Bloody loud kids in the communal pool all day, everyday.

[DavidBowiesNumber1]

We've recently moved into a new house on a small development - 20 houses, at present only 10 sold, of those 10 only 5 of us are permanent residents.
Not in the UK.
Up until about 3 weeks ago everything was peaceful, harmonious, pretty idyllic. Then the "holiday homers" arrived.
Now, out of the 5 nonresident households, 3 have lots of children ranging in ages of about 1 to 13 years old. Approx' 9 children between them but every day there are friends arriving to spend the day (and sometime night) at the pool.
Now I'm all for kids enjoying themselves and its lovely to see them doing something other than sitting indoors in front of a tv/tablet/phone/games console but AIBU in thinking that the parents (who are rarely at the pool) should A) be keeping an eye on them and B) be telling them to hush down a bit?
All we can hear from morning 'til night (up to 12.15am this morning) is the children shouting, screaming, jumping in the pool etc.
It's incredibly hot here (40c+ in the day, never dips below 32c at night) so all doors and windows are open therefore the noise carries everywhere.
If we want to use the pool we have to dodge bombing children/passing li-los/random balls and floats along with said 'DC'.
We would just like to enjoy our downtime and relax. Is that too much to ask?

I remember being in the hairdresser once and the woman in the chair next to me had her five year old daughter with her, who was also having her hair cut.

The kid was chattering away to her mum in her squeaky little kid voice - not loudly, but noticeably - and then I heard her mum say, "Shhh, you need to try to speak more quietly because people come here to relax and enjoy themselves while they're having their hair cut and if other people are making too much noise it's difficult to relax. When you're somewhere everyone is being quiet you need to speak quietly as well otherwise you might spoil things for everyone else."

What a woman. I wanted to stand up and applaud.

Her daughter was a lovely little girl.

@LoveInTokyo and individually most kids are. And as a gaggle, my kids are mostly well behaved, polite and considerate. But in a group, esp in a setting like a Playground, pool or park, you cannot control the noise. Like adults at a bbq, party or any gathering actually.

Kids screech when they are excited. It's just the way it is. I get really annoyed when people give kids awful disapproving glances because they are having fun (even before I had kids). Honestly, it achieves nothing other than make the parents stressed out and ruins an enjoyable family day out. You can't police the level of noise like that. What a waste of energy.

It’s called parenting your DC. Encouraging them to be aware of their impact on others, rather than raising entitled egotists.

Kids screech when they are excited. It's just the way it is. I get really annoyed when people give kids awful disapproving glances because they are having fun (even before I had kids). Honestly, it achieves nothing other than make the parents stressed out and ruins an enjoyable family day out. You can't police the level of noise like that. What a waste of energy

Of course you can. It’s called parenting.

If you don’t bother though, I’m happy to ask other people’s kids not to scream.

Ouch @Silentnighttwo !!!

I DO parent my kids. They are well behaved. I regularly get comments on it. However, I will not bow down to miserable people like this and if any of them ever shouted at my kids, they would be on the receiving end of my sharp tongue.

"But in a group, esp in a setting like a Playground, pool or park, you cannot control the noise."

Well you certainly can't control it if you can't even be arsed to supervise your kids. But if you are supervising them and you still really can't control the noise, the polite thing to do would be to take your kids out for a few hours and give your long-suffering neighbours a break from time to time so that they too can enjoy their property.

Persian you are a
I agree, this pool doesn't sound anything like managed enough.

I actually think a sharply worded letter appropriate here on reading more.

Op am with you. We dont let our dc make hell in a communal pool if there are other people about. In fact getting them to rein it in a bit is my general MO.

Dh goes OTT and i get annoyed but generally am in agreement you need to teach dc to have consideration.

Its like people letting toddlers bang a toy about in a coffee shop whilst smiling fondly.

Your dc dont need to be library quietgod knows mine arent but going apeshit is not on. Especially not in the evenings

Wow. Maybe working on school settings and now working with families has thickened my skin to noise. I love being around kids.

You lot all sound so incredibly obnoxious, judgemental and miserable to me. So pleased not to live near any of you! In my building we are the only family, most are retired couples, we have a 7,000l paddling pool in the garden and our neighbours are always joking and playing. When I have apologized for the noise, (and four kids aged 3 - 9, they can generate some noise!) they always laugh and say how lovely it is to hear them playing. In 7 years we have never ever had a single complaint.

That said, everyone is in bed for 21:00 at the very latest, for my sanity. Then it is mine and DH's turn to sit outside in the garden and sometimes the pool!

You lot all sound so incredibly obnoxious, judgemental and miserable to me. So pleased not to live near any of you

I think I can speak for everyone when we say we’re jolly glad we don’t live next to you and your screaming pack

@JacquesHammer well there you go then. Everyone is happy.

Am off to hang out with happy people who have better things to do than moan and whine about kids today.

Happy grumping!

Am off to hang out with happy people who have better things to do than moan and whine about kids today

Other cronies who are incapable of parenting?

Screaming pack

You lot all sound so incredibly obnoxious, judgemental and miserable to me.

If thinking that it is poor form to let your kids loudly monopolise a communal space in a way that prevents other users from being able to enjoy it from dawn to dusk (and indeed until after midnight) makes me the obnoxious one, then we really are in the twilight zone.

I find though, does anyone else? that complaing or even daring to speak up results in 'that English woman who goes to bed early'! Type of thing. Like I am a 90 year old bore. Not mid 40's, from London, lived ALL over the world, bit of a (respectful) party girl myself once, with a child who needs to be up at 7am!

One neighbour, an old lady near me who I am nothing but lovely to(who leaves her small rat of a dog to bark all morning), has never had children, said to me once 'you could get a dog but they are a lot of responsibility, not just for fun you know. Could you cope?'

I smiled politely and then later was so angry. I have a daughter, live in a foreign place, do you think I couldn't manage a dog?

Yes, you have to walk it. What do you think I am doing on the school bloody run every day?

People are so rude.

The rest of the neighbours, I could go on for weeks...

@TheMonkeyMummy Do you live in a block of flats with a management company?

Slightly going off tangent there, sorry OP.

A 'legal/concerned' letter appropriate here!

@LoveInTokyo I am talking about the policing the children's laughter levels, not about the hours. Am in complete agreement about the unsociable hours.

@PersianCatLady yes, and the building owner lives above us. We are in Switzerland where there are very strict rules on lifestyle (no flushing toilets after 22:00 or mowing the lawn over lunchtimes so people can rest, for example. Sunday's are an absolute no-no for doing any DIY or anything that might upset those living around you.) You have to, by law, be good citizens and kind neighbours.

Even the Swiss accept that kids are allowed to make noise and complaints about kid noise are illegal in my canton.

I agree OP. We were on holiday and it stated that pool shuts at 10pm so it went quiet after that as it should do. Yanbu

TheMonkey I was not going to bother replying to you, but now I see you live in Switzerland I am. You totally do not get the level of noise we are talking about. (With all due respect)

I have a friend in Switzerland and she can't even vacuum on a Sunday.

Your children are in bed by 9pm.

I dream of living there!

If you know all noise is over or banned after 'x' it is a totally different matter. You can relax.

Of course children make noise, but not shrieking at midnight, surely?

We aren’t talking about laughing
We are talking about SCREAMING
Girls... boys.. all ages, some parents let their kids shriek, scream and yell for long periods of time and it’s inconsiderate. The pub I live near the garden is not what you would call large it’s very small, with a trampoline and a little slide and that’s pretty much it. But put 8 unattended children in it and you can hear it in the quiet village from half a mile away

So, I've just found out that it does state in the rules that children must be accompanied by an adultvat all times around the swimming pool. I'll definitely bring this up with the committee head and also ask about when we are due to have a committee meeting. Thanks everyone who mentioned these points

Just so I might sound like I actually know what I'm talking about, if the kids are unsupervised does that mean the parents wouldn't be able to make a claim if there was an accident?

WendyCope

that English woman who goes to bed early I think I'm becoming known as "that mad English woman who complains about everything" but, rulz is rulz!