Are we a nightmare to live next door to?

[squinker45]

Me and d h child mind from home. We have d s 6 and d d 4, plus up to 5 other under fives. Nice weather means the kids are in the garden every day from 830 to 930 then 3 to 5, then 5..30 to 6. The rest of the time we are out at groups, or eating or sleeping etc. Neighbours hate us! They came round to complain saying this is a nice quiet area and her kids, teenagers, could not revise under these conditions. Also that she knows the other neighbours, who have barking dogs,feel the same as she does. They are old friends and their kids are the same age. Bet it wasn't a nice quiet area ten years ago when they got the paddling pool out. Aibu to think they are being overly arsey? We have only been here six months. Semi detached house. No complaints about the noise from within the house but a clear expectation to keep noise in the garden to a whisper. We work four days a week, neighbour works 2.

There is no proper comparison with the other thread. Those DCs live in the house - this thread is about a business.

8.30-9.30 I can see why they complain tbh, teenagers who are in college sleep late on days off and they are being woken up by your kids. Also I use to be a night worker and I had neighbours kids wake me up all the time during the summer holidays was a nightmare

You never know what others are dealing with. They could be cranky. They could have a kid that is struggling in school. Someone could be sick or suffer migranes

these are all coulds and if we lived out lives thinking 'oh X could have a migraine' people would be too scared to live!

I have migraines. If mine are bad I close my windows. I even had triple glazing in and OMG it works a treat and blocking out the noise. Would I tell the neighbours kids to pipe down because I had a migraine? feck off would I! that's just rude. I go in, shut the windows, take my meds and sleep in a room that is away from the noise.

Must be just me, then. I've never begrudged listening to children play. I think it's wonderful. Talking in my ear incessantly, yes that is annoying. (Mum, Mummy, Mum, Mum, Mummy for hours at a time tends to wear thin...) But playing, no.

I would much rather children than the noise of living on an A/B road which means every time my windows are open I have traffic whizzing past all day and night.

If I was a shift worker then it might be another story. But 8:30 to 6pm are perfectly reasonable hours to be outside IMO.

It's like saying (may be drawing a long bow here) that a restaurant or cafe opening in your street should limit their cooking times to be two hours per day so the smell doesn't make its way into your yard.

I'm no expert but this document - by childminder for childminders - suggests that childminding noise can in some circumstances be taken very seriously by local authorities:

www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/Resources/Planning%20permission%20rules%20-%20England.pdf

Do you in fact have planning permission? It might not be necessary, but - IF the above document is correct - it might. And noise would be a factor in granting or refusing that.

My dds have been on study leave, get up at fair time and revise and would have found 7 littlies playing outside disruptive to be fair. I am not surprised they are upset though that doesn't mean you have necessarily done anything wrong. 8.30am outside is a bit early - I wouldn't do DIY or let my dcs play piano inside our house at that time and cheerful squaling outside at that time probably comes into similar category if it's every day.

dh works night shifts and is going to bed at 08.30. loads of kids playing out and making a racket would be a total pain.

Are you my new neighbour OP?!

Our neighbour of 6 months has 3 kids of her own and child minds and tbh the noise has really spoiled the summer so far for us.
We LIKE kids.. we had four, but our new child minding neighbours have turned their small garden into a playground paradise..complete with pirate ship with lookout and a telescope that peers into our garden!

I work with kids all day and when I get home, just want half an hour's peace with a coffee..or doze on the sofa, but if I sit outside i get 'what are you doing? Is that your cat? I've dropped my sock in your garden etc etc' and then there is the trampoline (ALL kids are screechy then) and of course, currently the paddling pool.
More than 3 kids is never quiet..it just isn't. And coming home from work every day to loud noise (and no privacy in our case) IS very wearing.

And definitely awful for revising teens :/ It would be kind if you could do quiet indoor crafts or similar at least until the exams are over! I used to take mine to the park straight from school to let off steam so that when they got in they were happy to chill or play indoors as I was very conscious of not wanting to annoy anyone!

I remember watching a crime documentary about her death and her sons involvement dot. I can imagine it being nosey but it's during the day, many neighbours annoy me with early diy, lawn mowing, loud music barking dogs. It's just a fact of life.

Ok ok, I get the message! We shall not allow them to play in the garden in the mornings, and try to go to the park after school. Then after tea I guess I will park then in front of telly? Never do this as parents don't like it but if it's that or be shut down then I know what we'll be doing!

Why can't you do an indoor activity with them? it's not like your only choices are outside or tv, is it?

Touché

Playdough, finger painting, Lego/Duplo, junk modelling.. all cheap and easy to set up/clear...

What would you do in winter?

I bloody hate this false dichotomy of "it's either play in the garden or sit in front of the X-Box/TV."

I'd hope a childminder had the imagination to come up with other indoor activities ffs.

Depends on the nature of the outdoor play i guess. My garden backs onto three other gardens owned by people with families. Half dozen kids mucking about in a paddling pool giggling and laughing was barely noticed over one weekend, whereas a single girl whacking her drum for three hours while singing in the other garden the other day forced me out the house for a bit of peace and quiet.

What activities do you do with them when it rains, it doesn't have to be tv

Medusa, I wish more people were as considerate as you. The telescope though, can that be legal?

Bye people, thanks for your kind words, no need to get so hatey though, I forgot what mumsnet was like! It's been fun (sort of) xx

Medusa, if talking to the neighbour gets you nowhere I'd be seriously tempted to consider the death metal / filthy rap suggestions upthread.

Or warn her that if things haven't improved in a fortnight you might have to take drastic action against the next child who interrupts your privacy... very scary ghost stories or the truth about Father Christmas.

I guess I missed some hatey posts....!

I don't think you could be shut down op. People have the right to run a cm business from their home. And and the hours the children are outside wouldn't be considered antisocial.

And the fact that the children are resident to the property in the other thread males no difference to the level of noise they make.

I chose my childminders because of the unlimited access to garden which we dont have. I wouldnt use you if they couldnt be in the garden plenty.

I would just skip the morning one and leave the afternoon ones.