Kids playing outside

[anon4578]

We live in a cup de sac. The kids on either side of us are friends and play together but they are so incredibly LOUD. They run around screaming, bouncing balls, playing music etc. Their latest thing is repeatedly bouncing a giant yoga ball like a basketball and the noise is making me want to pull my eyes out just to have something to stuff in my ears. This has been going on for weeks despite the lockdown.

We have a six month old baby who isn't a great sleeper at the best of times but now we have to play white noise at a volume that would make your brain bleed just to block out the noise so that she can sleep.

Technically they are playing outside their own houses but unfortunately we're in the middle so they end up in our garden a lot.

AIBU? How do I tackle this without seeming like the grumpy lady in the street?

*Cul de sac. Oops

Fuck it, just go grumpy and turn the hosepipe on them

How do they end up in your garden? Do you not have a fence?

@crankysaurus tempting

@Laaalaaaa our front garden, no wall or anything between the gardens so they tend to run back and forth through ours

What are their ages?

Are they playing outside of "reasonable " hours?

How do you get on with their parents?

I think the bouncing would send me over the edge

...have you tried something radical like going out and asking them nicely to be quiet because the baby is sleeping? Worked for us.

YANBU. Selfish kids, selfish parents.

Put a fence up to stop them running through your garden and then just pop and bin any balls that end up in it.

@PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock there's bout 9 in total ranging from around 5-14. It usually starts in the afternoon and can go on until about 9pm when the youngest ones tend to go in. The older three then tend to sit out anywhere until midnight. On one occasion I did go out at 10.30 and tell them to keep it down.

Parents are ok, we're on waving hello terms only. They seem nice enough but are really inconsiderate neighbours, they're always blocking us in with their cars and once had a street party at the bottom of our driveway with tables and a boom box. So not great...

Is moving an option? Can only see that getting worse

They should not be playing out at the front. People are allowed to get together now as long as they are sensible so there's no reason why they cannot go into one of their back gardens. I'm very easy going with kids but definitely no playing at the front of houses. I'm glad to say it has never happened, children can do what they like in their houses or back gardens.

Kids are noisy when they play outside. Yours will be noisy too in a few years. If you got a fence at least they'd be a bit away from your property. Other than that I don't think they're doing anything wrong. They're playing. They're noisy. They're kids.

Honestly, I'd remember that in a few short years it will be your dc making the noise and I'd try to be tolerant.

If it's mainly a case of needing a break from noise for a bit when you put your daughter down for a nap or at her bedtime, perhaps you could negotiate for a temporary lull at those times. If the times are not fully predictable, you could suggest that you put up a "baby sleeping" sign when you put her down (but remember to remove it a bit later once she's asleep). The parents will remember that stage, and will hopefully be sympathetic.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I understand that they're only kids and I'm not asking them to stop playing but rather to stop playing right outside my house. I'm not bothered about during the day but I don't want my baby to sleep with white noise blasting every night just so she can sleep

They shouldn't be out at the front, anon. Back gardens, fine, but would you allow your children to play in the front which will probably include pavement and road? I don't understand their parents allowing it.