AIBU to think this is out of line

It sounds like not just playing but fighting and squealing? That could get annoying if it's all day. No sympathy for the WFH situation though, people don't have to adapt normal living because someone chooses to WFH.

As far as the fighting, I have some kids not far away who seem to fight an awful lot. I can't help but have evaluated them as a generally unhappy family with generally unhappy kids.

I would normally say that the neighbour is being completely unreasonable but weirdly about an hour ago I heard some kids nearby and they were screaming. I genuinely went to see if I could see them because it sounded like one was hurt and I was worried they needed an adult to intervene (they sounded young) Anyway, I couldn’t see them because they were in a nearby garden but at least 2 houses away. I thought to myself ‘My kids aren’t as bad as I think, I would never let them scream continuously like that without having a word with them.’ And one is autistic! That said, 10 mins later it was over and I wouldn’t dream of mentioning it unless it was all day every day. Ultimately, there’s nothing your neighbour can do if you don’t comply with their request and I doubt any law enforcement / council would care about noise at that time of day. To summarise I would just ask your children not to scream and intervene when they do (which they will because they’re children) by reminding them not to scream or giving them some time inside when they’re being a bit much or are over excited. There’s nothing worse than not getting on with your neighbours so a bit of consideration wouldn’t hurt IMO.

I think it's absolutely fine for children to make some noise playing in their garden, but if they were actually screaming like she said then that is unreasonable when parents allow children to scream as part of their play without telling them to stop (doesn't really sound like what happened for you though.) we had neighbors who obviously never told their children to stop screaming, they were all over 10 and still out there screaming and squealing every day, wouldn't know to call the police if there was an emergency because they just screamed all the time.

I live backing onto a school field and WFH.

Recently it's been sounding like Hunger Games at lunchtime as 300 kids spill out onto the field behind my house. It's noisy, it sometimes disturbs me working but it's ok because I live near a school and I WFH. I close the door or move to a different room for meetings.

Kids in a paddling pool on a day like today? Utterly and unquestionably ok op - if they have a problem they can go to the office.

Try weekends 10am until 10pm and most evenings
no not continuous but all day and evening to the point you have to have your windows closed or you can’t hear the TV and the garden is unusable unless you wear earplugs or noise cancelling headphones

small, close together gardens
I posted an example on here once when people said it was fine and suddenly everyone was horrified and said god no not screaming like that

Lots of us wfh. I hate the noisy kids next door. Especially as they are never told to be quieter. A dog barking gets complained about but never those little "angels".

I doubt any child is screaming permanently on a loop and even the ones that are I’ve never thought I could tell the parents to keep them quiet at 4pm

That’s the risk of WFH! I work shifts, I don’t expect neighbours kids to be quiet when I’m trying to sleep during the day! If I don’t get any sleep, well that is my issue for working a shift job. Like it is this neighbours issue for WFH

However I still understood it was a "me" problem even if I was working
This is what it comes to doesn't it? Previous generations and certainly many cultures still consider that you make a nuisance of yourself to others through no care of how it impacts others, you're the one in the wrong.

Nowadays, at least in this country, there is a growing sense of r titlement that your enjoyment prevails other people's discomfort, and that feeling stressed by the noise of others is yours to deal with.

Personally I think we are much too overestimulated by noise and it is bringing the worse in us. I think it accounts quite a lot to explain kids finding it difficult to focus and concentrate.

Kids to do need to scream and screech. Kids should have fun and that should include much laughter. Its the best sound to here kids laugh, but good parents teach their children about respecting others as much as expecting respect from others.

Pre having kids myself this may have been something that irritated me. However I still understood it was a "me" problem even if I was working. There is absolutely no way I'd have had the audacity to actually say something.

So no, you arent being unreasonable. Tell them to shut their windows or put headphones in. Your kids have just as much right to enjoy themselves in the garden as anybody else.

My neighbours' kids scream a lot when they're playing outside, especially when other children visit. Don't know why, as I can't really imagine what kind of play would or should involve such repetitive screaming, but I assume they are actually enjoying themselves.

In my childhood, if my siblings and I had screamed like that while playing our parents would very quickly have told us to stop making so much needless noise.

Nonetheless, it certainly doesn't bother me enough to complain. It can be a little irritating but I've encountered far worse sources of noise, such as neighbours letting their dogs bark all day.

As others have said, it depends on the level of noise. Just children laughing and playing is fine...however screeching/screaming constantly is absolutely maddening.

Be like the late queen on this….never explain, never apologise! Let the children play FFS…….it’s not like it was going on for hours and hours.

I think it's unreasonable to complain because you have chosen to work from home but tbf children screaming at the top of their lungs for hours on end does get a tad wearing. I used to ask mine to keep the noise down to a reasonable level when they played in the garden; after all every one is entitled to spend their own enjoyable time in their own garden surely.

Bet you’re a right laugh

Given we’re on MN I’d expected people to side with you but it depends on the level of screaming. They can and should tone it down.

When you choose to WFH, you have to remember that it's a home, not an office, and you can't expect other people, including other people that live in the house and neighbours, to facilitate office conditions.

Hard to know without knowing the nature of the noise. Children do scream but if it was excessive shrieking I would probably ask them to keep it down; not least but I can't stand to listen to it myself. If it was normal 'kids playing noise' then obviously YANBU
This! I think it might be a symptom of my adhd, but sudden high pitch children noise just makes my adrenalin shut up like fight or flight and the feeling is extremely unpleasant and stressful.

I love hearing kids playing, it's endearing but when it reaches that high decibel, I feel so stressed, it triggers a sense of rage that I have to swallow and keep inside. It's tough!

Ordinary playing noises is absolutely not unreasonable but excessive shrieking and screaming is unreasonable

I work from home. My neighbours were doing DIY whilst I was in a conference. Dog barking when I'm trying to record a webinar. Postman knocking when I'm in meetings. None of it bothers me. If you work from home your workplace should be understanding, and you should buy earplugs. Just ignore!

I’m wondering if your old neighbours are my ones now! Three girls and the younger two especially, scream and screech and whinge CONSTANTLY! The other Sunday, it was pretty much six hours solid.
I don’t mind listening to kids playing and having fun (I’ve worked with children for years) but the constant screaming is awful. My two never made the amount of noise that next door make, even when they had friends round.

lol! Yes this 👍🏼😂

Nothing better than hearing toddlers having fun in a garden on a nice day :-)

Now older youths constantly kicking a ball against the fence would be a no from me.

I'm working from home today. Openreach are digging up the street noisily. Knowing that I'm only working from home because nothing I'm doing can't be interrupted by drilling, plus work has given me a noise cancelling headset.

I would have said no they won't keep the noise down.
Close your windows you ignorant shits. imagine asking someone to do this ! My neighbours would never and they work from home they would shut over the windows to the noise.