To think kids should be able to play outside on the street?

[Anon171880]

So we live on a little cul-de-sac and sometimes the kids from all the nearby houses play outside together. Neighbours have been complaining however about children, even reported some to the police for anti-social behaviour.

If my children are acting like idiots I will tell them to get inside but all the kids around here just usually play on their bikes and don't cause any problems other than getting a bit loud and excited.

When we were growing up we used to play on our estate with all the neighbours children and nobody ever complained.

They just get scalded from a neighbour for playing outside at 8pm, he said he has already reported to police. I was outside finishing some cleaning up so was supervising and didn't realise the time but then it is also the school holidays.

@0021andabit yes me too, I can't stand kids who are nasty bullies and have no consideration for anyone else, swearing. But the kids outside are literally just playing nicely.

If people have repeatedly rung he police, this is not just a bit of normal laughter of a group of kids playing.

Willing to bet the neighbour would describe the behaviour and noise very differently to OP.

How late are you allowing them out?

@Feverly thanks for clearing that up lol, I didn't even realise what I had written. Well maybe you could let my neighbour come and move in too.

what a shame

I'm with you on this. Some days all I can hear is the squeak of a trampoline that needs WD40, kids shrieking and laughing like hyenas and parents occasionally bellowing at them out of the window to come in for their tea etc. yes I'm a grumpy old woman and to be fair the sound of certain people breathing or worse, chewing, gives me rage but I work from home and can't hear myself think over the children having fun and 'being children'. Rant over, sorry!

I bet they played out when young

I was a very nice kid. However, I rode my bicycle into someone's parked car (my wheel slipped in a puddle) and bent their number plate. I never even fell under suspicion. God only knows what was "achieved" by other equally nice kids. I know that someone lost a window pane to a ball for sure!

My siblings, neighbourhood friends were all very nice kids. Never damaged anyone's car or window.

I'm hoping that was a typo. 😮

@Yellowlegobrick I don't know exactly who has called the police and why but the whole neighbourhood received a letter from community office about anti social behaviour. Kicking balls about and congregating outside houses. Swearing, threatening adults even. My kids are not part of that, I could probably identify the culprits though. The children who live at the top of the estate are horrible, can tell their parents probably don't care what they are doing.

I don't bring my children up to be horrible thugs. The latest they are in is 8. Don't even let them on the garden after that. So yes my kids are just outside playing and laughing.

Can't believe how children playing is now up for debate. It's so sad. Play is essential to mental and physical health. Ideally all these kids should live within walkable distance to an age appropriate play space, but Christ alive, let them play out while they still want to.

It's really sad

@Averagelymediocre sounds like you would be better living in a neighbourhood without children, or people even lol

I bet they played out when young

This. Recently discussions on here seem to alternate between bemoaning kids playing too loudly outside and taking up public space, and bemoaning childhood obesity rates, kids spending too much time on screens and never being active outdoors. Kids can’t win, basically, and some people seem to essentially be complaining about the fact that children exist at all.

I can’t imagine police would respond to that - if anything he’s risking getting charged for wasting their time. If he is actually calling the police. I like hearing kids play out, there’s so few nice light evenings each year. So good for their mental and physical health. Keep doing it and ignore that grumpy man

Can’t believe how grumpy some people hear about kids playing! Better than late night bass music or early morning DIY…

Neighbours of ours even complained about the noise coming from the garden of our local nursery and petitioned the council to restrict the times that the children could play outdoors to an hour a day (thankfully the council saw sense and rejected the petition).

@Legoroses exactly! Most of the time my kids don't want to even play outside, they are all boys so the only socialising they like to do is via games consoles! But when they do want to play out they know the rules and they aren't disrespectful. And unfortunately our nearest park is in need of being knocked down. Times have changed so much from when I was growing up. Honestly I don't think our neighbours called the police on children, they would have come knocking on our door if there was a problem and spoke to parents. Nobody has ever mentioned anything to me about my children.

Kids can’t win, basically, and some people seem to essentially be complaining about the fact that children exist at all.

this

Neighbours of ours even complained about the noise coming from the garden of our local nursery and petitioned the council to restrict the times that the children could play outdoors to an hour a day (thankfully the council saw sense and rejected the petition).

wtf!

Parents get "blind" to the noise of their kids. It's like they tune them out and don't realise how loud they are being. I doubt that guy wants to be calling the police for a little bit of noise, something more is happening. A bit of noise is inevitable where people live cheek by jowl, but everyone's needs should be considerable. Your little Johnny's playing noise might be one of many noise nuisances they are experiencing. Perhaps less time in the cul de sac, more time in a local park.

@TempsPerdu that is absolutely ridiculous and pathetic. People like that really wind me up. They must really not like children!

It depends. In my previous house children were up and down the street on bikes and scooters until late into the evening, getting close to cars etc. There was a perfectly good park they could play in just across the road without the risk to them off getting run over or causing damage to other people's property etc.

Why do parents these days need to have their children playing on the street right in front of the house if there are parks etc close by that they can play in more safely without the annoyance to neighbours?

I am so jealous of the kids on a nearby estate that all play together outside. No one comes out at ours, so DD doesn't get to experience that which I find sad.

@AzureBlue99 I am on my own with four children whilst my partner is working away. I had to do my gardening otherwise that would end up getting complained about too. My children were outside whilst I was doing that, which I preferred as I could keep an eye on them. I'm not blind to noise, I hate screaming and shouting even if it's my kids! And yes I have said previously that complaints have been made about children in the neighbourhood for anti social behaviour, which my kids haven't been involved in. And they aren't outside in the cul-de-sac everyday, I take them out as much as I can but I can't be out all day everyday just in case they are a little too loud.

Why do parents these days need to have their children playing on the street right in front of the house if there are parks etc close by that they can play in more safely without the annoyance to neighbours?

What do you mean 'these days'? Kids have always played in the streets.

And I think it's pretty obvious that playing outside, close to home can be much safer than playing in a park out of sight.