Children on gardens

[Toolaidback4some]

Is it just me or do screaming children in gardens make you mad. Before you start i dont mean noise from children playing, shouting or being generally noisy. I actually enjoy listening to them play and have fun. But a scream..like aarrghhhh type piercing scream every 3 seconds is driving me mad. AIBU to expect the parents to say...stop screaming there are other people outside too...?

[Nikephorus]

I have close neighbours like this - the children don't play, they scream and shout. But it's obvious where they get it from as both parents are shouty too (not in an angry way, just everything at full volume). So if any Mumsnetters are reading this who have a daughter called Phoebe (yes I do hear that shouted a lot) and at least one son (and no, last summer, I didn't need to know about which pyjamas he was wearing but thank you for sharing it with all of us), you're far too loud and we'd all appreciate you shutting up!

[squidgesquodge]

DD is 8 (years - not months) and has developed a scream this summer. It's a hideous noise. She now gets one warning each time we're in the garden and any screams after that is a 50p and five minutes indoors. It's the fine which is finally making her think and stop (well, reduce) doing it. It seems to have become a thing amongst the children at her school this summer (or at least the group she mainly plays with) but the dinner ladies are clamping down on it too which should help.

[NeeChee]

I'm glad all the parents who have posted agree that unnecessary screaming outside (or anywhere) is not good. I think a minority of parents just don't give a crap about other people. Yes, screaming is a good release, and children like being able to make a loud noise with their voice, but they should also be taught to have consideration for others.

[mummabearfoyrbabybears]

I really don't understand parents who don't ask children to stop. If my kids are out and screaming I'd A) run to see who was bleeding profusely and B)get really pissed that it was a false alarm. Screaming is not acceptable. I'm amazed how many of my friends can listen to it

[Silvercatowner]

There's a child a few gardens away from us who, when it is out in the garden, screams constantly - and it is constant, like a chatty conversation turned up to full volume. Thank god they are a way away from us - far enough away that it isn't irritating and I can marvel at the power of the child's lungs.

But who lets their child do that???

[livingdownsouth]

My neighbour's children have been in the paddling pool for the past half hour . They're screamers - that's my one lie-in of the week gone.

[mydogisthebest]

I am lucky that although most of my neighbours have young children none of them scream. I can hear them playing and laughing and I love that.

However it seems just about every time I am in a supermarket or a coffee shop/café there is at least 1 child screaming. The other day I was having a coffee in Starbucks when a young child started screaming. The screaming carried on non-stop for over 10 minutes. By this time I was starting to get a headache so decided to leave. As I got up I looked behind me to see that the mother of the child was drinking one of the cold drinks (so served in a plastic cup). She could have got up at any stage and gone outside with the screamer and carried on drinking.

[MorningsEleven]

I would just love to go outside and scream into the wind. Shame I'm 42...

I did it the other day when my 10 year old was driving me insane. It was brilliant! Don't let age be a barrier (I'm older than you)

[forthelifeofpomme]

I would just love to go outside and scream into the wind. Shame I'm 42...

[NukaColaGirl]

My eldest 2 DC are screamy and it does my fucking head in Seem to spend all my time telling them to pipe down and that if I hate hearing it then the neighbours certainly do too.

[SoyDora]

It’s the adults next to us who cause the most noise. 2 parents plus 2 grown up children and all their friends sit at the bottom of the garden shouting/singing with loud music on every single night.

[SoyDora]

I’ve got two young children who never scream and we have lots of children who live around us who I’ve never heard scream either. So I’m assuming this...

Took me a while to realise that teaching DC to be quiet went out of fashion years ago

Isn’t true, as my children have definitely been taught to be quiet and considerate, and it appears all the other children who live on my street have been too.

[Sharkwithknees]

Urghh we have this where we live. Used to be a lovely place to live until a new family moved in. They're known locally as the 'jezza Kyle family'. Before you judge us as snobs, the children will scream, fight, swear whilst their parents get pissed in the garden. Then as the day turns to evening, the adults argue loudly, shout argue and swear. Makes me actually look forward to winter!

[Ohmydayslove]

Sgree we didn’t let ours scream or argue in the garden it’s so rude to the neighbours.

[Queenofthestress]

Mine get told once and only once, I say that's enough and bring them inside, can't play quietly then not playing outside for half an hour. They hate it but ds has SEN and needs to learn. Nice to see I'm not the only one!

[Lucyccfc]

There are loads of children where I live and it's fantastic that they can all play out in safety (only 2 roads on our estate). They play football, manhunt, basketball and there's bikes and scooters all over the place. My DS loves it and so do I.

Except for one neighbours kids. They scream and whine constantly. Their Mum is just as bad - she screams at the to stop screaming.

[seafret]

Our neighbours kids to do this, just piercing shrieks and screams a lot of the time. And into late evening too and running up and down the road. It is awful. No one ever tries to stop them, except me recently when it got unbearable :(

Poor kids looked so shocked when I (politely) asked them to play quietly - it was as if no one had ever brought it to their attention before. So sad.

[UnlawfulBananaPeeler]

Sorry are you my neighbor

Both my children are very screamy. And I absolutely tell them off but then I get scared me telling them off is adding to the noise . If I brought them in every time they’d never be out. I just try to keep them occupied doing quieter things because I do think it’s awful!

[Echobelly]

It is quite astonishing how long kids can spending running up and down in a garden screaming. I can usually tune it out but I can see how annoying it might be.

[Maelstrop]

A neighbour’s child did this, I mean all day, I’m not exaggerating. It was CONSTANT. It ruined my fil’s last visit to us in the summer. We couldn’t wheel him outside or even open the door because the child screamed so loudly and so constantly. We eventually went round and asked the dad to stop her. It was absolutely ridiculous. Thank god she’s now grown up (to a point).

Next door have young children who play nicely and giggle, they’re frankly a delight to hear. There’s no screaming and if they’re a bit too noisy, mum calls them in. I love that neighbour!

[AviatorShades]

teehee, I wonder how the parents and neighbours of the v.small child I saw in the supermarket today are getting on? Today she learned to scream! Not cry, just how to make the single scream sound. First time she actually shocked herself, then she tried again. Liked it, so gave it another go. Clapped her hands in absolute delight.And repeat.

[Discotits]

My three year old did some screaming in the garden today. Got brought in and told no both times. No one wants to hear that.

[IHeartKingThistle]

Mine aren't allowed to scream. Actually they are now 11 and 8 and I can't even remember the last time they did it. It goes right through me! If they scream on the trampoline they come in as our trampoline is very close to our neighbours' fence. I'm baffled by kids that come over and scream and I make the rule very clear to them too!

I don't believe I have squashed their outlets for self-expression even a tiny bit, before anyone starts

[zizza]

I'm so pleased to hear that others agree on the "screaming is not acceptable" front. My DC are all early 20s now but I know we never put up with screaming. Both my immediate neighbours have young children - none of them scream. But next-door-but-one...... I want to scream back!!!! Drives me and dh mad - I don't know how they put up with it (they don't sound very good at disciplining generally imho - going to be a nightmare when their girls are teenagers lol)

[RebeccaBunchLawyer]

With my luck, the second I settle in a garden I hear screeching, squawking and ear-splitting shrieks nearby. Water pistols can be quite effective 👍