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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask neighbours to keep kids off trampoline in working hours?

600 replies

PineappleMojito · 15/07/2021 07:24

Not really for me, for my DP who is WFH. I don’t WFH so this doesn’t impact but he is very bothered by it.

Next door recently bought a trampoline for their two kids. When they go on it, they’re really noisy - they scream and shout a lot, I’ve heard them on the weekends when I’m home and it is loud. DP is hearing impaired, he’s on work Zoom calls during the day and the noise is making it difficult to do his calls. One is a pre schooler and the other we think might be home at the moment because school bubble has burst. Obviously he is used to general neighbour noise during day, but he finds the screaming and shouting difficult as it’s right next to our fence. He’s using noise cancelling headphones for calls, but even with those it’s getting through and making it hard for him to concentrate and hear what’s being said.

Would he BU to ask them if they could keep the kids off the trampoline during his work hours or confine it to lunch time during the week? He has an hour break where he’d be fine with them using it, he normally goes out to walk the dog. They’re very nice neighbours and we’ve never had any issues, but he’s afraid to rock the boat.

OP posts:
Lockeddownagain · 15/07/2021 08:15

Unless you are willing to pay of the many days out the family will need to entertain their kids then yes yabu

SimonJT · 15/07/2021 08:15

Has he tried a roger before? They’re a good option as they’re very effective at filtering out background noise, and adjust volume etc continually to reduce the disturbance of back ground noise.

mm8989 · 15/07/2021 08:16

Just wait until they put a paddling pool out, then the screaming will really start!

YABVVVU.

Seesawmummadaw · 15/07/2021 08:16

You said no where else in the house is suitable. You can make somewhere suitable instead of putting your neighbours out.

My cows are mooing too loudly I might ask them to keep quiet until after 5!

newnortherner111 · 15/07/2021 08:17

Asking to restrict when on the trampoline is unreasonable, expecting quiet and explaining why is what I think you should do.

DH should not be returning to the office in my opinion just because of children not behaving reasonably. Why should others and you increase the risk of transmission of Covid 19 when it can be avoided.

Bryonyshcmyony · 15/07/2021 08:17

Why can't he go into the office?

Original poster
PineappleMojito · 15/07/2021 08:17

Cafe and library not an option. Confidentiality needed for zoom calls.

DP is not an awful person. He’s been hoping to go back to the office for a while now and his work keep putting it off. They’ve been prioritising operational teams and his work involves forward planning so he’s not operational and has been told he won’t return until 2022. He might get to go back one day a week from September.

He doesn’t want to be unreasonable or invite conflict, that’s why he asked me to see on here if people thought it was. It seems it is and I’ll feed that back to him, up to him what he does with it, whether he does talk to them about the screaming or not or whether he decides it’s not worth risking conflict and he’ll have to deal. It really does carry, we often go out on weekends to get away from it since they got the trampoline. We don’t have a big house and we don’t live in a brilliant area, people don’t have big massive gardens. We had a lot of issues during lockdown 1, neighbours (not same one) drinking and having domestics in the street, one lot got a dog and left it to bark all day outside, there was antisocial behaviour with another set of teenagers. I think he’s just at the end of his tether with it. We want to move after all this crap, so are saving up for the costs that’ll be involved, so hiring a room wouldn’t help with that unless his work paid.

OP posts:
Mrstreehouse · 15/07/2021 08:18

Home is not an office environment. He can’t expect the same level of noise at home I’m afraid. Sounds like you have other options for where he can work…as you said you worked in the study and he was in the kitchen? Is one better than the other? Or return to the office..

mynameisbrian · 15/07/2021 08:18

It’s quite simple your DH needs a head set. That’s what I use on calls as my house can be noisy with kids and dogs.

Bryonyshcmyony · 15/07/2021 08:18

OK I see now
I can really recommend BOSE noise cancelling headphones they are brilliant

Marmitemarinaded · 15/07/2021 08:18

I wonder if you’re weed smoking bothers them?! Grin

Original poster
PineappleMojito · 15/07/2021 08:18

@SimonJT

Has he tried a roger before? They’re a good option as they’re very effective at filtering out background noise, and adjust volume etc continually to reduce the disturbance of back ground noise.
Not sure what one of these is but will pass it on to him to look into, thanks
OP posts:
MagicSummer · 15/07/2021 08:18

Trampolines are the work of the Devil - bloody things! Squeak, squeak, squeak, shriek, shriek, scream, scream, crying (when one of the little darlings inevitably falls off!).

Marmitemarinaded · 15/07/2021 08:18

your

Ohjustboreoff · 15/07/2021 08:18

I have two extremely loud DC's and a trampoline. I have always been conscious of them screaming and used to tell them off and shush them until I spoke to a neighbour. I apologised for the noise but was told the sound of me constantly telling them off was more annoying! So now they play on it with abandon, good job our other neighbour is a deaf older lady.

ufucoffee · 15/07/2021 08:19

Go back to the office if he's unable to do his job from home. You would be very unreasonable to ask your neighbours to stop their children playing in their garden.

Washimal · 15/07/2021 08:19

You cannot reasonably expect to re-create the quiet atmosphere of an office in your own home, unless you live somewhere very remote. Of course you can't ask your neighbours to restrict their children's enjoyment of their own garden to fit in with your DH's working hours! They will think you're insane and it will put them in a really awkward position. There are a lot of perks that come with WFH, if you want these then you have to accept the downsides too.

pinkcircustop · 15/07/2021 08:19

YABU. He may be working from home but he’s still at home and you cannot expect working conditions there. You can expect people enjoying their homes and gardens.

Neighbours don’t need to give any consideration that others may be WFH. It’s not up to them to help create a working environment.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 15/07/2021 08:19

@Ozgirl75

We’re in lockdown at the moment (Sydney) and online learning. My kids are on the trampoline at morning recess and lunch and on and off after 3.00. They need outside exercise, they enjoy it and if anyone asked them not to go on in the day I would politely refuse. Yes, they’re noisy. Lockdown sucks balls.
Of course they need to let off steam and have fun but would you make no attempt to get them to keep it down a bit if the noise was excessive?
JumperooSue · 15/07/2021 08:20

YABU.

There is no compromise, your husband just has to suck it up. I had a neighbour who brought their teenage son a drum kit, he’d play it all bloody day as obviously he can’t play it late at night. Unfortunately for me I worked night shifts so was trying to sleep in the day, did I find it annoying? Absolutely. Would I dream of saying something? Of course not! It’s not his fault I worked nights and it’s not your neighbours fault your husband is WFH🤷🏼‍♀️

Throwntothewolves · 15/07/2021 08:20

OP while I understand how annoying this must be your DH has to accept that while he is working from home there will be neighbour noise which is outwith his control. You would be completely unreasonable to ask them not to use the trampoline except when you decide it's ok. He needs to find a way to work around this, move his desk perhaps, keep the windows closed etc. Or could he go into the office sometimes?

We have a trampoline and tbh it's great because it gets the kids outside having fun rather than inside gaming or staring at screens, and it gives me peace to work in the house (school hols here). I do warn about noise though because I'd hate to annoy the neighbours for hours on end, but as there are loads of kids where we live, a bit of noise is generally expected

MrsSkylerWhite · 15/07/2021 08:20

Can’t stand the things and resulting noise but you would be very unreasonable to ask that.

TheKeatingFive · 15/07/2021 08:20

They’ve been prioritising operational teams and his work involves forward planning so he’s not operational and has been told he won’t return until 2022. He might get to go back one day a week from September.

He needs to tell them he can’t wfh anymore and that a suitable working environment needs to be found. It’s your husbands and employers problem, no one else’s.

ufucoffee · 15/07/2021 08:21

Sorry OP missed your update about work not wanting your husband back. If I were him I'd tell work that he is unable to work from home because of outside noise and that he wants to return.

Weebleweeble · 15/07/2021 08:21

I'm amazed that DCs should be allowed to scream their heads off all day in the garden if they want according to MN.

People are so bad mannered.

Can they move it further away from your house. That seems reasonable.
He'll have to convert the front room to an office but I would imagine screaming kids would still penetrate there.
Just be grateful it isn't a swimming pool. Perhaps the novelty will wear off OP.