Kids playing on a cul-de-sac?

[TwitchingNets]

Back story.....we live at the end of a cul-de-sac....one of those streets where everyone knows each other's business. Until 5 years ago, it was lots of people who had lived there for decades.....it's now lots of people with young kids. It's great, the kids all play together. No ball games, but sensible children playing.

So...the problem is a couple across the road who say that 'it's relentless...5.30pm to 7.30pm.......,' 'they might have to move,' and 'we're not being very neighbourly.' He said that they can't use their lounge and are wearing ear-plugs inside. The kids are between 4 and 11, doing a little scootering, cartwheels, playing with dolls etc, always with at least one parent watching. 7.15pm was too late tonight! Am I being unreasonable to think that children should be playing outside nicely at 7.15pm?

I would love to know who thinks that kids playing outside is unreasonable

The grumpy neighbours can gtf!

We have the same set up with kids playing and enjoying themselves.
My DC are 10 years older ( in their early 20’s) and they will sometimes join in.
Grumpy neighbors can lump it for 2 hours.
Tip we have an orange traffic cone set up as people enter the area,when the children are out, to warn people to look out for the little ones.

Was it not dark at 7.15?

Having lived in a similar set up, i am surprised its early evening that all the kids are playing out and not earlier in the day.
I would strongly recommend that if they are playing in the road they need to come in when it gets dark or there's a risk of accidents.

Provided no-one is screaming they are being unreasonable. We have the same on our street and normally it’s fine but there are two girls who occasionally start screeching and it’s unbearable. By screaming I mean that people have run out of their houses thinking something has happened before now.

It's not unreasonable for kids to be out, however sometimes I get irritated by the kids in mine. Shouting at each other during games etc. Basketballs being bounced is the worse one. It is something I have to get over though and haven't complained.

Tell them to jog on and buy a detached secluded house if it was silence they were looking for.

I live in a street like this, it’s been too dark to play ours into the evening for a while (West Yorkshire).
Clocks go back on Sunday.
It’ll be dark by 5 pm in the next few weeks.

But I agree, your neighbours are not being reasonable.

Definitely not unreasonable! I’m a granny and I LOVE it when I hear and see children outside playing. Much better than being stuck inside on devices!

They're not going to be playing out at that time once the clocks go back are they?

I think 7.30 is quite late for primary age kids to still be playing out, around our way it's usually after school but before dinner, so 4 to 5.30 or thereabouts.

However I wouldn't have a problem with it, just be a bit surprised that 4 year olds aren't getting ready for bed by then.

We had a neighbour like this but they stopped moaning when we reminded them we put up with their older teenage kids playing out for years. They used to have lots of friends round too playing football games, hitting cars etc. The kids now are just playing light ball games and in bikes and scooters.

Unless the kids are screaming all evening then YANBU

I would rather have young kids playing out then the group of teenagers I have outside every day and night.

They're the neighbourhood whingers. After 7 would be a wee bit late for mine to have been out at that age, just in terms of dinner/homework/bedtime but that's just our routine.

It's fine for kids to play outside, but I have to say I sort of understand their point of view in the sense that they've lived here for many years, it's never been like this before, and now it is. No one likes it when change happens and it's not their choice and out of their control. They're still not being reasonable though!

I live between two schools and love to hear the children playing, they make such a wonderful noise

so with that in mind, I think your neighbours bonkers

Living in a street which is neighbourly and everyone looking out for each other - they can surely cope with the noise of children playing for a couple of hours.

Next weekend it'll be dark by 6pm so its not for much longer this year

Their tolerance to noise is probably less than yours if you have children. I'd ask them not to play outside their house if it can be avoided

The fact they’re saying they have to wear ear plugs indoors makes them sound very dramatic. Kids aren’t that loud.
I do think that parents can be a bit deaf to their children’s noise sometimes but if these people are talking about ear plugs then it sounds like they wouldn’t be happy unless it was totally silent.

We have a similar set up, but we have a residents committee / facebook page and WhatsApp group so have agreed no kids playing outside after 7.30pm or before 9 am, they can play in their own back gardens anytime obviously. We have neighbour medics who work shifts and so we try to keep down unnecessary noise when we know they are trying to sleep. We have similar agreements for noisy DIY, mowing lawns etc., If the kids are just sitting chatting no one complains, it’s just the skateboards, scooting , running around that we feel is unnecessary late into the evening.

This sort of free, spontaneous play is great for kids' long term mental health. It sounds amazing. Your neighbours are the neigbourhood complainers, and need to either get themselves some noise cancelling headphones, or move into an over 55s estate.

Don't engage the kids are doing nothing wrong, if they say again they're considering moving just agree with them that may be for the best!

Your neighbours are being unreasonable. The children could all be playing in the garden of their ndn instead of on the street and they'd still hear the noise. Would they expect children not to play in the garden in the early evening?
They'd be foolish to consider moving just for this - unless they're going to move to a stand alone property on a country lane where they'd probably complain about the tractors at some unearthly hour . They just need to learn to deal with it - as others have said, with darker and colder nights on the way they will probably get 5 months respite from it now.

We did this growing up. I have really happy memories of playing out with all the local kids. Best thing ever!

I'm sorry your neighbours are being dicks but I guess it won't happen as much as it gets darker/wetter/colder

Isn’t that the point of a cul-de-sac!

The earplugs are just absurd

I'd listen to them and then say perhaps you're right and you moving is the best solution!