To want to tell the noisy kids next door to shut up?!

[Rhine]

My next door neighbours grandchildren have been in her garden every single day for weeks, they even let themselves in when she's out which they've done today. I don't usually mind the sound of children playing, what I do mind however is endless screaming and having a football constantly kicked at my fence!

It's driving me insane and my dog is going loopy at the constant sounds of the football, he barks at it and now the kids have taken to aggravating him as well. I've now had to bring him in and shut the door which I shouldn't have to do on a boiling hot day!

I don't think this is normal playing noise, the little girl doesn't know the meaning of the world "no" and has the most horrific tantrums in which she screeches for up to half an hour at a time. The boy kicks the football at my fence constantly. I wouldn't mind but there is a huge park at the end of our road with a swings etc and a proper football pitch. Most of the other kids play there, why can't they? They don't even live here!

Before I get attacked and get accused of being anti children, my neighbours the other side have children and whilst they play out in the garden they don't make a noise like this!

I just want to sit in my garden in peace on a lovely day, without the constant bang, bang bang of a football and screaming. AIBU?

She hasn't left them by themselves on purpose, I doubt she even knows that they are there.

No she hasn't Uri. The OP said they let themselves into the garden when their gran is out.

How is that different to them going to the park together?

Except that their gran's garden is probably safer.

Sorry, I didn't finish my post properly before posting. There are issues with the family, not with my neighbour herself, but with the children and their mum. I believe that she is negligent and have done for a while, it's an odd set up. My neighbour has the children a lot, they live in a flat around the corner with their mum. They don't actually have to cross any busy main roads to get here, but it's still questionable how often I see them coming back and to on their own.

A few times I've even seen neighbours daughter marching across with the kids in tow, hear her screaming and shouting at her mum and then marching back home without the kids. They are hear most weekends when neighbour is not on work, I think they stay over night with her.

But you've been out and asked him to stop kicking the ball at the fence, right?

If they are there alone all day with no adults and no access to inside then you should be calling social services.

Yes I agree angel if that happens to be the case, although the OP has given no indication that it is.

I can't phone social services just because the kids are playing in the garden unsupervised! That would be ridiculous.

Most of the time their grandmother is there, however when she goes out they still let themselves in, they never have access to the house when she's out.

Are they there now?

You implied the grandmother was rarely there. It does sound as though the children are being neglected which is a safeguarding issue which you have a duty IMO to report. Where do they go to toilet? Do they have food and water? Why have they been there all day for weeks when they should be at school?

Where has the OP said the kids are there all day?

If they can walk there from their own home, presumably they can walk back again when they need the loo/drink.

Where the hell did I say that the grandmother is rarely there?! I don't recall saying that? And where on earth did I say they have been there for "weeks"? I certainly didn't say that either. They play there a lot, but will still let themselves into the garden when the grandmother is out if it's a nice day. The weather has been nice for ages, so of course it's happened a lot this summer.

I don't have a duty to report anything when I have no real evidence that any kind of neglect is going on.

Are the children there now?

No, they've gone now. Went about fifteen minuets ago, the flat where they live is just around the corner. Not even a five minute walk away.

Have a word with Gran, is she approachable or likely to tell you to fuck off?

Umm, you did say this in your first post:

"My next door neighbours grandchildren have been in her garden every single day for weeks, they even let themselves in when she's out which they've done today."

So who is in supervising these children. Nobody. I don't think this is right.

Seven and three is too young to be left alone in the garden when there is nobody in the house. IMHO.

Ii think It's very negligent. A 7 year old cannot take responsibility for a three year old. Supposing one of them fell and hit their head or something? I would definitely talk to a community policeman (or whatever they're called in the UK).

The OP said the boy looks about 7 and the girl about 3/4.

It's not the sort of thing I'd allow with my kids, but that doesn't mean SS or the community police would be interested in a couple of kids playing in their gran's garden instead of the park.

If a mum went out and left her 3 and 7 yr old in the garden on their own on several occasions I think SS or the community police would be interested. This is the same thing, if the Gran is often not there and there is no one supervising or watching out for the children.

I feel your pain OP,I have three either side. One side is normal kids playing and shouting. Other side is something else altogether; my nerves are in shreds.

I'm backing down about phoning SS. It's a bit strong and I wouldn't myself. But the point is they are in the wrong leaving such young children unsupervised with nobody in the house.

Stop kicking the football at the fence please, thats a start op. If it doesnt work have a word with the childrens grandmother.

Your opening paragraph states they have been there for weeks, every single day. You have implied the other things.