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?

See, I think you would have been well within your rights to ask them to be a bit more considerate. It's not just about my right to do xyz. When you live in close quarters as part of a community, it's also got to be how do others feel about me doing xyz.

But maybe I'm odd.

I read the whole thread and thought, I hope percussion instruments are on their winter curriculum.

Some actual real advice on here! Thank you. I hadn't thought of noise cancelling headphones, no, but will look into purchasing some. We would love to bring it up politely with the neighbours but we're very apprehensive about it, we don't want to cause ill feeling, and with how badly this thread has gone down I have a feeling it will.

There's a sufficiently realistic chance of this happening that I don't think the suggestions you approach them are very sensible.

i would take this any day over fifteen cats from cat lady next door shitting on my grass every day so my kids havent enjoyed our garden for past 5 years

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Recorder lessons at 8am sharp!

Honestly OP, they are children playing in their own garden, and you've even said they aren't screaming and screeching just playing.

Why did you live in a terrace house if you wanted absolute silence and solitude, move to rural mid Wales or something 😳

I can see your side of this OP although the noise you describe wouldn’t bother me at all. We’re in a detached house but the gardens are small so I don’t think detached/attached makes a difference. Anyway, neighbour’s dog is noisy - isn’t out all the time or anything but goes ballistic with barking when it is out. I’d take your kids chatter over that any day!
If you’re sensitive to noise, it is hard, but a fact of life in the UK.
I would LOVE to live somewhere with no neighbours and always wonder where these places are that many MNers have moved to 😀.

There's you're answer OP buy cats

Brilliant! I hope their parents read this and decides that a drum circle is just what’s needed to start the term off 😁

You're concerned about their education now....😂

You are so, so, SO unreasonable.....that's honestly all I can say.

O
M
G

I am aghast. You really must have an easy life if this is getting to you so much.

Some home educators do follow the school holidays. Quite a few home ed groups do. They could be having a break.
They could easily be done by 10am.

We do 'school' 4 mornings a week, 2 of those days are nearly always weekends.
We do a variety of subjects, a wider enriched education in less time is a big reason why we home educate. We do a lot of hands on learning such as Science experiments, instruments, Sewing etc which brings our school time up. My children are also 5 and 7. If we cut it down to the bare bones of English and Maths we'd be done in 20-30 minutes. We tend to do about 2-3 hours a day, 4 days a week. Miles ahead of their cousins around the same age / slightly older.
We're out and about a fair bit so wouldn't be out in garden all day.

The point of that ramble is you have no idea what their schedule is like. It is very easy to fit quite a lot in a small amount of time. I have encountered 0 home educators who dont do any educational materials. Most do everything based around a topic, some do the bare essentials of english & Maths. Including unschoolers who let their children pick which books/topics & when. None would allow their children to never do anything, they'd intervene. I don't think you can judge them based on they may be on a break and they certainly be fitting in an education there.

Stop curtain twitching

I can see your point actually. It's that they are out there the WHOLE time. They're entitled to, of course, but I would feel somewhat under siege.

I don't think they're being unreasonable, but in your situation I would maybe remind them (especially the parents) that they do have neighbours. Perhaps by playing some age-inappropriate music? That might just be the opening you're looking for - if the parents come round to complain/ask you not to, you could say "actually, I've been meaning to have a word..." And maybe reach an acceptable compromise.

Yabu. It's none of your business and at that age schooling is mainly play based even in mainstream schooling.

How do you know for certain that they will be out all day, every day in the coming weeks when the school year has started? Just because they have been out since March, doesn’t mean it will always be that way. With just two of them they have almost one-to-one tuition and it’s possible that they get most of the school year done in 6 months. Maybe they spend longer in the winter using a more traditional approach of sitting at desks and using books and in the spring and summer spend more time outside. Whatever the situation, it’s none of your business.

I'd get a very loud speaker system and play some really awful rote learning DVD's.

if nosy neighbour wants to whinge I'd give her something to whinge about.

@EdwinaMonsoon stop being so nasty, you have nothing to phone the council about. If the noise of two young children talking is bothering you, get some bloody ear plugs.

in your situation I would maybe remind them (especially the parents) that they do have neighbours

What does that even mean? What on earth are they doing wrong? Why should they reach a compromise?

They are probably teaching their kids to be considerate and not play loudly, keeping the noise down etc. already.

They already sound infinitely more reasonable than their Nightmare Neighbour.

They will grow into teenagers soon.

So much hostility on this thread towards op. She's said she sees it was a ridiculous idea to report family to council so everyone can shut up about that.

We home school, and our children love being outside, but no way would we let ours out in the garden for ten hours a day. Children need far more variety that that. And input. Also, we think of our neighbours and recognise that they wants some peace sometimes.

Why don't you go and speak to then and explain how you feel? Perhaps see if there's a two hour slot when they could have a break indoors and let you have some peace?

I would think that was fair enough. If they don't agree, I would think of moving because (if what you're saying is correct), that would drive me crazy!

I’m struggling to believe that they’re playing in their garden all day every day.

Do they never go out anywhere?
I know a few people who homeschool, and they’re frequently out meeting up with other homeschooling families, doing activities / trips, even just out to a local park or library.

But anyway, if they’re new to the area, they may still be settling in and making connections. The kids spending most of the summer holidays in the garden doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be out there every day forever.

Looking into noise cancelling headphones or similar might help if the noise continues to bother you.

So your out for the same time 10 hours 7 days.

yeah right

Very much in agreement with this.

These must the the worlds best behaved children ever.

70 hours per week chatting and playing outdoors without arguing or shouting or shrieking.

Amazing.

I've just reread my OP and I see how it looks like that
No, I'm definitely not, it's terraced housing so their garden is in very close proximity to our house and we can hear them constantly through open windows, and when we're pottering around the garden ourselves they're always there, etc. They've been here since March so this is their routine we've got used to unfortunately.

@MajorCarolDanvers I never said they've never argued or shrieked once in their whole lives, just that it's not their normal interactions So many strange assumptions on here. Not worth responding to really but it made me laugh.

Thanks for this, I really appreciate it! 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

Just chuck them a couple of textbooks over the fence, if you're worried about their schooling. It'll have the added bonus of creating a bit of peace for a while.