About Noise in the Garden?

[LucilleLeSueur]

Warning: long and probably petty.

Background info: we rent. My husband and I are both professionals, with two small children.
We moved into our current rental two years ago (when I was pregnant with DC2). On our first day DD1 (then 3) and DH were playing in the garden when our next door neighbours shouted over the fence for them to "shut up". Apparently they didn't move to this estate to hear noisy children (suburban estate in prime residential area close to local schools etc in large university town, wtf?!)

Fwiw we are quite strict and definitely keep an ear out for excessive noise/ anything annoying or repetitive. It was absolutely normal child in garden noise at 3pm on a sunny Sunday.

Since then we've kept our distance but DD1 did tell me that the woman has asked her to be quiet over the fence once when she was playing outside with her friend. Again normal children's voices, no excessive shouting or shrieking.

Today DD1 had her friend over, so i took them and DD2 into the garden. Bit of bouncing on the trampoline, a picnic on a blanket, some "camping" in a play tent.
Neighbours were INDOORS but with windows open - loudly sighing to each other, crashing their door shut, and blaring his crappy dadrock music.

They are probably mid-50s, early 60s. He's got a mechanical hobby and is out a lot on our shared driveway tinkering with the various bits and pieces.

We have never had a party here, or a barbecue, we don't go out late at night, children are not allowed in the garden early at weekends, we always mow the lawn mid-afternoon to avoid disturbing anyone.

Our neighbours on the other side (the attached part of our semi) have never heard us making noise. We're clean, tidy, and good tenants.

Am I missing something? Are we really doing something wrong by being in the garden, or are they just being arseholes precious?

Previous tenants were single professionals. We previously lived on the top floor of flats and again had a brilliant relationship with all our neighbours and no complaints of noise. It's our first garden and it's been spoiled a bit by them. Hashtag: sadface.

I feel your pain, we had a similar issue, but never found out which of our neighbours complained to the council about noise levels (kids happily playing in the garden in summer). They could have knocked on the door and actually spoken to us, but chose instead to remain anon. They also complained about us using a floor sander in the middle of the day. We countered it with extreme politeness and put flyers through the doors (flats to the side of our house) every time we were planning on hammering a nail or doing any form of DIY. The kids carried on playing in the garden and I gave the council an open invitation to record noise levels. Honestly what a bunch of fuckers some people are. Just ignore them.

They were rude to tell your kids to shut up. But children playing in garden can get very irritating to listen to, especially on a trampoline. Gardens are really just extension of the house, I don't agree with kids shouting and shrieking in gardens when neighbours have to hear it. Save noisy play for the park or playground. Teach them good manners.

I suggest you teach kids to play peacefully in garden, without shouting or raising voices. Or have a 'noisy hour' when they go wild but have them keep noise down the rest of time.

When I was a child we had to play quietly in our garden as had elderly neighbours who liked to soak up the sun in peace. We played lots of imaginative games, sports, read books, played with our toys on lawn, planted things. We were taught to treat garden and its wildlife with respect, being quiet didn't spoil our enjoyment of outdoor play. Kids can talk, laugh, chat and express excitement without being noisy.

I love my peaceful garden nowadays. I like to listen to birds, breeze, bees in the honeysuckle. It's relaxing and helps me unwind after work. I'd be really upset if neighbours let their kids play noisily or bounce on a trampoline. People are protective of their peace and quiet, and rightly so.

They sound petty. As long as there's no excessive screaming and shouting then there's no problem. I tell mine to shut the hell up if they scream in the street whilst playing cos it irritates ME. I can only assume it must irritate the neighbours too.

Caspian we only got the trampoline last year so the shut up incident was unrelated to that.

DH reminds me that the shut up time she was actually having a cry and he was cuddling her (she had hurt herself and actually we've just remembered she has a fever of 39 degrees so was a bit out of sorts). They had been out there for ten mins max though and she had been crying for maybe three?
DH says that they must have been able to hear that he was there managing the situation, so to just shout over the fence was unnecessarily antagonistic.

My 5yo can definitely be loud but I really don't think it's excessive. Loud like all children who don't always have volume control. Which is why I always supervise.

She can also be quiet, reflective, imaginative, and peaceful - just a normal child really!

Well, I'm shocked that they behave like that despite meeting you and knowing who you are.

Why don't they just call round and say x is troubling them.

I'm at a loss.

YANBU, how dare they tell a child to shut up (or anyone for that matter), that's not a nice "garden" sound.

Caspian is right, the garden is an extension of your home, therefore your children can play in it and make noise (within reason, but you have already confirmed noise is not excessive).

Personally though, I would be having a very strong word and ask them to not speak about noise to your child, tell them to be quiet or shut up. Tell them to make you aware and you will deem if in your garden the extension of your home, what if any action is required.

You sound like great neighbours. I'd love you to live next to me.

It's difficult to control noise levels, there is obviously unacceptable shouting and shrieking but kids playing outside with reasonable noise levels- surely to be encouraged rather than cooping them up in front of the telly. For a long time after our complaint I tiptoed around and every time one of my children even spoke in the garden I'd be outside trying to get them to be quiet! I live in London and do think that in densely populated areas we need to have a bit of tolerance. I don't particularly like listening to my neighbours leaf blower/my other neighbours party noise/that police siren/the building site behind me etc etc but I'm happy to live and let live. If I wanted total silence I'd decamp to the Outer Hebrides.

shame they dont live between me and my neighbour. sometimes between 8-10 kids all out there playing. just get on with your day op.let your kids play as they should be able to. tell your neighbours to complain if theythat bothered. then it will be seen that your noise is everyday noise and at reasonable times.

a while back at an old address neighbour complained about my noise. told her to report me... i never heard anything again

Time to organise the beast of all bbqs and give them something to really whinge about

I'm also noise sensitive and I'd have you as neighbours any day.

My DCs kids have electric cars that they drive around their garden. The cars have horns Beep, beep, beep, beeeeep, beep, beep, beeeeeep, beeep, beeeeeeeeep, Aghhhhhhhhhhh! It's irritating - especially when it wakes me up. Otherwise they just make normal kid noise - it's a bit noisy but not in an irritating or unreasonable way.

Typo, not '......my DCs kids'. I meant to type. '....my neighbours kids'