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?

So many ridiculous posts at the moment. This is one of them.

In the avoidance of doubt, YABU to describe not-loud kids in their own garden as 'not a moment's peace'. Go inside for an hour yourself if it bothers you.

No op, not everyone gets annoyed by the sound of kids playing, even if it is all day, especially If they aren't screaming or screeching, which your neighbours aren't. They sound like they are happy content kids. If they are not out before 10am I would presume they have some formal learning for a couple of hours in the morning, when they are fresh and receptive.
But as others have pointed out, you don't actually care about their education. Just yourself.

It doesn’t matter that children of 4/5 are in class for x amount of hours. And there’s no ‘schooling’ going on. That’s the entire point of home educating. If traditional school based learning is what these parents want then they have access to that for free in this country.

Home educators don’t just recreate a classroom in their living room and try to imitate a classroom environment. They may be unschooling or similar. The goal isn’t to have your child sit pretending they’re at school otherwise you might as well be at school!

I don’t believe you OP.
Nobody’s kids are outside for that long, every day.

Ans the fact that you would have considered involving the authorities is appalling.

You seem to be a malicious, vexatious neighbour.

Get a hobby.

And think of all that vitD and fresh air they are getting, I bet they are healthy little souls!

Oh op I’m cringing for you so hard, my toes genuinely curled a little.

It’s so bad when you can’t afford to live distant from others and don’t want to have to listen to little children playing, but finances force you to be in their vicinity.

do the lottery, you never know.

Wow, I didn't think anyone else would be in the same situation. It's SO hard to explain to people, isn't it?

It's such a difficult situation when you've lived somewhere for so many years and your daily life gets disrupted so much by a new neighbours unusual routine. I'm sorry that you're also going through this.

I had a couple of elderly neighbours that used to spend the whole summer in the garden drinking wine and playing dominos. Click clack, click clack, ALL DAY LONG. It was annoying to me, but what could I say? "Please, don't enjoy your summer because i don't like the noise of wine glasses and domino pieces?"

I also have to sit indoors with windows shut when in work calls (so that people outside or neighbours with their windows open can't hear them) or if I want to read a book in near-complete quiet. I think that that is normal behaviour and on the work calls, you need confidentiality even if you don't mind the background noise.

I sympathise with the OP in that there are some types of noise that really bug me, not the same ones as her, and it can be really difficult, but there is nothing actually wrong with these children being in their garden and it's rather an entitled-sounding thread.

Wrong bold, should have said: I also have to sit indoors with windows shut when in work calls (so that people outside or neighbours with their windows open can't hear them) or if I want to read a book in near-complete quiet.

Is there any way you can work to afford not living in a terrace op? I think this is the solution for you. You need to aim for detached without neighbours so close. Terraced living is notorious for hearing neighbours so is not good for someone such as yourself.

Again another wild assumption. Why do you assume I can't afford to live anywhere else and am struggling financially?

I love my house and the area I live in, I raised my family here and have been here for over 25 years. It would just be such a shame to have to leave the place I love so much because of a new neighbours unusual habits. But such is life, I guess.

Presumably that's with an adult actually teaching them something though?

Wow, I didn't think anyone else would be in the same situation. It's SO hard to explain to people, isn't it?

Oh ffs. This is insane.

I'm sorry that you're also going through this

Is this for real??

I haven't read such whining, self-indulgent crap in ages. Get a grip. You're not 'going through' anything.

Is there anyone in your life who might talk any sense into you?

It’s the fact that you would even CONSIDER contacting authorities about this family that haven’t done anything wrong. It certainly comes across as very malicious.

@EdwinaMonsoon

I think you're getting a really hard time here OP but I'm not surprised given some of the characters on MN. I think everyone has a right to enjoy some peace and quiet in their own home . When you have immediate neighbours it should be a balance between what suits everyone .
Id not be ringing anybody but I would be knocking their door to explain how 10 hrs of noise is just too much everyday and could their be a compromise. It's not realistic to expect the children not to play in their garden but could the hours be limited . It's a starting point .

Lmao you should've taken the initiative and started a thread asking if you ought to think of some specious shit to report them to the council for. That's the energy we're looking at here!

They're entitled to use their garden.

On the other hand, I suspect that there ain't a lot of actual education going on in this household.

Predictably, we've got a lot of HSers on here circling the wagons defensively. I've seen homeschooling done really well; I've also see some almighty cockups where the kids were seriously behind in their education and the parents were in denial that there was a problem.

I'm a massive fan of outdoor play, but no you are not going to magically absorb history, geography, maths and science through the skin by running around in a garden.

Have you looked for ways of finding a solution? Noise cancelling headphones? so that you can it out in your garden and enjoy the moment rather than hear the dc playing?

Could you do this and let your neighbours know you've down this to reduce the noise and ask if they could compromise and go inside earlier?

Predictably, we've got a lot of HSers on here circling the wagons defensively.

This isn’t true actually. I haven’t read any comment from a HE family on here which is defensive. All been very polite imo. People are allowed to correct information if it isn't true - thus the having to teach the national curriculum. You are just trying to encourage division here

I don't think in theory they are doing anything wrong as they're using their own space.

Haven't RTFT but do they rent? If so they may well move on.

I can see why it's annoyingly - you're used to school hols. I would also find it strange that they are in the garden the whole time. I would imagine with homeschooling that they would perhaps spend some of the day indoors & also some time out and about learning about things - maybe forest walk, trip to local shops to learn about money, meet up with other homeschool families. I wouldn't imagine they're doing a lot of learning.

I would imagine you would complain if they weee on screens all day too. I would love for my kids to have the stamina, the creativity, the physical and mental agility to play out in the garden for ten hours, daily.

Why would that affect me? Right, of course you would, but your neighbours certainly wouldn't appreciate it.

If they were indoors learning all day, and inevitably being ‘noisy’, OP would complain too.

And I am no HS either.

But this is just appalling ‘curtain twitching’ tbh

You’re being ridiculous and the homeschooling is irrelevant. Unfortunately the downsides of not owning acres and acres of land is that most of us hear our neighbours, most of the summer. This is normal. If they were hosting a rave at 1am you would have a point.