To want to gag a child

[IwishIhadaMargarita]

I don’t mind the sound of children playing, calling out, laughing but dear god we have a girl near us who’s default setting is banshee screaming. She screams as if she’s in danger constantly. Right now she’s outside screaming at the top of her lungs over and over, it’s been going on for 6 minutes. I had a look and she’d not being chased she just standing at the side of the road screaming. I mean actual hurt your throat proper screaming not just shrieks of playfulness. She screams when running, walking, riding her bike...i remember my mum bringing us inside if we did anything like that.

The other kids aren’t doing this.

I’m trying to work, WIBU to outside and sling a gag on her. I can’t wear headphones as it gives me a headache and I have to be available for calls.

Thank god Scottish Schools opens next week!

Well, whilst I can understand your frustration, I do think it may cause an issue with the parents, not too mention the police! Maybe you could very kindly donate a big bag of Gobstoppers to the family?

Please follow me around the supermarket and gag all the squeally ones

YANBU... I have 3 year old twins whose default setting seems to be "outdoor rock concert" volume. I spend my life asking them to calm down and talk in smaller voices.... I literally get sick of the sound of my own voice asking them to speak more quietly.

They enjoy a scream, but if they scream outside they are brought in, if they scream inside they get put on the thinking step to calm down.

It's not acceptable to let your kid do that!!

YANBU

I'd go outside and politely ask her to keep it down but then I'm old fashioned like that.

I expect half of Mumsnet will need smelling salts having read that ^^

There's a child like this who lives near me.

It's the kind of scream they use in films when a female character is being brutally murdered. Even passing teenagers have told her to shut up, but half an hour later she starts up again.

I can't quite condone the gag but I do feel your pain.

Can you not knock on to her parents and suggest they check on her as she appears to be in terrible pain with all the screaming she is doing?

I’ve decided that trampolines need to be banned. And wooden skittles. We have neighbours with 3 trampolining children, and another with 3 small children who are always outside on the screen playing (wooden) skittles, chasing each other and crying.

I have a migraine today and am ready to do someone a serious injury as it’s been going on today on and off since 5am.

There is nothing wrong is stepping outside and saying "please can you keep the noise down". Parents should know this ffs.... It's such a lottery with living anywhere in peace. If it doesn't quiten, which I guess it won't, i'd speak to the parents. Kids screaming constantly because no one has told them it's not ok does not trump your need for peace.

I absolutely fucking hate kids screaming unless they're actually in pain or being chased!
Totally unnecessary especially in kids over the age of 4.

I'd be out there telling her less than politely to stfu! Or I'd scream back at her but that's what hearing screaming does to me, makes me irrational and ragey...

We have two young girls in our building who scream this painful high pitched scream nearly constantly. They actually woke my partner up this morning because they stood outside doing it for about 20 minutes. I feel for their poor mother, she clearly tries but is also worn down by them! I'm just thankful for earplugs.

If you are in the north west, I will be a willing alibi.
I cannot stand screaming kids. Unless they are in pain or danger.
I have a roll of duck tape...

Or for the more serious, go and ask their parents if she is in pain.
Or local PCSO? She might be upset as she is lost?

@Prig

There is nothing wrong is stepping outside and saying "please can you keep the noise down". Parents should know this ffs.... It's such a lottery with living anywhere in peace. If it doesn't quiten, which I guess it won't, i'd speak to the parents. Kids screaming constantly because no one has told them it's not ok does not trump your need for peace.

I've gone out and asked the feral children to stop screaming, to stop playing outside my front door (down a private path off a car park), to get away from my car (not in car park), to stop riding their bikes inches from the boot of my car, to stop trying to swing from the willow tree directly in front of my window. None of these children are from my "side" of the square but choose to play directly in front of my house. I'm not even sure where most of them live. They don't even acknowledge me!

I second the gobstoppers - or maybe some really sticky, chewy toffee, to gum her teeth together.

So the gag is frowned upon. I can’t actually tell what house she lives in but i think it’s the other end of the street (bet her parents encourage her to go and play down the other side). A few weeks ago it was bloody whistles. I don’t mind children making noise just not shrill screams like they are being murdered. I actually cocked two things up and had to sort it due to the distraction!

Yes the gag I think might be frowned upon, although I do personally find a pump water gun fantastic, it goes really far and you can do it from behind a wall or fence so no one sees you. I also have some air horns on order. I find a few presses of these scares the shite out of the kids and they usually run off.

Just back from a walk where I saw a wee girl, probably no more than 2 absolutely refuse to leave the play park so her Grandad picked her up and carried her out. They were walking in front of me and she was banshee screaming. Grandad cajoled a couple of times to no avail then changed tack to "is that all you've got? C'mon louder! Louder!" Instant silence. I was torn between giving him a medal & asking him to babysit.
Maybe your banshee would respond in a similar way

Oh god there's one on my street aswell, he's about 3 and spends all his day screaming and shouting 'motherfucker' alternately. Drives me MAD.

I have one too - it's been going on for over three years. It's also accompanied by loud fake boohoo crying here and there.
I've WFH during lockdown so have heard it even more.
The mother seems oblivious, but the child stops immediately when spoken to by the father.
I just can't understand why parents allow their children to do it - mine would have been made to come inside each and every time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Oh, and there's the occasional 'fuck off' thrown in for good measure......

There are several here that somehow manage to sound like a cross between a whistle kettle, cats procreating and someone being murdered for 5 - 10 minutes without seeming to take a breath

The trampoline ones near me are now all screaming for some reason. Most of the afternoon was them pretending to be cats and meeeoooowwwwing very loudly.

@SerenityNowwwww there was a trampoline squealer a few years ago...thankfully stopped. I think maybe the parents got fed up.

We used to live near one of these. Summer was absolute hell... We moved

I’d honestly go out and tell her to stop it, there’s no reason for that silly noise, no one wants to listen to it and she’s ruining people’s peace and quiet.

If you want, I’ll come round and do it now in my best teacher voice plus death stare.