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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that children as young as five

145 replies

MammaTJ · 28/07/2012 21:23

should not be running around the streets at this time of night!!

That is all really. Load of kids making a racket outside my house. DD age 6 and DS age 5 in bed, sound asleep. Why are the running around?

OP posts:

MushroomSoup · 28/07/2012 21:28

Because it's the holidays! And the grown ups are too busy watching the men's gymnastics to look after the kids!

DontEatTheVolesKids · 28/07/2012 21:30

fence sitting here.
yanbu to find it annoying if they disturb your peace & quiet; yabu to find the principle annoying.

cheesesarnie · 28/07/2012 21:31

i agree op!
holidays or not its too late

WorraLiberty · 28/07/2012 21:32

It's not dark yet here

They mostly go in when it is

ValiumQueen · 28/07/2012 21:33

YANBU. My 6yo goes to bed at 7.30. Any later and she really struggles. Often her friends, including a 3yo call for her after she is in bed. They are still out now. I really fear for their safety, and could not allow a child of mine out this late. I have more than one child, so I am not being PFB.

Sirzy · 28/07/2012 21:35

I think at this time it should be playing in a garden if they still need to be out rather than out in the street as much for safety as anything else - young children playing in the road scares me enough during daylight hours

SimplySoo · 28/07/2012 21:37

It's school holidays, and it'snice that they're able to play in the street. Some parents these days don't let their kids out.

landofsoapandglory · 28/07/2012 21:37

They are riding around outside my house, blowing whistles! It's getting right on my bloody nerves! Funnily enough, they live at the other end of the street, so their parents aren't listening to it!

My DC are teens now, but they weren't out at this time of night when they were younger.

SummerRain · 28/07/2012 21:40

Mine can't settle before 9/10 during summer. It's still bright here til gone 11.

Tonight is the first time they've gone to sleep this early since they broke up in June, and it's only as they had a week of hardcore sports camp and then were up at the crack of sparrow's fart this morning as it was ds1's birthday. Normally it's gone 10 by the time they get to sleep so I've stopped even trying to get them to bed before gone 9, it's exhausting spending my nights begging/pleading/shouting at them to quiet down.

It's the summer holidays, they might as well enjoy them.... during term time they're in bed asleep by 8ish and they don't complain

Original poster

MammaTJ · 28/07/2012 21:51

I do not let my kids out at all, mainly because of nutty neighbours who encourage their children to think it is ok to kick footballs into younger childrens faces!! They hate me, so my children would be automatic victims.

OP posts:

rainydaysarebad · 28/07/2012 21:53

Hvjvgibobi b bib

Original poster

MammaTJ · 28/07/2012 21:53

so why do young childrens routines suddenly change when it is school holidays? I know they don't have to get up in the mornings, but surely it is easier to keep the routine going when it comes to going back to school in September!

OP posts:

rainydaysarebad · 28/07/2012 21:55

Oops sorry about that first post.

The park next to my house have erected a massive screen and are showing Johnny English for open air viewing and all I can hear is the movie and kids screaming. God knows why there are children screaming but they're pissing me off (along with the film sounds) and I bet they're pissing off the people watching it. They should be in bed asleep.

McHappyPants2012 · 28/07/2012 21:56

They are out of routine any way, staying up a little later will not be that bad.

I wish I could divert from ds routine, but he can't cope without a routine :(

wigglesrock · 28/07/2012 22:01

We don't keep the same routine in the summer holidays, does anyone with school age children? Mine (7 and 4) know they are on their holidays, they stay up later, watch more tv and generally have more fun. They play out during the day. They're in bed by this time but most of the neighbours children are out until dark.

God all those children out in the street, at 9.30pm on a Saturday night in July when its not pissing with rain - how very dare they!

amck5700 · 28/07/2012 22:07

My kids go to out of school care during the holidays so still need to be up and out by 8am most mornings so even at 12 and 11 need to be in bed sleeping by 10. At the weekends its fair enough to be a bit later, but I would expect little ones to be indoors by 9ish even in the holidays unless it was a family party or something. Presuming that the parents don't work so they are all able to have a long lie in the morning...... I'm probably just jealous!

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 28/07/2012 22:15

YANBU.

No problem with kids not being in bed. No problem with kids being noisy.

But IMO, in general 9.30 pm is too late to be playing out in the street at 5 years old.

Original poster

MammaTJ · 28/07/2012 22:21

amck parents do not work and are glad of the lie in caused by late nights. I am jealous too!!

OP posts:

WildWorld2004 · 28/07/2012 22:28

My 8 year old is sometimes allowed out this late. If its a sunny hot night & the rest of the kids are out playing il let her play with them. They are only out the front of my house.

Its the holidays so i let my daughter unwind & relax a little. Last night we stayed up & watched the olympics opening ceremony & she didnt sleep allday.

Kids need fun.

amck5700 · 28/07/2012 22:31

I feel the pain MammaTJ - and they only time I don't have to make up packed lunches is when we are on on holiday..........then I get to make up picnics instead

amck5700 · 28/07/2012 22:33

....on the plus side - when the kids go back to school I actually get 15 more minutes in bed every morning as school is closer than OSC.........and I also dont have any problems getting back into the term time routine

TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic · 28/07/2012 22:40

2 of my kids were out til late this eve (with my husband at the village festival). Unfortunately I was at A&E with the nearly 5 year old from 7.30pm as he took a flying leap off the bouncy castle and landed on the grass ... he is fine, thought he had broken his ribs but just bruised... Still think summer evenings should be enjoyed by children and complaining about them being out is a bit miserable! Wonder why there is a rise in childhood obesity thread anyone?

I wonder if the people who don't like kids playing out are the same ones who post fb statuses complaining about having their kids at home, saying 6 weeks summer holiday is 5 weeks too long, , and saying their own children are driving them mad etc.?

amck5700 · 28/07/2012 22:46

Hmmm - i think i am just intolerant of noise in general in the evening - I don't like anybody making noise in the street after 9.30!! - We have over 8 weeks holidays here - now 5 weeks in, 3 and a half to go and I don't mind the kids being off - they haven't even said "i'm bored" yet and have stuck (more or less) to their 2 hours daily screen time

Original poster

MammaTJ · 28/07/2012 22:51

I hardly think that is likely. I like having my kids at home and like taking proper care of them. The ones who moan are the ones who kick their kids out as soon as it is light and then don't let them in till it is dark!!

I like the holidays, I actively do things with my DCs, just not after their bedtime.

I could make my life easier by sending them out the door, but hell, I shall just PARENT instead!!

OP posts:

TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic · 28/07/2012 23:02

I don't know, I have fb friends who were "real" friends several years ago when we lived closer and only had babies, who say things like "couldn't get out of the house today as had no car, kids are driving me mad, 40 days to go..." not just one along those lines, but that is one specific (near) quotation!

We live in a tiny rural village and my oldest plays out or has half the village at our house, as does my middle one to a more restricted extent, I love how independent they can be and how much freedom and fun and fresh air they get, but it isn't "easier" or "not parenting" as I constantly have to be patrolling with the toddler making sure they are where they are meant to be, or I have 7 or 8 kids in my house and garden instead of my own 3! Sometimes my heart sinks when I open the patio doors at 8am and hear a chirpy child calling to ask whether one of my children is playing yet, but it is what holidays are about IMO, not claustrophobic stressing out nor over structured activity (though we hav3e things planned scattered through the holiday, not anything like every day)

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