Neighbours homeschooled kids play out ALL day. AIBU?

[EdwinaMonsoon]

Long time lurker, first time poster. Looking for a bit of advice if possible.

We live in terraced housing in a family area, so since Summer holidays started most of our neighbours kids have been out playing in their gardens during the day, which is absolutely fine, it's Summer holidays so that's to be expected. But even when the new term starts next week, the children who live next door to us will STILL be playing out.

The family moved here in March(?), they have 2 children who I assumed weren't old enough for school yet, but in a recent chat with the parents we found out they are, in fact, homeschooled.

They're out in the garden from about 10am-8pm every single day. They're not the type of children who scream and shriek, which I appreciate, but it's the constant chattering/playing noises for 10 hours every day, and not having a moments peace in my own garden (or when my windows are open, for that matter!). They have breaks in-between, which I assume is for food, but then come straight back out again. This has been ongoing since the day they moved in.

It's the fact that this is going to be an all-year round thing, not just school breaks/holidays that's bothering me. I understand they are entitled to use their garden as they please, but aren't we (and the rest of our neighbours) entitled to some peace every now and then?

We're not particularly familiar with the parents, we've only chatted with them in passing a handful of times, so my husband and I haven't raised this with them. And we don't know if this is even an issue we're entitled to raise.

If we did mention this to them, what could we say without coming across as offensive to their kids?

We home educate. Son has just got all 8s and 9s in his GCSEs. He achieved these formally working 2 hours a day - Monday to Friday.

He also spent time learning about whatever he fancied. He has the most incredible general knowledge and speaks 4 languages.

As home education is 100% tailored to the child’s learning style and needs they need a lot less time to study.

If he was under the age of 8 we would probably only do an hour of formal education a day.

Leave them alone and keep out of their business. They sound like great neighbors.

Great idea @EdwinaMonsoon

Homeschooling is very much not the easy option and wine would likely be much appreciated😉

I really hope you can speak to them and you find a middle ground that suits you all.

I expect their patterns may change anyway as the children get a bit older.

Good luck!

Just wanted to say, I do get why you'd be getting annoyed. My in-law's neighbours are child minders and also have two children of their own. It's so, so noisy all day, every day but not really much anyone can do about it! Working from home when there's so much noise coming from your neighbour's garden has been quite the experience for them these past couple of years. Definitely wouldn't go down the reporting route though, would just wait and see what happens in the new school year and then maybe ask them to keep it down a bit when they're being particularly noisy, in the hope they'd then be more mindful of noise in general.

Good luck!

Some one in the home Ed groups was reported by a neighbour for their kids playing out ‘too much’

police attended and went away happy no crime was being committed, amazing I know, so op if that wasn’t you at least one person agrees with you

Oh my goodness. Calling the council ? How dare you interfere with others life choices as you have no real concern for their well being clearly and it’s only about your garden. I really hope they report you for something if you do them for homeschooling which is perfectly legal and they seem like mannered and happy children. If you were concerned that they didn’t look well or weren’t fed or under threat then fine but this would just be a spiteful call. You can’t tell people to not use their garden! Get eat defenders and sit in your garden. The nerve!

Ear defenders *

As much as you may hate the noise the parents are actually clever in not wanting their kids indoctrinated in to a system which is totally back to front

This would really annoy me but everyone will tell you you are being unreasonable. I can’t relax when I can hear children’s high pitched loud noises, so I don’t use my garden at all and am dreaming of moving back to a flat! Not sure there is much you can do apart from move/earplugs/blast drum and bass.

Frankly I'd just be pissed of as wondering what they do all day that is so great compared with being on a screen. How does that happen? What is the secret?

YANBU.
But this is MN where people believe that all home schoolers are perfect. They refuse to accept that there's such a thing as non coping parents who "home school" because they can't be bothered to take their kids to school. Kids in this category will learn very little and it's not fair that they're prevented from having an education.

Better chattering than screaming...or the old favourite -- a hot tub!!!

Home schooling takes many forms OP from unschooling to structured lessons and timetables.

Many homeschoolers who have the more structured approach also keep the school holidays so you don't know if this is going to continue.

Lucky children, what a fabulous childhood they’re having.
Shame they have you as a neighbour.

YABVU I'm glad you aren't my neighbour. I doubt they never leave the house. You'd think awfully of us. We home educate our 5yo (and her preschool sister). 'Unschool' actually. My two are outdoors all of the time too. We do go out but in two-four hour stretches and need a day at home every two or three days. Just because you don't understand the value of play it doesn't mean it's not valuable.

Not quite true. If we don't engage with our LA they send SAOs. We must engage though legally we only need to send a report that sums up the progress our children have made through the past year and what resources that we use. Councils are trying to push this to include work samples but we don't have to, and as many of us don't do workbooks and similar as it's not it's not relevant to our children. We don't do school at home, and it completely discounts how much children learn through discussion and is incredibly inflexible for ND children or those with anxiety and other issues for whom written work or worksheets is an issue.

With rights come responsibilities - they have the right to use and enjoy their garden, but should do so responsibly. If they don't, they infringe on your right to also use and enjoy your garden. It's all about balance and it sounds like they have tipped the scales their way, so I don't think YABU to mention something to the parents.

I think you should call the council, the Minister for Education, the PM and the Queen and if that does not help.
Alternative- move to a desrt island.

I feel for you OP. The nasty comments on here, people pretending constant noise wouldn’t bother them, is weird.

Husband and I are still weighing up whether or not to have a word with them, might take round a bottle of wine to show we come in peace no, don't do this. I understand why hearing someone else's children constantly might be annoying to you, but just put ear buds in or something, they aren't doing anything wrong.
If you lived next door to an infant school you would hear the same level of noise, as academic work for young children is often done in quick short sessions. If they are home schooled they will be following their own timetable, perhaps they are doing the guided reading at bedtime and the maths, science etc for an hour in the morning.
There will be a reason for their choice to homeschool, which no one else is entitled to know, but it isn't the easy option. Don't add to it by being intolerant to normal childhood noises.

But that's not what the OP is talking about.

She implies they are presently unschoolers who send their children out to play in the garden all day with no thought for their neighbours who might be working from home etc. It's not Charlotte Mason and taking them outdoors to observe nature.

I never saw home ed as an excuse to be blinkered to the needs of other people. Not something I would want my children to learn.

Other people's child noise isn't always nice for everyone. And some compromise is very much expected when you live at close quarters with others.

I am not sure why this is seen as a grotesque thing. Surely children need to learn to be aware of the people around them too?

The OP is getting a hard time I think because 'home ed' is the background theme, even though the issue is ongoing noise.

OP, are the children supervised outside?

This. Very sensible and concisely put.

Perhaps though it's a way of thinking that is becoming increasingly outdated.

Not really, it's just that it innately involves a value judgement about what amounts to reasonable and responsible. And OPs assessment of that is, well, controversial.

My concern is that they are just shoved outside and don’t have the option of going inside? Do the parents ever interact with them outside?

Its not much of an education if they are just left to their own devices 100% of the time, and never taken out and about.