How to go about telling ndn about noise?

[OneGreyBiscuit]

I'm looking how to approach my next door neighbour about the noise their two young children are making, especially in the evenings. This is from primarily from them thundering around the front room on laminate/wooden flooring and it sounds like a stampede of elephants all evening, virtually every evening. This could be easily resolved by putting a large rug down to absorb a lot of the noise which I know they have as I see her cleaning them in the garden before I moved in. I have quite a cordial relationship with the parents but I'm getting more stressed about this. No doubt im going to get a few replies of they're only children or if you don't like it move. I'm not moving when I've just paid out £2000 to put carpet down, which is a shame they haven't got carpet and there wouldn't be an issue. I was just hoping I could get some advice how to approach this without offending them.

Knock the door and talk to them calmly and politely. What else can you do? They may not take it well but al
least you will have tried. They aren’t obliged to get carpets or put rugs down to appease you but if it were me I’d try and take on board what you’d said.

I don’t think there’s a lot you can do really. I thank my lucky stars I live in a detached house

When you talk to them, don’t use any phrases like “thundering around” or “stampede of elephants”. Presumably the young children are just playing and moving normally about the house as children do anywhere.
When did the noise change? Did it change or has it always been loud since children arrived?

I think given you get on well with them, it’s fine to mention that you can hear a lot of moving about / loud footsteps at certain times on the hard floor, and could they consider a thicker rug?
They might suggest you soundproof the walls if you aren’t happy with hearing sounds from next door. It’s entirely usual to hear some sounds.