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Hey Pandas, AITA For Teaching These Kids And Their Mothers A Lesson By Cutting Their Flowers?

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One kid in my neighborhood has autism and enjoys touching the flowers I grow. Other kids, not so much. I do not have children because I couldn’t.

So, this one particular child who loves to ‘touch’ flowers comes by my house daily. I like him. He’s totes adorbs, and he never harms anything. He has verbal communication issues, but he seems very intelligent overall. He likes to smell the flowers and talk to them in his own form of language. His mother and I are now very good friends.

Today, I found three kids in the yard pulling out my zinnias and making bunches for themselves. I asked them to stop and told them it was wrong of them to take things that weren’t theirs

Hey Pandas, AITA For Teaching These Kids And Their Mothers A Lesson By Cutting Their Flowers?

Image credits: Leslie Cross (not the actual photo)

I took the flowers from them and put them in a vase. I was devastated by the audacity of these kids to do such a thing. They were over twelve, an age that most children know right from wrong.
They left my property after a bit of back and forth that included language that children shouldn’t know, let alone use.

I was soon confronted by two angry mothers who told me that I was wrong for chastising their children the way I did

Hey Pandas, AITA For Teaching These Kids And Their Mothers A Lesson By Cutting Their Flowers?

Image credits: Julien L (not the actual photo)

I showed them the damage they had done, and again, I was met with the excuse of “they’re just children.”
Cue malicious response…

I found out where they lived. I cut down all the roses in one woman’s yard and proceeded to clip off every flower from the other woman’s bougainvillea

Hey Pandas, AITA For Teaching These Kids And Their Mothers A Lesson By Cutting Their Flowers?

Image credits: Angèle Kamp (not the actual photo)

Maybe that will let them know not to let their kids do whatever they choose. AITA for doing this?

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Hello Pandas! My name is Ieva, though it's often mistaken for the word 'Leva,' and in Lithuanian, it means 'loser' (insert the pain emoji). While I don't take offense if you accidentally call me a loser, I thought I'd share something interesting with you, which I also do professionally at work.Anywayyy, my favorite part here is introducing you to creative people who deserve just as much recognition as famous celebrities. Besides that, I also enjoy memes and funny, lighthearted posts, and occasionally, I find myself drawn to a bit of internet drama.

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What do you think ?

POST

arthbach 3 months ago

There is a saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right." If it was wrong (and it was) for the children to cut the flowers in this person's garden, it was also wrong for this person to do the same thing. Instead of solving the problem there's at least 5 angry people. This was not handled well.

70points

rullyman 3 months ago

All she's done is made her neighborhood worse. Now there's friction between her and their parents. 12 year olds are quite often not very nice people- their brains are rewiring and they're pushing boundaries. It's up to the adults to be adults.

30points

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Vira 3 months ago

While it's cathartic to imagine a woman cutting down roses from an a$$hole's yard, I also don't think it was the right response. Probably the better option I'd to inform them that you will be installing cameras, and if they trespass, and destroy your property, you will press charges.... And then make sure you follow through. If they are destroying one yard, I guarantee they will destroy other yards, unless someone makes them pay for it. The problem with destroying their property is now OP is putting themselves in legal hot water

13points

BlackestDawn 3 months ago

And if one side in the conflict/problem don't want to actually solve it and is just making up excuses then what? I'm not excusing OP's behavior since it was wrong but one side alone can't really solve the problem.

13points

John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 3 months ago

No, there is 1 wronged person, and a couple of s**t parents

4points

William Miller 3 months ago

You have to deal with today’s Karen’s by speaking their language. Maybe, now they’ll listen

4points

Min 3 months ago

Vandalism as retaliation is still vandalism. YTA.

53points

K. LNU 3 months ago (edited)

It was stupid of the mothers to say anything except making the kids (pre-teens/NOT children) apologize and/or reimbursing you for the flowers lost. And yes, that was petty of you to cut up another's flowers instead of using your words. I'm all for pettiness, but I don't think anyone learned anything here.

48points