To ask to stop your children ‘play’ screaming?

[JediKnightingale]

I live in a cul de sac where we have around six families with small children (weirdly, all girls - not relevant I know) that range from ages 2 - 7. They all walk to school together with parents and at home time they congregate in the middle of the close. Mums chatting and the entire gaggle of tiny noise machines run around screaming for absolutely no reason for about 30/45 mins depending on the weather. During the holidays or at weekends they can be out there for hours at a time.

I and quite a few others work from home in our road - my home office is in the front part of my house and I literally cannot take or make phone calls due to the racket. Normal play noise is absolutely fine but WHY do parents put up with this stupid screaming? When my 3 were small I would never have allowed it but it doesn’t seem to even register with these parents.

Do you let your children play scream and if so would you be put out if you were asked (nicely) if they could play WITHOUT THE SCREAMS?

Yes, that's right. The ONLY 2 options are:

1. Outside, screaming and screeching at the top of their lungs as if being eaten by a tiger.
2. Inside 'on phones'

Genius. 👏

Angel Demin-Blu’s name came up. The poor lad was being dragged on the floor by his bitch chav gobby mum with his arm. As soon as they disappeared to the room - everyone shook their heads or muttered something about the stupid name or awful mum
You never hear of these mums having fertility problems, bar over fertile

You sound absolutely horrible.

As a primary teacher, I wouldn't tolerate screaming in the school playground and anyone that screamed would be told to stop.

I have never allowed my kids to scream for no reason. My ears and mental health can’t take it. I have no issue with normal playing noises but there is something so awful about screaming that makes me feel visceral anger and stress. Parents who allow their kids to just stand outside people’s houses screaming are selfish and disgusting.

I can't bear screaming. There were three separate screamers in the supermarket the other day and I felt murderous. Then one followed us into the next shop. Some parents seem oblivious.

God yes I wish Parents would actually parent. When I was a child we were always told to stop if we screamed. It’s not a happy noise and isn’t needed to play. It’s just very bad parenting.

I support this message. I have a house nearby where some little girls try to out-scream each other every summer break. I don’t know what the parents are thinking letting that go on.

A few years back I was at another supermarket. A mother with 3 screaming kids. Man had the audacity and bravery to come up to the mum to ask for money to buy some paracetamol. As why should he use his own money to buy them when her kids are the cause of his headache.

I didn’t see what happened.

Parents that don’t tell their DC off to shut up etc are bad parents

Who is this man? I think I'm in love with him.

There's something about a trampoline that brings out the screamer in kids, usually girls as per pp,s. We had one next door fucking hell I thought she was being murdered at times, her mother had really annoying loud speaking voice though so probably don't notice it. Thank fuck they pissed off, now we have next door but on e the same, I use headphones, shouldn't have to but can't say anything to the little darlings, I'd get a mouthful off them and the mother so 🤷

Yes the screaming of so many girls is ear piercing, they are excited after having to be quieter during the day at school and letting off steam. It's annoying I can agree but we can't expect to be silence around us all the time. It's just part of the day, you are aware of it, so maybe move the laptop to another room at this time? That's the problem with so many wfh now, life goes on outside and you can't expect everyone to be quiet because you're in a meeting. Just got to adapt, a neighbourhood is that, not an adult only office I'm afraid. Xx

We need more people like this man. Think I had him or his mate come into my work one Saturday morning. As he got fed up with a group of elderly customers having a chin wag in front of the milk. “Leave the shopping on Saturday morning for those who work all week” as he got his milk and walked off.

More people need to speak their minds to others about how their behaviour is wrong etc

It's annoying I can agree but we can't expect to be silence around us all the time.

So ear-piercing screaming and complete silence are the only two possible alternatives? People can't just talk to each other at normal volume?

This is one of my real pet peeves, the kids on the next street over do that. I don’t mind kids playing normally or singing, squealing during a water fight, calling out to each other etc, but screaming at the top of their lungs for no reason is unnecessary. My kids know perfectly well they’ll be told to come inside if they do it! My next door neighbours were telling me how nicely mine play actually yesterday, so I’m doing something right.

I always wonder this. As a mother of 3 boys who were all once little and liked to play in the garden if they started full on screaming I found it annoying as the next person and would tell them to come in if they continued. There's a huge difference between normal shouting, playing and having fun noises and the high pitched screams that some are capable of. We had a family with screamers living in the house behind us. When they were in full scream mode it was impossible to have any kind of conversation in the garden for the noise and you could even hear it in the house with all the windows shut to the extent that we would have to raise our voices to speak to each other. How the parents tolerated that I'll never know.
Last January they moved - oh my goodness that was the best New Year Celebration ever. The whole street were talking about how great it was we could all have a nice summer again in our gardens and actually sit outside and enjoy it without having our eardrums battered. I just feel sorry for whoever they live next to now. There are kids or frequently visiting grandchildren in every house on this street and there has never been a level of noise like those kids made, it was relentless.

I know it's annoying but I wouldn't tell my child not to scream.

He's deaf and currently non verbal. I encourage any vocalisation outdoors because that will hopefully encourage him to speak in the long term. Games that involve screaming and chasing are the only games he confidently plays with his peers, without adult support. I already support him in not being too noisy when we are in quieter places (tricky as he can't hear how loud he's being himself) and watch him try and fail to join in with other children who are communicating verbally and at a volume you'd prefer. I'm not going to restrict him outside too.

I know this is just my personal experience, but there are many reasons other parents might feel the same. If you need a quiet place to work, soundproof or find somewhere quiet to book. You can't control outdoor noise during the day.

@Allthingsdecember that’s understandable but that isn’t what the OP is about. This is multiple children, every day of the week, up to hours at a time. Unless the OP is leaving out some major information the two scenarios are not comparable.