AIBU to think this is out of line

I'm imagining like a "ughhhh!" noise as opposed to a real growl? 😅

Exactly!

It's really dangerous for DC not to understand that they don't scream unless they're really in trouble. And if you're supervising, then there's no danger & no reason to scream.

I had a neighbour, not sure which one,l as the houses back onto each other start practising a tuba very badly in their garden yesterday for an hour when I was working from home. I just moved rooms and got on with my day.
People should be able to use their homes and gardens and make a bit of noise.
Obviously, if screaming was for a very long time and loud music for hours without warning etc that would be antisocial but kids playing for a few hours is what gardens are for.

I quite agree. Your neighbour would not have liked living next to me when mine and the neighbours' children regularly played in the back gardens for hours in good weather.

Children always squeal, go past any primary school at break time and you hear plenty of that, it's normal.

Your neighbour has forgotten what she was like as a child.

Ignore her, let the children play.

Jeepers, why would they have their windows open letting in the heat at that time of day anyway?

Live and let live.
Just say you'll keep the noise down and both get on with your day.

YANBU. Kids are allowed to play noisily in their own gardens at reasonable hours of the day, as this was. Your neighbour could use noise cancelling headphones if the sound is distracting to them.

I couldn't care less if children scream and shriek in their gardens during the day...or even growl 😂childhood is short and the weather is often crap...let them run wild occasionally I say!

If i was being a cow i'd remind them its a home not an office block and they dont' have a reasonable expectation of quiet before 9pm.

if i was being diplomatic i'd say its hot my children have right to enjoy our outside space, sorry for the noise. maybe she should move to the front of the house.

My first thought too. I didn't know children growled.

You're out there supervising & intervening asap when necessary-what more can you do?

My neighbour's kids are constantly calling to their parents to no response.

One will do a fake cry when the other doesn't do as requested.

Grrr!

YABU

Children should be taught NOT to scream - unless there is something very wrong. It's really difficult hearing DC scream because we're all programmed as humans to respond immediately to the noise of a scream. It's a survival instinct.

So teach your DC to play noisily, but not to scream.

Your neighbour is reasonable to have her window open on a hot day just as much as your DC are reasonable to play in a paddling pool. But screaming - unless there's real danger - is just not on.

Was it screaming or normal (and totally acceptable) garden noise?

People work in proper offices for a reason. If it was just general outside noise, that's definitely a them problem. There have been times on a WFH day when neighbours have been having noisy work done and my options were go somewhere else quiet (like the library) or ignore it!

Playing - fine. Screaming and whining - nope

I agree with most that you can’t expect silence and an absence of normal household noise if you decide to wfh. Wfh is a choice (I do it myself - hybrid) and a home is not an office. If you want guaranteed quite wfh is not for you, unless you live in the middle of nowhere.

There is such a thing as excessive screaming from kids I think - and what jumps out at me is that his complaint was hours in to the pool use. So not like he jumped to complain instantly. Some kids do scream excessively and that’s something neighbours don’t have to expect.

It’s the screaming and shrieking that will annoy your neighbors not the laughing and splashing around. My mum taught us not to scream unless we were in danger.

We don't have kids and I think your neighbours are dicks. Were they never young?

People saying kids shouldn’t squeal or shriek when playing are talking nonsense. OP, you’ve just described most evenings in my garden this week. Crack on, you’re fine.

Also, people working from home is up to them, but homes aren't offices and neighbours shouldn't be expected to act as if they are. Your job is your problem.

Utter nonsense.
Kids make noise.
Their playgrounds are getting smaller and their playtimes shorter at school.
There's less and less public space available for them in many cities and they are criticised when using it.
Now they're policed in their own gardens.
And people are surprised there's an obesity epidemic?
The neighbours need to suck it up or move. Kids make noise, that's that.

(And before you slate mine in the abstract, they are naturally pretty quiet kids, we are a quiet family. But not everyone is. And kids should not be expected to act like mini adults.)

It’s a them problem. Our neighbour had air conditioning added to her garden home office after a summer of DS (then 2) playing normally when we moved in. She quite rightly had a word with me once when a friend’s DD was shrieking.

WfH 100%.

Keep home office windows closed as otherwise risk of neighbours hearing me with risk of breach of confidentiality.

Mrs Charles Wesley sounds my kind of woman 😂

Perfect

I think it was Mrs Charles Wesley who stated that in a well run house no one was aware that there were children. She had a Victorian brood of about 9.
How one would do it without abuse, and many threats of hellfire, I haven’t a clue.
Smile sweetly and say that you’ll try to keep the noise down, but “ you know how it is” and just carry on. I expect the neighbours are feeling tetchy because of the heat and perhaps would not have said anything otherwise.
Is there anywhere else you can conveniently locate the pool?
Personally, I Love the sound of happy children and I don’t think I’m unusual.