Homeowner vigorously defends his lawn from neighbor's 9-year-old, who is digging holes in his yard while looking for “buried treasure,” parents get defensive and refuse to step in: ‘This is my yard. You can’t dig here’

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
May 11, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

"Get off of my lawn."

Most of us have probably heard that phrase uttered, either through popular culture or something similar in real life. But we probably never thought that we'd grow up to become that person. 

Yet, and still, we drift through the sands of time; we find ourselves changed, and whereas we were once the kid playing on the neighborhood streets—occasionally ending up on the neighbor's front yard, suddenly we're that neighbor and are vigorously defending our grass from the young whippersnappers traipsing upon it.

Let's be honest, there's a little more going on here than the simple trampling of grass. I'm pretty sure even the most lenient among us would draw the line somewhere around the point where digging starts. Even if you didn't care about the state of your property, digging can be dangerous thanks to things like buried cables, and there starts to become a large degree of liability to consider.

At the end of the day, it's his property and he can ask his neighbors to stay the heck off it if he wants to, even in lesser circumstances, and the neighbors need to respect that and step in and parent their child.

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  • 01

    "AITA for not letting my neighbor’s kid ruin my lawn in the name of imagination?"

    I live in a quiet suburban neighborhood with your standard backyard, some grass, a few old trees, a weathered shed. Nothing fancy, but I try to keep it tidy. I'm on polite-but-not-close terms with most neighbors. We wave, sometimes chat about the weather, and that's about it.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10503580672
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    There's a family two doors down with a boy who's maybe 9 or 10. Lately, he's gone full pirate mode. I mean fully committed. Eyepatch, cardboard sword, yelling "ye be cursed" at squirrels. Honestly? Pretty wholesome. At first.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 04
    Then I started noticing small holes in my yard. Just little ones near the fence. I assumed it was raccoons. But then the holes got bigger. One morning I went out and found the ground behind my shed completely torn up, with clumps of grass tossed around and a "map" pinned to the tree with a stick. Eventually I caught him out there mid-dig. I asked him what he was doing and he straight up said, "I'm hiding my treasure. No one must know. This is the perfect hiding spot."
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 05
    I told him calmly, "Hey, this is my yard. You can't dig here." He got a little huffy but ran off. I figured that was the end of it. Nope. Next day, there's a new hole. Bigger. A tin lunchbox half-buried behind the shed. I dig it up and it's full of Pokémon cards, fake jewels, toy coins, and a few crumpled five dollar bills. I bring it to his mom and explain what's going on.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 06
    She immediately gets defensive. No apology. Just a heavy sigh and a "Well he's just using his imagination. I think it's sweet." | told her I didn't mind the creativity, just not in my yard. She rolled her eyes and said, "Can't you just let him have this? It's not like your grass is that nice anyway."
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 07
    That one actually stunned me. I said, as politely as possible, that I didn't want holes being dug on my property by someone else's kid. I handed over the box and left. That night, she sends a long text telling me I humiliated her son, crushed his imagination, and "created an environment where children can't feel safe being children." She said he cried for over an hour and now thinks I'm "the villain in his story." (Her words.)
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 08
    I didn't reply. I get it, he's a kid. I didn't yell, I didn't shame him, and I even gave the stuff back. But I'm not thrilled about my yard being turned into a sandbox and getting insulted for not being okay with it. So... AITA for drawing a line and not entertaining a pirate storyline that involved my yard getting. wrecked?
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 09
    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a hole: Action I took: I told a neighborhood child he was not allowed to dig holes in my yard, and I returned a buried box of his toys and cards to his mother. I explained calmly that while I appreciated his imagination, I didn't want him using my yard as a digging spot.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 10
    Why I think I might be the a h le: His mother was very upset and said I humiliated her son, crushed his creativity, and made him feel unsafe. She said he cried for over an hour and now sees me as the villain in his story. I didn't want to upset anyone, but I also didn't want to allow damage to my property. I'm questioning whether I handled it too firmly or if I should have just let it go for the sake of keeping peace.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10503580928
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 12
    Some... NTA. His mom needs to teach him to respect others' property. You don't get to do whatever the h I you want as a kid in the name of "using your imagination." Maybe he should use his imagination to pretend that he buried his treasure in your yard while actually leaving it intact. I think that would be a more constructive use of it. His mom
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 13
    is on the hook for teaching her kid to channel his creative impulses into productive endeavors, not destructive ones. When he grows up unable to properly establish relationships, he'll realize that his problems stem from the fact that he was never taught to respect others. When that time comes he'll see that his mom is the actual "villain in his story."
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 14
    Mermaidtoo ΝΤΑ You might consider responding along these lines: It's unfortunate that your child reacted so strongly to my reasonable expectations concerning my property. Your child damaged my lawn - repeatedly. I haven't asked you to repair any damage. I have simply asked that you parent
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 15
    your child by having him respect other people's property. I have been polite and reasonable towards you and your child. Despite this, you needlessly insult my property and persist in responding as though I were the one at fault. While it's great to encourage a child's imagination, good parents are able to do this without it harming others or their property. I wish you better luck in navigating this and your other parental responsibilities.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 16
    Okay, something like this or responding negatively to her in other ways may be satisfying. However, if you think she may cause issues for you in the neighborhood, you might simply ignore her.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 17
    d2020ysf NTA for a few reasons. Biggest one, it's your yard. My kiddo has dug small holes to give her barbies mud baths, I have actually tripped in a hole while mowing the grass. Is mom willing to pay for any injuries that happen because of holes? Also, sounds like mom filled her son with a lot of bad ideas instead of supporting not digging on someone else's property.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 18
    In reality, mom could have said you can't bury treasure near shark infested waters or something.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 19
    hatterson Whether your grass is nice or not, it's your grass. She's raising her kid awfully if she isn't teaching him basic boundaries like respecting other people's property. NTA.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 20
    RoyallyOakie NTA...You didn't cross any boundaries. He did. When a kid oversteps, you inform their parents, and they have a teaching moment with their child. You have every right to enjoy your property, even if she's an ineffective parent.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 21
    LiveKindly01 NTA. Some parents really are firmly in the 'it takes a village' mindset, but moreso, 'the entire village should love and entertain my child'. Nope. I mean, might you engage in some 'aarrgh matey' talk with him? Sure! but letting him dig on your property, there is literally no need for that.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 22
    I encourage you to dig a hole on HER property and tell her you are burying his treasure for him. She should be totally cool with that.
    via TripleDigitMan
  • 23
    Impressive_Moment7. NTA-he can dig holes in his own back yard, and his imagination can run free on his own property and he can feel safe being kid on his own property. You aren't the a h le here, his mother is. She should be teaching him not to mess up other peoples property.
    via TripleDigitMan

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