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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my kids aren't too noisy in the garden?

56 replies

Mumtogremlins · 04/08/2016 18:21

To put it in context, I have 4 children, all under 12 and it's the summer holidays so they've been playing in the garden together for about 30 mins every day, although not every day. They tend to play made up games which involves a bit of noise and I'm always telling them to keep it down.

Just had a woman round from a house that backs on to our garden complaining about the noise. She said she's lived there for 30 years and never heard noise like it. I said there are 4 of them and they are playing but I would try and get them to keep the noise down. She huffed and walked away. What does she want me to do? Keep them in all day? Am I being unreasonable that they can't make a bit of noise in my garden for a short time? How noisy are your kids? Feeling stressed about living here now, only been here since last year

OP posts:
potbellyroast · 04/08/2016 18:22

YANBU kids play. Kids make noise. She should suck it up.

Jaffacake09 · 04/08/2016 18:24

I'd have shut the door in her face.

Either that or I'd have told her to fuck off and then shut the door!

Needmorewine · 04/08/2016 18:24

How mean spirited. It's your garden of course they are entitied to play & make as much noise as they like. If she doesn't like the noise she needs to move to the middle of a field.

Voddy4 · 04/08/2016 18:25

Unless it was very early in the morning or very late at night I.e.when she may want to be sleeping then she is being very unreasonable and miserable. Ignore her!

PhoebeGeebee · 04/08/2016 18:26

Well of course they should be inside playing on electronic devices and not seeing the light of day. I don't get how people whinge that kids don't play out any more, then whinge when they do!

JohnLithgowsLargeForehead · 04/08/2016 18:27

Kids make noise! She should live in a retirement village if she wants silence. Constant screaming and shouting all day long would be annoying but most kids don't do this.

Original poster
Mumtogremlins · 04/08/2016 18:28

Thanks, I'm seething right now and thinking I was too polite! It was just after tea, so 6pm. They are never out late or early and never during term time as they are at school until tea. Old bag!

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ScOffasDyke · 04/08/2016 18:28

Of course they are not entitled to make as much noise as they like! Everybody should be considerate of their neighbours.

I have no issue with children playing, but the girls next door to me scream repeatedly at the top of their voices which is totally unnecessary. Though it does make me laugh when they wee behind a bush in their garden thinking that they cannot be seen, when I have a perfect view through the fence!

HelloSunshine11 · 04/08/2016 18:28

She is BU, assuming it's not early in the morning or into the evening, and that they're not screaming. Anything else is fair game IMO.

Farmmummy · 04/08/2016 18:30

She should hear mine we live on a farm and quite far from nearest neighbor on our rural lane but I'd say you can hear them in Scotland especially the 17month old who doesn't grasp being shushed!

Floggingmolly · 04/08/2016 18:30

Just tell them not to screech. The idea that they can make as much noise as they like in their own garden is incredibly selfish when you live in close proximity to others.
I wonder if you'd be as generous if they did noisy DIY all day long and then had loud parties at night?
I suspect not.

ijustwannadance · 04/08/2016 18:30

Buy a big trampoline for the end of your garden. Right next to her fence.

TortoiseVTurtle · 04/08/2016 18:32

Our last neighbour's were retired and very intolerant of children playing, I swore that I would never be like that when I am older.

It really annoys me now that mine are beyond that stage but I would never moan, that would be a bit rich given that mine did it once.

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 04/08/2016 18:32

I think you should be more considerate, not everyone like the noise of children playing.

Next time they are in the garden, cover up the noise by blasting Metallica out of the window Grin.

Witchend · 04/08/2016 18:34

If she's lived there 30 years and not been round to complain before I'd wonder what was different this year. She's obviously not someone who rushes round at the first whimper or you'd have come across her before.
So either she has a reason why noise is less bearable this year or your dc are noisier than previously.

Original poster
Mumtogremlins · 04/08/2016 18:36

I do tell them not to scream and shout but there is 4 of them so the noise level goes up a bit sometimes. They've only been out about 30 mins every day so it's not like it's all day. One of the houses from that road had a party the other night (might have even been hers as they were older) and music was still blaring at 11.30pm, we just accepted it as we live on a housing estate

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Original poster
Mumtogremlins · 04/08/2016 18:37

We've only lived here since December so kids haven't been out much. Good job I don't have kids who are out all the time. Previous occupants were retired with grown up kids. She said her grandchildren don't make that much noise. I bet they don't dare round granny's house

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Finola1step · 04/08/2016 18:38

Some people are so miserable that the suck the joy out of life!

School holidays + kids + garden = noise.

I'm fact YABU about something...30 minutes a day and telling them to keep the house down Grin

CandODad · 04/08/2016 18:42

They are children and entitled to play. In fact I believe it is even enshrined in the convention for human rights ;)

She should think herself she doesn't live next door to us, they are not loud but for some reason feel the need to give a running commentary to her as to what they are doing in their garden and ask what she is doing and expect a running commentary back. We are really lucky and I have had to remind them more than once not to do it.

NavyandWhite · 04/08/2016 18:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RichardBucket · 04/08/2016 18:45

Rather uncouth. - What a mumsnet response! Grin

I'm very intolerant of neighbour noise and even I wouldn't blink an eye at kids playing for half an hour a day. All that really gets to me is shrieking (just why??) and the thump thump thump of a ball hitting a fence/wall.

ExcuseMyEyebrows · 04/08/2016 18:47

Your children have a right to enjoy their garden but so does your neighbour.

Perhaps if you explained to her that they will only be playing in the garden for half an hour a day she wouldn't mind so much and be a bit more tolerant?

GoblinLittleOwl · 04/08/2016 18:48

It is the screaming that is awful, and that should be stopped immediately. My daughter's best friend one summer used to deliver ear-piercing screams all the time, and in the end they had to play inside because it was unfair on the neighbours. Shouting and yelling I can cope with
.
And what a charming attitude, potbellyroast and Jaffacake09.

Original poster
Mumtogremlins · 04/08/2016 18:48

I'm always rubbish in arguments, thinking about what I should have said. If she comes round again, I'm going to tell her that my son has been fighting leukaemia for the last 3 years and it's nice to hear them happy, playing and alive. That should shut her up.

But I'm a nice person so I will keep telling the kids to keep it down!

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Original poster
Mumtogremlins · 04/08/2016 18:49

They don't really scream as they are mostly boys, just shouting over each other, laughing, the usual noise

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