Neighbours kids playing outside early…

[FooFightersFan]

It’s the school holidays and I appreciate that by starting this thread I’m going to sound like a right grump, but here goes…

Our garden backs onto two houses, both of which are owned by couples with young kids. All four parents work from home full time.

The kids (youngest 3, all primary school aged) regularly play outside in the gardens. The houses are new build with literally no plants or shrubs. Just lawn surrounded by fence / brick walls. The noise just bounces around as there is nothing to ‘absorb’ it.

I accept that they are noisy when they play because they are young, energetic and kids!

Now that the school summer holidays are well under way, it’s become apparent that getting up and out into the garden at 8am is their routine. And they shout. A lot.
Then at 10am they go inside and there is silence for a while.

I can deal with it, I have 2 kids and I appreciate that’s what kids are like.

and here’s the “but”…

My son works full time and his room overlooks our back garden. He works 12 hour shifts a lot of days, in hospitality. Most shifts mean he is home around 11pm and in bed by midnight. He’s getting increasingly fed up with the neighbour kids’ morning routine.

During term time, the outside playing is just at the weekend. But now it’s a daily occurrence due to the holidays, I really feel for my son, because being woken up 90 mins before he needs to be up for his next shift is pretty miserable.

WIBU to message or pop round to my neighbours and see if they can encourage their kids to be quieter (a big ask) or to not let them out before 9:00.

I’ve become that grumpy neighbour 😩

Exactly. What is it with the screaming so many kids do? I wasn't allowed to scream as a kid and it certainly didn't stop me from enjoying play.

Allowing children to play in their own garden, at a time when people are permitted to do noisy building work, yes, that's absolutely failing to parent 😂Yes, they don't need to be screaming, but even if they were laughing and chatting, that could wake OP's son if he chooses to sleep with window open.

Do you make any noise in your garden after 7.30pm, when many children will be sleeping? Most people would in the summer I suspect, and that's perfectly reasonable.

It gets too hot some days to be out unshaded from around 10 until 4 get him ear plugs.

Get some 'loop' earplugs - that's what we use.

6am is definitely not ok. Mine are up soon after that, but not allowed out until 8am. Most people are on their way to work by then anyway. My husband works from home, and if they get loud enough to disturb him they are asked to sit in the shade reading a book of similar to calm down a bit. It's their holidays and they do need to let off a bit of steam, but no screaming or hitting balls against fences etc.

When I was his age I only got to bed at 4am and was up for work at 7.30 we all did it. he can handle a few weeks of it.

It’s their home, it’s their garden. I don’t think you can dictate when they are inside or outside. If someone asked me to keep my children inside until 9am I’d be sending them out at 7am. Your sons choice of job should t impact on anyone else, especially those who don’t live in your home. Sorry

I think it’s okay to ask nicely but be sure to take the No nicely if it comes to that.

Go and tell them he works shifts. I used to work nightshifts and told my neighbours, they changed there behaviour after i told them

I was thinking this. Many nights in my 20's I got maybe 3 or 4 hours broken sleep a night, and making complex clinical decisions the next day, on my feet all day. In my 40's now, no way could I do this, but 20 years ago, definitely doable. 8 hours from midnight to 8am - I would have been thrilled!
It's only for 6 weeks of the summer holidays, possibly less if family go away on holiday or he does.

But that's not your neighbours' fault nor their responsibility. You can't expect them to arrange their lives around your son's unusual working hours.

@FooFightersFan See you have updated to let us know that you had a chat with a neighbour. Glad it has worked out nicely for you. He will probably be more mindful now that you have drawn attention to it . And no to those who say they have to be indoors, the kids can still be outside, drawing or reading and just save the louder play until later on in the morning

Having young kids and wfh isn't compatible and neither should it be as both need dedication. At those ages when my DH wfh and I was out out out working, nursery! You can't just kick them out into garden unsupervised and as you said, like your son who needs to sleep, this is awful. Yes he can get earplugs etc and if parents are free to be with dc in garden that's expected, not wailing for attention which can't be given as working! If you work you need childcare, simple, the rest of us who don't wfh have to it! Xx

Of course, but if the parents are working, they can't be there to help with the playing, hence the extreme of noise etc

You could have a party outside til 12am with nice loud music and let them feel how you do

Clearly loads of inconsiderate people on here who think 8am isn't early, it is for some people depending on shifts.

Talk about selfish I think 9.30am is the earliest kids should be shouting in the garden and I have several.

I'm up at 5.30am EVERY day. 8am to me is a luxury ! Are you literally taking the piss.
Shall we swap ?
No its not early

The AirPod pros are very effective at cancelling out noise.

My partner gets fed up when I have them in and can’t hear him or the cat getting increasingly more vocal wanting his dinner!
we had work done on our house and apparently it was very noisy but I didn’t hear a thing.

There is one downside to them, I was in a supermarket in the homeware section that was pretty quiet at night and thought I was letting out a small fart, I didn’t hear it so let out another, I turned round to see a shelf stacker doubled over laughing but trying to hide it… I’ve not been back since 😂

How do you literally take the piss?

Do you think OP is a doctor?

My double glazing blocks noise from planes and late night parties from neighbours. You need better double glazing.

Kids will be kids. I don’t begrudge them a bit of fun or care about a noise. And no, we make no noise so I’m not saying this from a perpetrator’s perspective. Sometimes you just need to pick your battles.

Yes! If my neighbours kids woke me up at 8am playing (screaming) outside I would have friends round every Friday, Saturday &Sunday / any day in the week they were free and be in the garden playing music and having no care in the world about swearing or keeping their kids up. You have no consideration for me..I have no consideration for your kids early bed time.

Quid pro quo

That's your choice. 8 is early for normal people

Screaming at any hour is unreasonable unless you are being attacked! I live in a field and never allowed my kids to scream. They can play have fun but there is no need to scream.

There is one downside to them, I was in a supermarket in the homeware section that was pretty quiet at night and thought I was letting out a small fart, I didn’t hear it so let out another, I turned round to see a shelf stacker doubled over laughing but trying to hide it… I’ve not been back since 😂

OMG that's made my evening 😂

Careful your arm doesn't get sore from polishing that halo.