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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Noisy kids

30 replies

MrsOH1 · 05/02/2022 18:57

No idea if we are unreasonable or not. We have 4 young children (7, 6, 5 and 3)
We live in a semi.
We are, in all honesty a noisy household. But very much in daytime hours. We don’t have a dog who barks all night, don’t hold wild parties etc.
We have been out for most of the day but got back at 4ish and My kids have been playing balloon tennis. Probably the laughter has been loud but I have so loved seeing them
Play together.
Our neighbours have complained about the
Noise at 6pm.
In fairness we never hear their children but I think this is because they do nothing but watch tv.
Surely noise is fair between maybe 7am and 9pm?
Or is that unreasonable?

OP posts:

purpleme12 · 05/02/2022 18:59

It's fine
It's just anti social stuff that would be a problem
It doesn't sound like you're doing that

BurntToastAgain · 05/02/2022 18:59

I think 9pm is a bit late. Even if you’re not putting them to bed, it might be a good idea to have quiet time after 7.

Chichimcgee · 05/02/2022 19:00

At the end of the day if you live in a semi or terraced or flat you have to put up with noise and as long as it’s not constant there’s not much you can do.
6pm is really early, are your neighbours elderly? I’d just apologise but say you and your children have a right to use the garden, it’s not late and they will be coming in at 8 (or whatever)

Mamette · 05/02/2022 19:01

we never hear their children but I think this is because they do nothing but watch tv.

Miaow!

No I think 7am is too early and 9pm a bit too late. 8-8 is probably ok on a weekend day.

Ilikewinter · 05/02/2022 19:08

If you neighbours had a dog that barked from 7am til 9pm and just said 'we are a noisy household', would you be happy with that?
The problem with living in a semi detached house is theres no getting away from neighbour noise.

PerseverancePays · 05/02/2022 19:08

I live in a terrace, family of four on one side plus new puppy and young couple on the other. I hear family noises, dog yapping and young people gatherings, i.e people living. None of it is offensive or difficult to understand, just people living their lives. If your neighbours want to live in blissful silence then they need a detached house on a Yorkshire moor.
Ignore unreasonable complaints, if you engage it gives them fuel to increase their mithering.

TeenPlusCat · 05/02/2022 19:09

Some noise is fine.
2 hours solid of loud shouts, yelps and laughter is too much.

So it depends how noisy really.

FlamingoDust · 05/02/2022 19:12

9am earliest on a weekend and 8pm latest seems reasonable. 7am is way too early and 9pm seems a little late. As long as it's not constant noise during those times!

Original poster

MrsOH1 · 05/02/2022 19:14

Ilikewinter we do have yappy dogs on the other side and I have never complained. We are not joined so we only hear them in the garden but it is pretty constant.
I guess this is why annoyed. We have never complained about any noise. But in fairness they are not making the noise either

OP posts:

TheFlis12345 · 05/02/2022 19:16

Noise at 7am on a weekend? I would be seriously unhappy about that.

Whinge · 05/02/2022 19:17

Is this the first time they've complained about any noise?

You expect to hear everyday noise, but if they're not usually neighbours who complain then today's noise must have been pretty loud for them to have mentioned it.

WhoWants2Know · 05/02/2022 19:22

I like hearing kids next door having a good time and sometimes sounding like a herd of elephants. I don't mind dogs barking at passers by or sometimes howling a little because I know they'll settle. I've even had a parrot whistle at me through the walls.

What I do mind is screaming adult arguments (especially at unsociable hours) and shitty music blaring through the walls 🙄

Caspianberg · 05/02/2022 19:27

I don’t think 7am is acceptable for shouting games or 9pm really from 4 young children

I have a child who wakes early usually. But until about 8.30am we try and encourage quieter activities.

In a built up area you all need to be a bit more considerate of others. 4 children can make a lot of noise.

Original poster

MrsOH1 · 05/02/2022 19:36

4 children can make a lot of noise. I absolutely accept that. But I don’t see that I should have to quiet them if they are playing nicely? Screaming and shouting I fully accept is not ok.
But are my children really not allowed to just play in their home in reasonable hours (6pm?)

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsOH1 · 05/02/2022 19:43

Not elderly and perfectly nice. I don’t want to fall out with them at all.
I am just surprised at their unhappiness at the noise on a Saturday afternoon(when I have kids who drag their feet going to school and need hurrying up all the time and I have never heard a peep from them about this)

OP posts:

Stressedout1009 · 05/02/2022 19:44

sorry but I do think you should be more considerate. 7am and 9pm is really inconsiderate. 6pm isn't unreasonable but they were probably much noisier than you think if they had to come tell you.

Chichimcgee · 05/02/2022 19:45

Maybe they’re just having a bad day, aren’t feeling well or something else entirely.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 05/02/2022 19:45

I think 7am is way too early on the weekend for lots of noise, sorry. Can't they do something quiet until a more reasonable hour?

Whinge · 05/02/2022 19:47

@MrsOH1

Not elderly and perfectly nice. I don’t want to fall out with them at all. I am just surprised at their unhappiness at the noise on a Saturday afternoon(when I have kids who drag their feet going to school and need hurrying up all the time and I have never heard a peep from them about this)

If they're not usually the type to complain about noise then I would imagine today must have been pretty loud for them to feel like they had to mention it to you.

Phormiumjester · 05/02/2022 19:49

7am is inconsiderate. I deserve a bit of a lie in at the weekends. Not be woken up by your kids. Sorry.

thelastgreatdynasty · 05/02/2022 19:50

There are 5 kids next door to me. They can be very loud and it can be really stressful to listen to. I find it difficult to relax in my own house and have been tempted to ask them to keep the noise down several time's, but I don't want to fall out with them. I have two children myself and they were never noisy like that when they were smaller. We did lots of activities together, so they weren't parked in front of the tv all day either.

Original poster

MrsOH1 · 05/02/2022 19:51

Whinge yes maybe. They are nice neighbours and I have never had an issue before so maybe we were just being louder than we realised.

OP posts:

Stressedout1009 · 05/02/2022 19:52

@MrsOH1

Not elderly and perfectly nice. I don’t want to fall out with them at all. I am just surprised at their unhappiness at the noise on a Saturday afternoon(when I have kids who drag their feet going to school and need hurrying up all the time and I have never heard a peep from them about this)

Then all the more reason to think that they have been putting up with it before and probably had enough.

ChaosMoon · 05/02/2022 19:56

At 6pm, when it hasn't gone on all day? That should be fine. But in your OP, you say that 7am-9pm should be ok, it's not a huge leap to think they're sometimes still making a racket at 9, in which case you're neighbours may just want to save themselves from another 3 hours of it. And I'm that case, they aren't being unreasonable at all.

Original poster

MrsOH1 · 05/02/2022 20:05

Ok point taken. 7am is too early and 9pm is too late. They are usually in bed by 7:30 so 9 would be unusual but they wake up very early (5ish) so usually up and about by 7am. We do try to be quiet before 7:30ish but I couldn’t promise that it is always like this.
My youngest has special needs and wakes up very early (think 3am) and I do work hard to keep her quiet until 7 - I think I have always managed this. But probably from 7 there is some noise. But not screaming and shouting. More, just this is when the day starts for us.
I will try to be more mindful of noise

OP posts:

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