An Australian mother has divided the internet after revealing how a neighbor complained about a backyard soccer game she was playing with her five-year-old son.
In a video posted to TikTok last week, Adelaide’s mother, Renèe Barendregt, said she was playing with her son when the neighbor left her “shaking and angry.”
“I was playing ball with my son, my five-year-old son, and we were kicking the goal and, God forbid, he hit the fence several times,” he said in the video.
Barendregt said the neighbor was worried that the sound of the ball hitting the shared fence was scaring her animals.
“I told him, ‘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.
Barendregt said her neighbor responded, “How about you teach your kids some respect?”
“I said, ‘Yeah… my five-year-old is really trying to be malicious by kicking the ball into the goal and then accidentally hitting the fence,'” he told his followers.
Renèe Barendregt (pictured) divided the internet with her TikTok video chronicling a neighbor’s complaint about her son’s backyard soccer game.
Many answers suggested that simply moving the netting away from the fence would solve the problem.
Barendregt said the neighbor threatened to start recording when she responded, “Go ahead, who are you going to show it to, the police?” I’m pretty sure they have more important things to do.
“But I won’t stop playing ball with my son, and my son won’t stop kicking the ball and if it accidentally hits your fence, get over it.”
Her video concluded with Mrs. Barendregt angrily kicking the ball against the fence.
“Here’s one more,” he said.
Responses to Barendregt’s video were mixed, with many agreeing with their disgruntled neighbor.
‘I’m with your neighbor on this one. He takes your kids to the park,” one said.
Many answers suggested simply moving the net away from the fence.
‘Why would you put the goal right against the fence? one person asked.
‘They both share the fence, so I think it’s good manners to stop kicking the ball when you can move the net.
“You don’t know what’s happening on the other side simply because it doesn’t affect you.”
One response assumed the neighbors were old and asked, “Why are old neighbors so salty?”
Ms Barendregt’s point of view did not receive much support, but some TikTok users sympathized with her.
‘A family should have the right to play in their own damn garden! I can’t believe there’s even a question here!’ one person wrote.
“A simple knock on your door and politely asking you to move the goal could have changed the whole situation,” said another.
“The way you kicked the ball at the end made me laugh. From one girl with terrible neighbors to another, I give you strength,” wrote a third.