To be annoyed about my neighbours complaining

[BuzzingtheBee]

About my children playing in the garden? And us playing music over the bank holiday weekend (not loud)? The children only play out when its nice weather so not that much, I’m happy they are outside and not stucknto ipads etc!

@Winesalot

I take your point. Totally. Yards are bigger, and it's maybe far less condensed, if that's the right word. Certainly where I am, I'm kind of on the edge of a suburb, although it's freeway on the other side of the paddock so I also get traffic. I do also hear my neighbours' noise, despite the colourbond and a bit more space.

I also "school" in inner west Sydney though, so experience the close proximity and bastard 747s, and my last house was a much tighter knit suburb.

My point still stands though, about consideration and tolerance. If you're going to live beside people, it's essential to live, and if that means enjoying music moderately in your outdoor space, then you need to be considerate about it, but also tolerate it, because that's what cohabitating with other people involves.

Ps. Your country really is beautiful, and I feel lucky to be raising my children here.

Don’t listen to all the Pearl clutches on here Op who wouldn’t know fun if it slapped them in the face, they are probably going to call you an alcoholic if you have half a light beer. As long as the music isn’t too loud I don’t see a problem.

Are you 10?

And wheresthe. I am happy to think I have lived in the two best countries in the world. definitely some great things about both.

I'd much rather hear the sound of children playing rather than annoying adults that love the sound of their own voices ha hem my next door neighbours. Music is fine if on very low and not affecting those around you but if your neighbours can hear it that is is too loud.

I'd much rather hear the sound of children playing Would you if them playing involved bouncing a basket ball against the side of your house for 6 hours?

@1forsorrow common sense needs to prevail and if they are doing that than you have an issue you need to address. Oh and I said play not antisocial behaviour or anything that affects others to that degree!

If playing music in your outside space is so 'essential to live', put some eheadphones on. Try and live your life so you are not impacting other human beings.

My neighbours son has grown out of that now but that was his idea of playing. My point was that just saying you don't mind/actually like or prefer the sound of children playing surely depends on what they are playing and the noise involved.

I don't understand why music is considered such a special case.

Imagine if you turned your sprinkler on, as your children loved to play in it, but it also soaked the neighbour's garden. You would not think it reasonable to expect them to stay in and close their windows to stay dry, would you?

Yet, noise, which, to many, is equally unpleasant is, for some reason, thought of as acceptable to impose upon others.

Children playing is fine. Music is intrusive and unnecessary.

@macncheeseballs, so if you and say your SO and three kids were sitting in your yard/garden enjoying a bbq dinner, you'd all have your separate earbuds in, listening to your separate music, effectively ignoring each other, rather than having your joint Spotify playlist on at a moderate level, chatting with each other and having quality family time? Really?

My neighbours taste in music is very different to mine. Every time I step out my back door on a warm day I am assaulted by it.

I suppose I could also play loud music of my taste to drown it out, but then I am also ruining people’s quiet enjoyment of their gardens.

I do think people are selfish. Music played low for twenty minutes while a family is enjoying dinner is probably okay.

Blasting music for hours on end that everyone else has to listen to is selfish.

I am shocked that so many people on this thread think their enjoyment is more important than all their neighbours.

I just don't really get why people need music as a "background" to chatting. No background is needed, just chat! I go back to my original point, which is people seem to be afraid of quiet. There always has to be some noise going on. If you're a person who needs noise, fair enough, but you can't expect the rest of us to be happy about it, if you're inflicting your needs on us. It's not about being "boring". We just don't all like music, all the time.

Help please, - yes really! . Not that we have alot of bbqs either. We love music and listen to alot of music indoors, and we spend alot of time in our garden, but headphones for listening to music.

Music- YABU- if your music is audible in someone else's house/garden then it's too loud. Imagine someone listening to some music that you hate at that volume and then make up your mind about whether it's unreasonable.

@HelpPleaseNoHateNeeded... 5 ppl struggling to have an engaging conversation and require white noise to feel alive? Is your conversation so cold that u need music in the background?
god 5 of us will be rocking the place of laughter, who would manage to hear the music anyway.

5 ppl struggling to have an engaging conversation and require white noise to feel alive?
😂😂

and from reading the comments of most people on here who like to play a bit of music in their gardens, they've specifically said they're playing it at an acceptable level
But that is the issue, people have very different perception of what an acceptable level is.

You've talked about music somewhere in the background and confirmed you live on large grounds. How does this compare to people in shall gardens in terraced house!

I sometimes hear music in the neighbourhood far enough I don't know which neighbour it is. It doesn't bother me at all. It probably drives the next door neighbour mad just like I want to cry when our next door neighbour has his music on, which is loud enough to mute birds singing but must be just undisturbing background music for the neighbour further away.

so if you and say your SO and three kids were sitting in your yard/garden enjoying a bbq dinner, you'd all have your separate earbuds in, listening to your separate music, effectively ignoring each other, rather than having your joint Spotify playlist on at a moderate level, chatting with each other and having quality family time? Really?

Can't you have quality time with your family without music? Really?

I've just discovered that I have a noise level recording app on my phone. I've just recorded my neighbour kids 'playing' in the garden. Decibels level going up to 82db every few seconds (in my garden).

I've just googled that safe decibels levels are under 70db. My neighbour would say that her kids are just being kids, playing as they need to let out steam, those poor kids and they are not that noisy.

So yes, it is noise pollution. Because parents are used to it and tolerating it doesn't mean it is acceptable!

@dontdisturbmenow wow that's loud!

@hannah021 and what if your neighbour finds you and your family rocking the place with laughter annoying?

I am sure that your phone app is highly reliable.

Children should be banned

@carriebreadshaw hahaha dont take it literally... They would have played music really loud in return ...

@carriebreadshaw, that's one kid having fun jumping on the trampoline which is right against our fence.