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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Neighbourhood Children outside

93 replies

Tryingtostayyoung · 22/07/2016 19:50

Ok so totally not sure if IABU or not. Since it has been light out in the evenings there seems to be a group of kids playing out front, I live down a little close which is off of another close which I suppose is where these children live. They are not in their gardens but running up and down our roads SCREAMING. Don't get me wrong I'm never ever normally a person that dislikes listening to child noise but is it unreasonable that at nearly 8 this is still going on and so loud that my DD can't actually sleep (I don't blame her, I wouldn't be able to either) they seem to be within the ages of about 7-10 and a few of them.

OP posts:

Cinderbloom · 22/07/2016 20:41

I used to teach and playground noise never bothered me at all. Possibly because it's all a sort of mass of sounds rather than individual shrieks so your mind tunes it out rather than tuning into it and distracting you...

Also I'm always on edge because we don't have pavements so they're playing in the road (by a bend) and some are only two or three.

Gizlotsmum · 22/07/2016 20:43

See my kids are in bed and I would be asking them to keep the noise down if they were still playing out ( as I do if it is early). So I can sort of see both sides.. I think it is just part of living near other people

RiverTam · 22/07/2016 20:51

Nothing miserable about consideration for others. There are a few kids who play out on my street, they manage to have lots of fun without screeching.

BagpussOhSagpuss · 22/07/2016 21:18

MN is the most miserable place on the internet. I think it's all the DM types that are here now
Yet you spend so much time hereusual
Perhaps you like it more than you care to admit?

Original poster

Tryingtostayyoung · 22/07/2016 21:20

They are still out there now, I just find it quite inconsiderate, no issue with playing but that doesn't have to mean screaming for hours, I've put DD to sleep in our bed because it's impossible to get her to sleep with all the noise. I think that tomorrow I will just pop out there and tell them that it's lovely their playing but if they could stop screaming because the little one is going to bed. Tbh I just don't see why in the evening they can't play in their own gardens.

OP posts:

usual · 22/07/2016 21:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AdjustableWench · 22/07/2016 21:32

I tune out this kind of noise too, so it doesn't bother me at all. Kids play loudly in my street until at least 9pm most nights, including school nights, even when it's dark. You get used to it after a while.

Although...
child singing "let it go" at the top of their voice
... this would have me searching for earplugs.

Mycatsabastard · 22/07/2016 21:33

Are you talking about actual screaming or just shrieking and laughing?

Kids a few doors down have a paddling pool. They are pre-school age and as a consequence have been in there shrieking all day. I'm at home all day. In my garden. I don't really mind listening to them shrieking because you know, they are kids, they are having a good time. It's ear piercing at times but I suspect someone's just chucked cold water over them so you know, meh, live and let live.

My youngest (10) goes out the front with two other 10 year olds, a 9 year old, three 7 year olds, 2 six year olds and one 5 year old. They shout, shriek, laugh, run about, play on scooters, bikes, roller skates. They are out until about 8.30 in the summer, sometimes a bit later.

All of us in this street are parents. Including those who are now considerably older with grandchildren and great grandchildren. We all look out for each other, look out for the kids, elderly neighbours and it's a nice street because we are all tolerant of the fact that living in close proximity to other people can cause problems if you let them.

You are causing such a fuss about having to move your child into another room. It's the summer and guess what? Every time it's warm and light, they will be out there playing. And at some point so will yours. This is life. And when yours is out playing and someone moans that their baby is trying to sleep at 7.30 you may look back and think how much you are overreacting.

And to the teacher who seems to detest children playing on scooters ... are you in the right job??

AdjustableWench · 22/07/2016 21:36

Meant to add: this kind of noise didn't seem to stop my kids from sleeping when they were small. I can understand that it's distressing if you're trying to get a baby to sleep.

absolutemug · 22/07/2016 21:39

My cat - I have an excellent track record as a teacher thanks. I don't particularly want kids scooting right past my window. I don't want them knocking on my window. I don't want them shrieking outside my window for 12 hours + a day during the holidays. I think this is human but feel free to judge me if you like.

dingdongdigeridoo · 22/07/2016 21:39

I quite like the sound of kids playing outside. However, last year I lived on a street where a boy of about 9/10 would just yell at the top of his lungs constantly. I went out a couple of times and asked him nicely to keep it down, which he would for a while, then he'd start up again. Certain kids can just be louder than others.

Original poster

Tryingtostayyoung · 22/07/2016 21:40

AdjustableWench It doesn't bother me all evening until I have to put DD to bed, that's when it irritates me slightly because I just think that if it was my child, and yes I know that one day it will be, if it was 8 at night and they were still screaming and screeching at the top of their lungs I would go outside and tell them to keep it down abit.

OP posts:

ghostspirit · 22/07/2016 21:55

its summer time light nights just how it is. come september-ish it will slow down.

then we can moan about the kids doing halloween and fire works night. and then about xmas

RhinestoneCowgirl · 22/07/2016 22:02

I'd much rather hear kids playing out at 9pm (even if there is shrieking) than hear adults having a full on stand up row. It's just part of living in a densely populated area...

lalalalyra · 22/07/2016 22:04

If they are screaming then it's fair enough as them to quieten down. If they are just playing with some noise then it's summer and they've just broken up from school.

I'm expecting a long summer of moaning here. One of the neighbours in our cul-de-sac detests hearing the children play at all. She's completely forgotten that her DS (now 18) used to ride his bike/play football/shout to his friend/commit every heinous crime she nowbelieves the kids commit.

I have the most children in the street therefore she always knocks my door because it's "bound" to be one of mine involved. Miserable woman.

Muddlingthroughtoo · 22/07/2016 22:08

8.00 isn't actually late though, it's just later than the time your LO goes to bed. Kids are loud because they are having fun, quiet kids are suspicious!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 22/07/2016 22:11

I'll swap you for the flamenco music played full blast with shouting over the top, the kids with the recorders (I can understand why DM used to 'hide' mine!), the screaming mother, bonfires and the sodding Wombling Song!

TheUnsullied · 22/07/2016 22:14

YANBU. At all. What a lot of people don't seem to grasp is that it's not the playing that's an issue, or even the playing loudly. The issue is kids literally screaming. Which, funnily enough, they never do outside their own homes. It's a sound we're biologically wired to find distressing. Tolerance is a part of living in the kind of proximity that most of us do but consideration is too and (though I'm sure this will piss some people off) the parents of the screamers should really be more aware of how inconsiderate it is to ignore the fact that your child is screaming in front of other people's houses where younger children might be asleep.

GuruDal · 22/07/2016 22:15

The kids round here went in at 9pm. Its the first time Ive seen them all out playing.

Natsku · 22/07/2016 22:21

YABU, childhood is the only time we can run wild and its unfair to try and stop it. Think back to when you were a kid and think how it would have felt if you had to be quiet in the evenings rather than just play and have fun.

DrAdmin · 22/07/2016 22:23

Op Are are you in carrick ?! I also live in a close off a close and was going to murder a little screaming fucker tonight!

HappyFatty · 22/07/2016 22:26

YANBU. As a Mum of 3 Dc's one of whom has Aspergers and can be a 'constant screamer' given the chance. I believe it is totally unacceptable to let my DC's scream so loudly our neighbours are annoyed by it. We live in a street where our DC's play out and often we'll hear our little screamer start going stratospheric and I or DH will go out and tell him to keep it down as it's not fair on our neighbours which he does, until he forgets again lol. Honestly I would go and ask them to either go and play outside their own house and scream or play where they are but slightly quieter. If they were my DC's and I found out they were annoying our neighbours I'd be mortified.

Thomasisintraining · 22/07/2016 22:31

This is one of those threads where I am glad that miserable camugers can actually do nothing except express their distaste on MN. Although I am sure someone will be along with a 101 suggestion before long

Idontknowwhoiam · 22/07/2016 22:31

My daughter screams. Not laughs or shouts happily... she screams. It doesn't my head in and I tell her to stop it or come in.
There's a big difference between kids playing and just screaming.
Unfortunately it's the adults who make most noise around here (other than my dc )

Notcontent · 22/07/2016 22:32

You are not being at all unreasonable. There seems to be this general view among some people that we are all free to do what we like, particularly when it comes to screaming children, loud music, etc. Unfortunately, if we all did what we like, we would all go crazy from lack of sleep etc.

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