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AIBU?

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Original poster

Kids screeching

225 replies

Vintagejazzing · 03/07/2023 09:27

Is it my imagination or is there an increase in children who cannot play without screeching and screaming their head off. I'm not talking about ordinary 'children playing out' noise but ear piercing shrieking over and over.
I live beside a green and this Summer have nearly been driven to distraction some days by children doing this. Sometimes it goes on until 9 o clock at night, so not just younger children. No parent ever comes out to put a stop to it, so presumably they think it's ok. Am I just getting over sensitive to noise, or is this genuinely something new?

OP posts:
SoSoSoSo · 03/07/2023 09:34

No YANBU. They all seem to screech and scream when playing. Of course you expect noise but I don't know why they need to screech like they're being flayed alive. I'd have been told to zip it if I did that as a child.

SoSoSoSo · 03/07/2023 09:35

I watched some kids walking casually past the other week and they literally began screeching for no apparent reason. Why?

Purplepeaches123 · 03/07/2023 09:36

Yanbu and it’s an appalling noise. I’ve got kids that are now older but they weren’t allowed to scream or screech when playing out. But parents of younger kids dint seem to give a crap and just say it’s kids playing. My kids played and had fun without screaming.

Maray1967 · 03/07/2023 09:38

If mine started screaming they had a warning and on the second offence they were brought in - but it rarely happened because they weren’t screamers. It’s behaviour that needs stopping immediately - no way is it normal playing out noise.

ARareKindaBear · 03/07/2023 09:39

YANBU

I live next to a public footpath with green areas on either side. Kids seem to find it impossible to walk down it without screaming or screeching. They do my fucking head in. Roll on winter when the whole thing floods.

Anoushkaka · 03/07/2023 09:39

Yes they all scream now. Its unbearable. Next door neighbour had a birthday party for her 9 year old son last week. They had a bouncy castle, and all the kids did was scream at the top of their lungs for no apparent reason. Nobody told them to keep it down. My two teenagers actually commented on the noise as it was unreal. They asked did we scream like that? I said absolutely not, I would have told you to keep it down and think of other people who want to enjoy their garden.

x2boys · 03/07/2023 09:40

Because the are kids and its summer (well.it was ,its pouring down where I am right now ) these threads are always so tedious,and miserable .

SoSoSoSo · 03/07/2023 09:43

Because the are kids and its summer (well.it was ,its pouring down where I am right now ) these threads are always so tedious,and miserable .

WTF has that got to do with it? They scream year round. They can still be kids without screaming, still play and make noise. It's really not necessary.

Original poster
Vintagejazzing · 03/07/2023 09:45

x2boys · 03/07/2023 09:40

Because the are kids and its summer (well.it was ,its pouring down where I am right now ) these threads are always so tedious,and miserable .

But no one is complaining about children playing outside and making noise. It's the ear piercing screaming and shrieking that bothers people and really impacts on those of us who live near greens and parks and have to listen to it over and over. Do you allow your children to do this?

OP posts:
vivainsomnia · 03/07/2023 09:49

I despise that sound because everything it gives me an adrenaline shot and get my heart rate up.

I don't get at all the needs of kids to screech. Laugh at loud, absolutely fine but screeching, why?

HAF1119 · 03/07/2023 09:49

I think this depends a little bit - we've definately had play dates where mine has had a couple of friends and they've had a 15 min water fight where 'screaching' occurred when a child was 'got' (as in an excited scream/shock from the cold).

Genuine question here would that annoy people? I don't let it go on too long and if it got too loud I would ask them to keep it down, plus it's a sort of 'lunchtime at weekend' not early morning/late evening or anything.. but I'm now getting paranoid!

Mine does know to keep noise to a limit generally and if he screams with excitement playing 'normally' I would give warning then bring in if it carried on, but when with friends doing water bombs or a water fight for a short period would that annoy the neighbours?

x2boys · 03/07/2023 09:50

Vintagejazzing · 03/07/2023 09:45

But no one is complaining about children playing outside and making noise. It's the ear piercing screaming and shrieking that bothers people and really impacts on those of us who live near greens and parks and have to listen to it over and over. Do you allow your children to do this?

Show quote history

Well my child is,severely autistic and screams loudly ,wherrever he is
And I live backing on to a,park
The noise from the all weather football pitch annoys me more
But that's life isn't it unless you live in the middle of nowhere there are little annoyances everywhere and there is nothing you can do.about it

SoSoSoSo · 03/07/2023 09:51

Unless your child has special needs or has an air raid siren for a voicebox or is badly injured there's really no need to scream.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/07/2023 09:52

It's not your imagination.

INeedAnotherName · 03/07/2023 09:53

YANBU

I live near a nursery and on a route walked by several schools and children laughing, playing and calling to each other is expected and I quite enjoy hearing them. But not the fecking screaming. Drives me mad.

SoSoSoSo · 03/07/2023 09:53

But that's life isn't it unless you live in the middle of nowhere there are little annoyances everywhere and there is nothing you can do.about it

Your kid might not be able to help it but it but most certainly can. It's basic courtesy to consider other people and not let your child scream like they're being flayed alive. How the hell I got through my '90s childhood without constantly screaming and still having fun, we may never know.

FrenchBoule · 03/07/2023 09:54

It’s antisocial.
We have friends of DC gathering in our garden in the summer. If they start being too loud I tell them straight way to turn the volume down or go.
Nothing wrong with general noise of kids playing and having good time but any shouting/screeching is dealt with.

Unfortunately some parents can’t be arsed and you get „they are just being kids”

x2boys · 03/07/2023 09:55

SoSoSoSo · 03/07/2023 09:51

Unless your child has special needs or has an air raid siren for a voicebox or is badly injured there's really no need to scream.

Right but how do you propose to stop.it ?you can't there are lots of annoying
Sounds si.e of which are far more annoying then kids screeching

HerMammy · 03/07/2023 09:55

Wholeheartedly agree, mine were always told you can laugh and carry on but screaming is if you're in danger/injured. Fortunately we have recently moved away from a family of screechers, the daughters couldn't do anything without screaming incessantly & never told to tone it down.

PTSDBarbiegirl · 03/07/2023 09:56

YANBU!! Cannot fecking stand this..... I first noticed an obvious change whilst at work (Primary school) after the return to school following Lockdowns. That initial overwhelm kids felt at seeing friends in person and being able to play in a group. The excitement seemed to culminate in this screech/screaming as the chase around in groups. The worst culprits are the age 7-10 year olds. It just NEVER stopped which makes me think 2 things, 1- communication skills have depleted following Lockdowns and there is a deficit now. 2- parents have lost the ability to tell their kids to shut the feck up and stop screaming because it's not bloody acceptable.......

brunettemic · 03/07/2023 09:56

Better that than them all sitting inside on their backsides watching YouTube…

ItsCueNotQue · 03/07/2023 09:56

x2boys · 03/07/2023 09:55

Right but how do you propose to stop.it ?you can't there are lots of annoying
Sounds si.e of which are far more annoying then kids screeching

Show quote history

"Stop squealing otherwise you'll have to come inside".

Child screams again.

Child goes inside.

Child learns not to scream.

Hmm
BitOutOfPractice · 03/07/2023 09:56

I live very near a park. I actively enjoy the sound of the kids playing and enjoying themselves. The screeching? Not do much. It grates on me so much.

Catspyjamas17 · 03/07/2023 09:56

No, I don't think there is an increase. I think when we are of an age when we have small children ourselves or are around them regularly we don't notice the noise so much, but notice it more when we are not in that phase of life.

CakeBeautifulCake · 03/07/2023 09:57

You're certainly not wrong. And it permeates through the house whether it's neighbour kids on the backs or kids passing by on the fronts. No one I knew did it back in the day and that was when the whole street would be out from morning to night. Some will be likely be SEN, though most seem to just be lazy, entitled parenting.