To let my kids be loud outside?

[Imtheterribleneighbour]

When my kids were babies the house next door was sold. The new owners were noisy, music on outside, car doors slamming at 2 in the morning, nothing serious just annoying. I asked them a couple of times if the could be considerate but it made no difference.

Now they have a baby and my kids play outside. They aren’t too bad, a little bit of shouting but the bouncing of a basketball is now the soundtrack to my life. I had a note a few weeks ago asking to limit the kids outside but ignored it. The neighbour has just been around and asked if my kids could stop bouncing the ball in the yard. I said as I already limit when they can be outside (it’s 830 - 845 in the morning and 330 -730 in the afternoon during the week and 930 - 800 on weekends) it’s not constantly happening in those times but limited to. I have said no you just have to live with it. He got upset as it’s annoying and wakes the baby. I said I understand as we had the same issue with them when the kids were little, but they will just have to live with it like we did.
Am I being unreasonable?

The world wasn't made to cater for my annoyances. Whether it drive me mad or not doesn't really matter, they're doing a good think playing and I can survive

Thudding balls are a huge trigger for me, it's the most annoying garden sound ever. Constant 'duff duff duff duff duff duff....' 😡 It's what PARKS ARE FOR

Noise of any large ball bouncing, shouting to each other and a trampoline or skateboard clunking would drive me insane!
Thats why there are hoops and skateboard ramps in parks where they can shout and play as loud as they like.
Be respectful at home.

The world wasn't made to cater for my annoyances. Whether it drive me mad or not doesn't really matter, they're doing a good think playing and I can survive

But why would anyone want to teach their children to behave in a way that they know is annoying to other people and inconsiderate?
Parents throwing their hands in their and acting like they can't teach manners and consideration without resorting to bringing their children indoors to a tablet etc are simply admitting that they're lazy parents who can't be bothered.

I love being around my friends' children and love hearing our neighbours have family and friends round in the garden. The sound of them playing over the fence makes me smile whilst I'm sitting in my garden.

What's really nice and makes the children a delight to be around/ live next door to is that the adults have done a really good job of teaching their children consideration.

This, absolutely 💯

I completely agree! No problem at all with kids playing outside - it’s lovely, and part of the reason we moved to an estate rather than rural. But the reason it’s nice is because the kids are well behaved and considerate.

No one want “those neighbours” where the kids have never been taught to self-moderate.

No to bouncing ball, that is pure torture for neighbours. Literally. Whether or not they have a baby or not. That is pure inconsideration. Get your kids to a park and let them bounce to their hearts content there.

No one want “those neighbours” where the kids have never been taught to self-moderate
Agreed.

All children have their moments, but if parents don't teach manners, consideration and self-moderation when their children are younger, then they can't be surprised that other people are going to find their children inconsiderate and annoying.

The job gets harder when those young children who've been allowed to make a racket when they like turn into older children and teenagers who have no consideration for other people.

I don’t think you’re unreasonable. You asked them to keep the noise down in the past and they didn’t, at much more unsociable hours than your kids are making noise, by the sound of it. Even if you do what they ask, guaranteed that in a few years their baby will be making similar amounts of noise to your kids. They don’t sound like the sort of people would make any effort to rein in their own child, judging by past behaviour, so why should you? I’d just ignore it, like they did when you asked.

I don't think OP asked them to keep the noise down? She said it wasn't enough to do anything about?

I don't think OP asked them to keep the noise down? She said it wasn't enough to do anything about? It's in her first post. She said she asked them a couple of times to be considerate, but they took no notice.

It would be different if the kids were screaming blue murder but they are playing. Kids make noise when playing. It's not like they are out there screeching at each other at 6am or after 11pm, they are playing during the day. I'd rather hear kids playing outside than see them sat indoor hooked up to a games console or tablet/phone.

I’d say YANBU because if they have decent double glazing and the windows are closed, I can’t really imagine a bouncing basketball being overly annoying. I can only hear my NDN’s children if our windows are open. Plus your neighbour’s were twats before too so they’re fair game.

You’ve obviously never lived next to an obsessive ball bouncer @Sartre I can assure you that you can hear it through closed windows. In fact, it is such an exquisite form of torture you can sometimes still hear it when they’ve stopped.

plus, these kids aren’t in their garden. They are in the paved / concrete area next to NDN house.

Kids playing, lovely. love to hear it. Persistent ball bouncing, not so much.

Nope not being unreasonable. I much preferred my now 13 year-old to play outside when he was in primary school. I didn't ask him or his friends to be quieter unless it was just screaming for the sake of screaming. As long as it was just loud happy kids noise I was fine with it. I also had a newborn when he was 9 and he was only asked to be quiet inside. Babies can learn to sleep with some noise.

Annoying when detail isn’t included in the Op isn’t it? @Worriednanof1 😆

Almost as annoying as when someone posts on a thread almost two years later!

😅 weird stalker like behaviour. Sadly some people have too much time on their hands 🤷‍♀️