Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was DH unreasonable to ask the neighbour's kids

525 replies

differenttoyou · 06/07/2014 23:22

to go inside at 9.40 this morning. There were 3 of them and they'd been outside on their trampoline (which buts right up to the fence) since 8.00 am singing at the top of their voices. Eventually we couldn't take it any longer as they started to sing a song from Frozen and they ramped up the volume until they were virtually screaming. DH called over the fence and asked them to go and sing inside.

OP posts:
EatShitDerek · 06/07/2014 23:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alisvolatpropiis · 06/07/2014 23:24

As annoying as it undoubtedly was, yes - he was being unreasonable.

If they were making such a terrible racket he could have asked them to be a little quieter and if that hadn't worked, spoken to their parents.

Telling them to go inside, when they were playing in their own garden, is a bit off.

How did their parents react?

Sleepysheepsleeping · 06/07/2014 23:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

christinarossetti · 06/07/2014 23:26

How did they/their parents react?

MissMilbanke · 06/07/2014 23:26

Let it go.... Let it go... Let it gooooooo

mercifulgibbon · 06/07/2014 23:26

Yep, he was being unreasonable. Should have approached the parents instead.

CumberCookie · 06/07/2014 23:27

Yep he was unreasonable. Asking them to be quiet would have been reasonable, but not telling them to go inside.

libertytrainers · 06/07/2014 23:27

yes

Branleuse · 06/07/2014 23:28

its fine. I think you held out really well.
Nothing wrong with asking rowdy children to move along

BackforGood · 06/07/2014 23:29

Yes, he WBU.
Kids play and kids sing. It's part of living in close proximity to others.
Now, I would have said he was not BU to speak to your neighbours at that point, or later on and asked if there could not be some compromise about the time they start making noise on a Sunday morning - 8am seems very early to be disturbing others - but by 9.40 I'd say they were perfectly OK to be playing out.

BobPatandIgglePiggle · 06/07/2014 23:29

Seriously? He was being an arse.

BobPatandIgglePiggle · 06/07/2014 23:31

bran they were singing Disney songs, not football chants. And move along from their own garden? ? Totally unrealistic.

noddyboulder · 06/07/2014 23:33

Absolutely, Branleuse - they are just children, not the holy sainted offspring of Jesus & Mary Magdalene.

If they are being annoying, telling them to pipe down or bugger off (if they don't want to stop) is perfectly fine. He just told them to 'express yourself elsewhere'. I would have given them till about 8.10, personally.

evelynj · 06/07/2014 23:33

Children should be out when they can but 9am when you're attached to next door would be reasonable. Although a friendly, 'guys could you keep it down a bit?' wouldn't go amiss-they may have been cooperative. Now they'll just think your husband's a cunt.

Branleuse · 06/07/2014 23:34

hes not banning them from there garden though. he just asked them to sing inside. Dont ask, dont get.

and disney songs.. exactly!

Branleuse · 06/07/2014 23:34

their*

Alisvolatpropiis · 06/07/2014 23:35

Move along? They were in their own garden not chanting outside the op's front door at random.

Personally I'd have spoken to the parents quite soon after they first started not waited until it was a completely reasonable time for children to be out playing.

QuizzicalCat · 06/07/2014 23:35

Yes he was being unreasonable.

Ask them to be please be quieter. Ok.
Speak to parents to ask for them to be quieter. Better.
Telling them to leave their OWN garden and go inside for making noise within the legal time to do so. Not OK at all.

If my child came in and told me it was because a neighbour told them to I'd be sending them straight back out and coming to your door to ask him who the hell he thought he was. And depending on his reaction I'd probably be sending them out there or hoovering the whole house whilst listening to show tunes at 7am the next Sunday or five.

9.40 is too early for kids to make noise? Mine have been up three hours by then. I don't let them out before 9 on a Sunday out of consideration, but almost 10am? Your DP can jog on - his desire for peace and quiet does not trump the right of children to play, in their garden, during the day.

noddyboulder · 06/07/2014 23:35

P.S. Also not sure why everyone is suggesting that he should have approached the parents - aren't people allowed to speak directly to others' children anymore?

ILoveCoreyHaim · 06/07/2014 23:36

I Doonnnntttt Caaarrrrrreeeee

What they going to say

Original poster
differenttoyou · 06/07/2014 23:37

bob no need to get offensive.

DH and I had a disagreement about how he handled it and I will talk to the neighbours. It was just that by that time our nerves were rattled. This wasn't normal singing levels but very, very loud.

The kids have been out there every day this week before school which I haven't objected to even though they've been very loud. They were obviously ready for school and waiting for their parents to get them there. We have been leaving later as my older two have exams this week and the younger one was away.

I've actually been more concerned for our elderly neighbour who live on the other side as this isn't what she is used to. The house was previously owned by a childless couple who lived there for over 20 years and none of the other neighbours have very young or noisy children.

OP posts:
Alisvolatpropiis · 06/07/2014 23:37

I said approach the parents if asking the children to be quieter was unsuccessful in the first instance.

Most others have said the same

Branleuse · 06/07/2014 23:37

if my kids came in because neighbours had asked them to be quiet after they'd been screaming on a trampoline all morning, id feel bad for my neighbours.

noddyboulder · 06/07/2014 23:39

Jesus QuizzicalCat - really? Asking him who he thought he was, then tormenting him? Sounds a bit Jeremy Kyle...

They were being bloody annoying - the fault is with the children (and their parents - no way would I let mine out on a Sunday to scream before 9am), not the op's understandably grumpy h.

Original poster
differenttoyou · 06/07/2014 23:40

evelynj was it really necessary to use such words. What has happened to this site. Can people not be civil any more?

OP posts: