Kids playing outside

[Jiggy16]

Trying not to be a grouch, what time do people feel is acceptable for kids (10/15 maybe around the age 10ish?) playing outside in the evening, shouting and loud singing, sometimes with whistles.

Apparently a good way to stop children congregating, is to play classical music. They have trialled this outside shops in some areas and its shown to be quite effective

latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/04/classical-music-still-works-at-dispersing-loitering-teens-.html

I dont think kids hanging outside your window blowing whistles and shrieking is ok at any time really, but playing outside and chatting id be quite tolerant of

9.30pm week, 10.30pm weekend? I guess it's the same as other noise, e.g. playing music in your garden/with windows open or adults talking in a garden or in the street.

@LemonRoses

babybythesea Thats very nice. Similarly, my children who have never been allowed to play out still managed to grow lifelong friendships, raised money for charities but they never played football. Maybe that’s a shocking absence from their life.

Peers involved in anti-social behaviour from aged seven upwards is a strong indication of risk of youth violence. Unsupervised large groups of children increases risk of peer group dominance over parental influence and choice of friends.

I never knew 'playing out' meant in the streets, always thought it just meant not being indoors :-). In which case my children and their friends 'played out' a lot in good weather, in their gardens.

Whilst I don't particularly care what other people do, it does seem a bit rough for children to be out in the streets. I think it would definitely put people off buying a house in a road where that happened.

Happy to be a bit rough and not a crashing snob or live a fantasy life.

My sister lives in a very expensive cul de sac of around 25 houses, around 80% of residents have children of primary age. They play out most days, have mini sports days, Easter egg hunts, street parties etc. They're all professionals and high earners. I really don't think playing in the street is just for us working class folk.

This is one of those threads where you realise that some people must live in cloud cuckoo land. and to the poster whose kids friends ‘come to you to use the pool’ yeah. Probably a better class of child. Leave it to the ‘rough’ kids to play on the street, hey?

@Foolintherain

Happy to be a bit rough and not a crashing snob or live a fantasy life.

Who said anything about snobs or fantasists? It's a matter of preference and what you are used to.

This thread is so weird. I have never read such a load of uptight judgemental comments! Objecting to children playing together outside? Really?

I always played outside as a child and feel sad that my children can’t as my road is too busy. We had a street party a few years ago and it was so lovely seeing the children playing together on the road.

I don’t object to gathering for a purpose but dislike loitering without purpose this is such a sad remark.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/20/gradual-lockdown-of-uk-children-as-age-for-solo-outdoor-play-rises

This article is an interesting read:

‘This groundbreaking study shows that British children have been subject to a gradual, creeping lockdown over at least a generation.“The reasons are different, with social changes, safety fears, technology and traffic growth all arguably playing a part. However, the end result for all too many children is the same: boredom, isolation, inactivity and poorer mental and physical health. The consequences for their development and wellbeing should not be underestimated.”

They're all professionals and high earners. I really don't think playing in the street is just for us working class folk

But why would you play in the street when you could be stroking each other oboes after orchestra practice or using mummy's pool together?

@SherlocksDeerstalker

This is one of those threads where you realise that some people must live in cloud cuckoo land. and to the poster whose kids friends ‘come to you to use the pool’ yeah. Probably a better class of child. Leave it to the ‘rough’ kids to play on the street, hey?

School pool, as happens.

The Guardian article is interesting but has nothing to do with playing in the street. I'm in my fifties and never played in the street but grew up quite sociable and normal. My children didn't and they seem OK, they had plenty of freedom too. There was no need to play in the street and it wouldn't have occurred to me, or them, to do it.

@Maggiesfarm

The Guardian article is interesting but has nothing to do with playing in the street. I'm in my fifties and never played in the street but grew up quite sociable and normal. My children didn't and they seem OK, they had plenty of freedom too. There was no need to play in the street and it wouldn't have occurred to me, or them, to do it.

🙄

@Maggiesfarm

The Guardian article is interesting but has nothing to do with playing in the street. I'm in my fifties and never played in the street but grew up quite sociable and normal. My children didn't and they seem OK, they had plenty of freedom too. There was no need to play in the street and it wouldn't have occurred to me, or them, to do it.

I'm intrigued at you not playing outside if you're in your 50s. What did you spend your childhood years doing? I don't know many over 30s who didn't spend their childhood playing in their local area.

@sirfredfredgeorge

They're all professionals and high earners. I really don't think playing in the street is just for us working class folk

But why would you play in the street when you could be stroking each other oboes after orchestra practice or using mummy's pool together?

They could be draping the sheep in fairy lights. Not to mention the teenagers doing charity work.

The evidence base that teenagers who associate with others who are the hanging around on streets groups, are more likely to engage in high risk and antisocial behaviour. Peer pressure is powerful.

Clearly children playing tag in a garden isn’t a problem, but the children left to their own devices, who shriek and shout outside neighbours houses or bang footballs against walls are very much the teens who hang around in parks or by canals and start smoking and drinking at a young age.

I'm intrigued at you not playing outside if you're in your 50s. What did you spend your childhood years doing? I don't know many over 30s who didn't spend their childhood playing in their local area.

I’m in fifties too. Not from a wealthy family and my mother would have been mortified if we played in the street. We went to the beach unsupervised and were very occasionally allowed to the recreation ground (we were only allowed to one of the two nearby) but were never allowed to play in the street.

@LemonRoses

The evidence base that teenagers who associate with others who are the hanging around on streets groups, are more likely to engage in high risk and antisocial behaviour. Peer pressure is powerful.

Clearly children playing tag in a garden isn’t a problem, but the children left to their own devices, who shriek and shout outside neighbours houses or bang footballs against walls are very much the teens who hang around in parks or by canals and start smoking and drinking at a young age.

Bollocks. We don't all live in your bloody fantasy world of swimming pools and teenagers doing charity work with lashings of ginger beer in the acres of gardens.

@LemonRoses

I'm intrigued at you not playing outside if you're in your 50s. What did you spend your childhood years doing? I don't know many over 30s who didn't spend their childhood playing in their local area.

I’m in fifties too. Not from a wealthy family and my mother would have been mortified if we played in the street. We went to the beach unsupervised and were very occasionally allowed to the recreation ground (we were only allowed to one of the two nearby) but were never allowed to play in the street.

I played with friends in my or their garden, went to the park when a bit older. We were all the same, nobody played in the street. Like the above poster, my mother would have been mortified but it never occurred to me to suggest playing in the street because, well, no one did. We weren't wealthy or privileged in any way, just ordinary.

When going out and about in the car I would see children playing in streets, usually near blocks of flats, because they had no gardens. In such cases I think it was understandable, there was nowhere else outside for them to play.

You see that on television programmes, eg Call the Midwife, where many of the characters portrayed lived in flats. Children skipped, played games, football, etc. We did all that but in the garden or the park. It was really nice going to the park too, I loved it, rode my bike around it all the time. It was better than hanging about in the street.

I didn't see any poor urchins in rags. Now you are being defensive and snobbish! I never thought of anyone in that way and am no troll.

Why do you think that?

I think it's lovely to have children playing in the street - what a lot of grouchy people on this thread!

It's not grouchy to have a different opinion.