the right to play in their own damn yard!” I can’t believe there’s even a question here!’ wrote one person.
“A simple knock on your door and politely asking to move the target could have changed the whole situation,” said another.
“The way you kicked the ball at the end got me in trouble. From one girl with horrible neighbors to another, I give you strength,” a third wrote.