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Original poster

Kids with whistles...help

48 replies

Midsommar · 27/08/2020 11:48

I have posted about this before but deleted it as it was maybe too outing. There are a bunch of kids out on my street playing but one of them has been given a whistle - I am WFH and it is disturbing me a lot. I've had to crank my TV volume up which I didn't want to do. My neighbours have also commented on how annoying it is. I'm at my wits end and it is stressing me out - what would you recommend I do? I'm worried about approaching the parents as I don't want to cause any trouble. I don't have kids myself so I'm not sure how to handle this situation.
If someone could give me some advice I'd be grateful.
Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 11:53

This isn't a first time instance by the way. The whistling has been a common occurance most days now for the last couple of weeks.

OP posts:
AvoidingRealHumans · 27/08/2020 11:54

Personally I would go outside and say nicely to the children that they have a lovely whistle but it is very noisy and you can't hear properly/it is disturbing you whilst trying to work and would they mind stopping or playing at the other end of the street.
I know speaking to children doesn't go down well on here so you could say exact same to the parents instead.

I don't see the issue with saying something politely.

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:01

@AvoidingRealHumans thanks for the advice. I worry about approaching children in case the parents get angry. I cannot for the life of me get my head around the fact someone has given their child a whistle...especially when they must know a lot of people are working from home at the moment. Very inconsiderate really.

OP posts:
IgiveupallthenamesIwantedareg0 · 27/08/2020 12:14

Maybe you should realise that you do not live on this planet alone, that because you are WFH everyone should act according to what you want?
Perhaps your "cranked up TV volume" is annoying others It's an old cliche, but live and let live.

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:18

@IgiveupallthenamesIwantedareg0 wow, no need to be so rude! My TV is not shockingly loud at all, I cranked it up from nearly mute. There was really no need for that horrible post at all - I was asking for advice, as I said I am stressed out so to speak to people like that is disgusting. If you have nothing constructive to say, don't say anything at all.

OP posts:
MitziK · 27/08/2020 12:20

They'll be back at school by the end of next week. Headphones on, grit your teeth - it's nearly over.

wonkylegs · 27/08/2020 12:21

I would go out and speak to the kids but I'd also consider looking at getting noise cancelling headphones if you are going to be working at home for any length of time and need to concentrate.

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:22

@MitziK and @wonkylegs thank you for the reasonable replies. I can handle noise and expect some noise - we can't expect to live in silence! But the whistling is awful and very annoying as you can imagine. Noise cancelling headphones is a good way to go Smile

OP posts:
Mypathtriedtokillme · 27/08/2020 12:23

“Hey kid. That’s much a great whistle. Can I have a look at it please?”
Then stomp on the bloody thing till it’s dust?
(Or just dream of it every time you hear it)
Giving a child a whistle then sending them outside to play is antisocial.

My 6 year old has just mastered whistling and it’s driving me batty.

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:27

@Mypathtriedtokillme haha, I am so tempted to stamp on the bloody thing! I agree, it does seem so antisocial, I don't understand why parents would do that. There are plenty of people on my street WFH and it must be driving them nuts too.

OP posts:
Evilwasps · 27/08/2020 12:30

Speak to the parents or kids surely? Nothing will happen while you quietly seeth behind closed doors.

I hate whistles. If my son ever gets one in a party bag it disappears very quickly!

While I wouldn't put it quite the same way as a previous poster, other people don't have to be quiet just because you're now working from home. It's not unreasonable for kids to be playing outside.

Lowprofilename · 27/08/2020 12:33

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:33

@Evilwasps I get that, and I don't expect kids to be silent! I can deal with the screeching and shouting etc but surely it is a bit shit of the parents to send their child out with a whistle? You sound like a responsible parent, and if you dispose of the whistle you obviously agree they make a horrible noise!
Can't wait for them to bugger off back to school.

OP posts:
Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:34

@Lowprofilename we can be fun-suckers together then

OP posts:
Cheetahfajita · 27/08/2020 12:37

I would ignore it

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:39

@Cheetahfajita that's what I'm trying to do but trust me, it's annoying as hell.

OP posts:
TheSoapyFrog · 27/08/2020 12:42

On the basis that you've survived this far and the kids are back at school next week, I'd try and grin and bear it for a bit longer.

Original poster
Midsommar · 27/08/2020 12:50

@TheSoapyFrog I keep forgetting they are back at school next week. Will try to grin and bear itSmile

OP posts:
QuacksInTheDark · 27/08/2020 12:51

If you don’t want to confront you’ll have to put some ear plugs in. Not sure what else to suggest.

IgiveupallthenamesIwantedareg0 · 27/08/2020 12:54

[quote Midsommar]@IgiveupallthenamesIwantedareg0 wow, no need to be so rude! My TV is not shockingly loud at all, I cranked it up from nearly mute. There was really no need for that horrible post at all - I was asking for advice, as I said I am stressed out so to speak to people like that is disgusting. If you have nothing constructive to say, don't say anything at all.[/quote]
What is so "rude" and "horrible" and "disgusting" about my post?I didn't say your TV is "shockingly loud" . You said yourself that you cranked the volume up. So, you can WFH with a cranked up TV volume but not a child whistering on the street? I agree with Elvinwasps don't quietly seeth behind closed doors, go out and ram the whistle down the kid's throat - if you feel it is disturbing your universe. You should be thankful that kids are getting out and about again. This lockdown has been sh*t for everyone.

finnmcool · 27/08/2020 12:59

This reminds of recorders.
I live near a primary school and at a certain time of the year, the kids have recorders. I see the mums walking down the road looking broken! Grin

Jaxhog · 27/08/2020 13:00

Ask them nicely to stop, and get yourself some noise-canceling headphones. Ignore the idiots on here.

Theladyofshalot · 27/08/2020 13:02

Do you live on my street? There a seven children or so across two neighbouring houses and the screeching/screaming is out of this world, but they are children. That's what children do.

Then last week the whistle appeared. Four solid hours. Four. I was amazed that a child could hold their attention to a toy for that long and a parent could cope with the incessant one tone whistle going on and on and on. I have very expensive/fancy over ear noise cancelling headphone for work - with active dampening and it cut through like hot knife through butter. It has reoccurred on and off for the last several days now and i have strong, nigh overwhelming, fantasies not unsimilar to what @Mypathtriedtokillme mentions.

Why? Why as a parent would you do that to yourself? Was it a gift to the child from the MIL who hates you? How did it not inexplicably 'go missing' overnight?

All said very lightheartedly - they are just children.

DancingCatGif · 27/08/2020 13:07

A kid on my street has one of those bike horn things.

I describe in vivid detail to my husband how I'm going to destroy it. Today I decided I would take the entire bike and throw it into a fucking tree.

MinaMurray · 27/08/2020 13:17

I hate hate hate whistles.
It’s such a piercing sound, and goes way beyond what I’d consider to be normal - or even loud - noise from children playing outside. Any whistles my DC acquire are “lost” very quickly.

There’s 2 options really.

Have a polite word with the parents, or invest in some sort of ear defenders / noise cancelling headphones. And hopefully the kids will be going back to school next week anyway.