Kids scootering in the road making a racket

[HushingDusk]

They are from a small block of new build flats nearby (flats are visible from our upstairs windows, I’ve seen the kids go in and out). I get it’s annoying not to have a garden but they’re using the road and pavements instead, no adults in sight!

Aged about 10 to 5, a group of 6 or 7 children. The youngest was riding his scooter up and down the middle of the road for an hour, wearing nothing but boxers, being chased by an older girl on a bike! Then 2 boys fighting and hitting each other over the head with branches.

They hang around on the pavement right next to our garden wall, screeching, shouting and bickering all day.

Should I suck it up or send a letter to the flats asking them to keep a closer eye on their children and reduce the noise?

It’s a quiet, peaceful rural area apart from these kids treating the road and pavement like a park.

There’s a proper park less than 10 minutes walk away.

I was tempted to go out and speak to them (especially when they were fighting with branches!)

The only time I’ve seen adults around is in the mornings, they stand in the car park by the flats in their dressing gowns chatting and smoking.

WWYD?

The only time I’ve seen adults around is in the mornings, they stand in the car park by the flats in their dressing gowns chatting and smoking.

Not really sure why this is relevant?*

Sorry posted too soon! I think it's entirely relevant ! Parents who couldn't give two hoots about what their annoying kids are up to. The dressing gown and smoking says it all.

@lolipoprainbow yes I think some are reading too much into the smoking and dressing gowns comment.

I interpreted it as the op saying "this is the only time I've noticed adult supervision" of very young children rather than "dirty scumbags daring to wear dressing gowns in the street".

They’re obviously being allowed to play there as the parents consider it close enough and safe. I suspect there’s absolutely zero you can do.

I feel for you op and I can't believe the comments you have received. Kids playing out is one thing but these sound like a different level! I know what it's like to have kids like this make a misery for the neighbours, there were some near me who were a damn nuisance, loud, intimidating, they would aimlessly wander the street looking for trouble, once saw them vandalizing someone's bike that had been left outside (never a parent around) and stare through my window at my dd to intimidate her, used to loiter on my doorstep. Thankfully they have moved.

*I work in housing and this is half my inbox every day.

Interestingly often from the same people who think 'kids of today' should have less tech and play outside*

So you think it's fine for kids to be a nuisance ?? Sums up the useless housing department!

I’ll put things into perspective. About 5 years ago I was driving to town at the weekend and noticed a man in a car parked at the beginning of a wide street where children where playing in the middle that had a strip of grass.. He had something in his hand that he was pointing at the chi. I became suspicious and drove past the road again realising that he had a long lens camera and was talking photos of the children. I immediately drove to the police station which was only a mile away and told them what I had seen. Upshot was that he indeed was a paedophile who belonged to a ring of other known paedophiles. He was arrested charged, jailed and hanged himself whilst in prison.

I’m with the OP on this one. We live in a quiet road but kids often come round on their bikes, scooters and skateboards to ride around ( not accompanied by a parent) screaming and shouting. Big park 5 minutes away. Resident kids do play out but parents supervise so they aren’t a problem. We ask them nicely to go away and they normally give us a mouthful but eventually get bored and leave. We have neighbours who are medics often on nights, so we do try to watch for avoidable noisiness when we know they are trying to sleep.

Well @gerispringer that's simply your neighbours faults for having the audacity to work nights.

*15:44HushingDusk

Did you never play out in the street as a kid?!

No, never.'*

Where did you play as a child than op? Obviously these children have no garden or nearby play area. It has been lock down and now you're trying to stop them playing, you sound very selfish and bitter.

If there's a park nearby than that is different but it sounds like there isn't?

Unless there is loud music, revving motorbikes, adults drunk and generally antisocial behaviour a few little kids playing on a sunny afternoon would be white noise to me.

@Popcornbetty
Park is 10 minutes away, kids fighting and a 5 year old playing in underwear on a road all day would not be okay!

@Workinghardeveryday i agree the kid shouldn't be in underwear. They sounded like little dc playing though not teenagers fighting. If they are vulnerable little kids I'd be more worried ahout neglect and their welfare than white noise.

about*

If you don't like noise of neighbours/children live in the middle of nowhere.

Jesus wept. Kids playing outside their own homes on a hot day. Get a life OP - we have an obesity crisis, a mental health crisis, traffic has removed most of children's play space. Why should their parents take them to a park - when they can enjoy doorstep play? Why should cars have precedent on a quiet street - cars could easily slow down and learn that children might be outside enjoying the sunshine..

Just be honest and say you don't like that kind of family and that's why you have an issue

What do you mean ‘that kind of family?’

I don’t judge people for living in flats (for all I know they could be huge luxury apartments anyway). We lived in flats until recently. It was convenient as we used to move a lot for DH’s job.

Nor do I judge people for smoking in their dressing gowns in the early morning. I put the bins out in my dressing gown, pull up a few weeds, sometimes chat to neighbours.

I don’t smoke but some of my neighbours from big houses come and chat to me while having their morning cigarette; never occurred to me to judge or think we should be out of nightclothes! When I’m in the front garden neighbours sometimes come over for a chat any time of day, in slippers and loungewear, why not?

I dislike the BEHAVIOUR of parents who let their young children play unsupervised on roads. Doesn’t matter if the family is from a flat or a mansion. It’s dangerous for the kids and annoying for all the neighbours nearby if a group of kids are screeching and yelling in the road for hours.

Obviously these children have no garden or nearby play area

How do we know that they don't have a garden and the OP has already said there's nearby play areas. My NDNs DCs have two to gardens to play in and two nearby parks too but chose to Trespass into others gardens and be rude to everyone if they've just got back in from work and are too tired to accomodate someone else's children for the next 20 times because their parent decided putting a hot tub in the garden mattered more than putting play equipment in it and are too lazy to keep an eye on them

They don't want or need to?

If a 5 yo is scootering down the middle of the road unsupervised then they absolutely do need to find somewhere safer for them to scoot.

In a group with older kids it's quite normal by me, I even, occasionally see a couple of girls with a toddler in a pushchair. Have you spoken tot he children? Be all concerned that although the road is quiet there are cars and they need to keep a look out for the little one

That’s a good idea, thank you. I nearly went out when they were bashing each other with branches as I thought one was going to get hurt.

You’re probably right and the parents assume the older ones are taking care of the younger ones. But the older ones are too busy fighting, bickering and playing their own games. It seems like the littler ones get left out and just do their own thing (like scooting up and down the road).

I’ll tell them it’s not a safe road for playing. It really isn’t as there’s a t-junction at the bottom and I’ve seen cars and vans speed along there sometimes. There’s usually a vehicle passing every 10 mins or so as the upper part of the road links to another, so not a culdesac type layout.

@BakedTattie

My 5 year old plays out. What else am I supposed to do? Lock him up?!

You go outside and watch him!

Where did you play as a child than op? Obviously these children have no garden or nearby play area. It has been lock down and now you're trying to stop them playing, you sound very selfish and bitter

As i child I played in the garden, the park and rode my go-kart around the block (on the pavement). Or played in friends gardens, one backed onto a field and we used to play there.

I’m not trying to stop them playing, I just want them to play somewhere safe and keep the noise level down!

I can see this thread is full of the usual “don’t judge” comments, with posters trying to be oh so cool and calm, trying to make OP feel like she’s being a nasty snob.
But at the end of the day, there are a load of kids, some probably very young, playing unsupervised on a road. That’s shit parenting, no question. However “cool” you want to be, it’s still shit parenting. If you have young kids, you supervise them. That means that you spend hours outside watching them, or at the park, or whatever. That’s what parenting is. If you can’t be arsed to do it, then don’t have kids.