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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect my sons to be able to make a bit of noise in their own garden?

18 replies

2cheekymonkeys · 16/04/2007 22:31

I'm really annoyed at my next door neighbour, who came storming round this afternoon to complain that the boys were being too noisy in the garden and it was 'antisocial' before stalking off. I'll admit they did have a few of their friends round (there were five in total, aged 2 to 6) but they were only outside for an hour or so and they don't often have people round. our neighbour is a very weird woman, aged about 35, and this is the first time she has spoken to me since we moved in 18 months ago, despite my attempts to say hello and be friendly. Needless to say, she and her partner/husband have no children. I tried to explain that it was hard to keep five young boys quiet (what did she expect them to do, sit quietly and read a book?) but she didn't want to know. i feel she's spoiled what had been a lovely afternoon. what do you think?

OP posts:
JustUsTwo · 16/04/2007 22:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Frascati · 16/04/2007 22:36

I would ignore her.

You can't reason with people like that.

It's your home and it was only children playing.

It wasn't as if you had rap music blasting out for heavens sake!

powder28 · 16/04/2007 22:37

She sound like a nasty old bitch. I would make lots of noise from now on.

Dinosaur · 16/04/2007 22:37

I'm completely on your side!

My neighbour (GP, late twenties) complains about the noise my boys make, yet has parties which go on ALL night .

VoluptuaGoodshag · 16/04/2007 22:38

Her problem. Agree that if it had been late or early then possibly but honestly these people make me . Get them steel drums for their next playdate

2cheekymonkeys · 16/04/2007 22:41

If she had been nice about it i probably would have tried to quiet them a bit but she was so nasty I just let them get on with it. And I didn't complain when she was playing Stevie Wonder in her garden at top volume on Saturday.

OP posts:
Dinosaur · 16/04/2007 22:41

LOL at steel drums!

You can borrow my DSs as well, just to get volume levels up to truly deafening!

stitch · 16/04/2007 22:45

ignore the silly bint.
children playing in the garden is like birds singing. part of the charm of spring/summer

on the other hand, music, even if it is tasteful is incredibily annoying. but we all have to find some medium where everyone is happy.
nudity is annoying too. i dont want to see someone else naked in their garden, visual assault. nasty one.

wanderingstar · 16/04/2007 23:11

If you play music (any) at top volume I find it hard to see why you'd want to complain about children just being children in their garden.

pansypants · 17/04/2007 08:17

when i was iwthout my lo i loved the sound of children playing, next doors kids used to say some hilarious things, and i knew that at some point they would be going in for tea and then bed. tbh more annoying was the other side who used to have v. drunken bbqs every sat afternoon that went way on into the evening no chance of peace and quiet then. Trade off drunken louts vs noisy children i know which i would prefer.. the op is not being unreasonable the neighbour is - so there

Freckle · 17/04/2007 09:45

At our last house we were very lucky with our neighbours, older couple who had had 3 children themselves. They understood what it was to have children and that they do make a noise. Then their adult daughter (who lived with them) married some American she'd met over the internet and the atmosphere changed totally. He came storming round at 9am one Saturday in his pjs and dressing gown complaining that we should learn to control our children because DS3 (about 2.5 - 3yo at the time) was having a paddy. He also used to yell over the fence at the boys when they played in the garden.

We were so relieved when we moved and our new neighbours told us straight away that they loved to hear children in the garden and, having fostered very difficult and disturbed children in the past, there was nothing our boys could do that would annoy/shock them!

Your neighbour is an idiot - or possibly someone who wanted children, but couldn't and now resents anyone else who does have them.

sunnysideup · 17/04/2007 14:17

YANBU.

Children should be able to play freely in their own gardens! I have a rule that we don't go out before 9am, as I remember that some childless people may like to sleep in and I think earlier than 9 is a bit unreasonable....and ds wouldn't be out later than 6 or 7pm.

I think that's totally reasonable. I agree with the person who said that adults BBQing relentlessly whenever there's a warm evening is much more bleedin annoying! And music playing loudly is my pet hate, it's so anti social. I can feel a stroke coming on if I hear blaring music.

BigEggLittleEgg · 17/04/2007 14:29

She is definitely unreasonable for playing STEVIE WONDER (ffs) and then complaining that your little DS's were a bit noisy.

Hats off to you for looking after FIVE children age 6 and under too...

SoupDragon · 17/04/2007 14:30

Invite more children round at the weekend.

Blandmum · 17/04/2007 14:34

As long at the hours are 'reasonable' you are not being unreasonable.

In my book 9.00 is fair game. before that I get them to play indoors.

My neighbours have kids. Next door have a yappy dog, which gets on my nerves a bit. But to be fair to them, he is not yapping in the garden at unreasonable hours. So I put up with it IYSWIM

2cheekymonkeys · 17/04/2007 20:52

Thanks for all your responses, i feel better knowing you all agree with me. I reckon if she hated the sound of children she shouldn't have moved into a street where there are children in nearly every house. I really don't want to be on bad terms with my neighbours so I'll try to force a smile next time i see her. I won't be keeping the boys indoors though. Noisy children are what gardens were invented for.

OP posts:
Tickle · 17/04/2007 21:08

yup, megaphone practice for next playdate then...

dmo · 17/04/2007 21:17

i have made them play loader
good job i have ok neighbours i'm a childminder and i have 10 children at 1 time all playing out
neighbour came back from hols on monday and said they went out with a bag to collect all the toys that the kids had thrown over

the only thing that gets me with neighbours is when i peg my washing out and then they have a bbq the smoke stinks

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