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 😩

I wouldn't let mine out until 9am workdays and 10am at weekend. Otherwise we went to the park.

Earplugs and sleep headphones playing white noise work wonders

Ear plugs cause me ear infections (clean them with antibac each use)

Silicone ear plugs
White noise
Sleep mask

Well that’s not the question, but I’d compromise because I’m not a selfish twat. My siblings and I managed to spend a lot of time in our garden without shrieking and pissing off the neighbours all day.

ItsVeryHyacinthBucket · Today 11:40
Oh piss off! Get your son some earplugs. Yes you know it, you are 'that' neighbour.

Alternatively, you are.

8am is late here. First people start leaving for work just before 6, dog walkers etc 6-8, kids about 8. It’s hot in the day so mornings and evenings are when children play to aboid the heat.

Personally I think 8am IS too early for children to be playing loudly outside and I don't let my children outside in the garden until about 10am as I try to be considerate of other people. Unfortunately I don't think there's much your son can do other than ride it out until the holidays are over, it won't be forever.

I have dcs and wouldn't allow them in the garden screaming at 8am. I don't think it's unreasonable for them to keep the noise down first thing in the morning.

If one of my neighbours popped over and explained this to me I wouldn't have a problem at all.

Just pop over and politely ask. No harm in trying.

Gift the kids some medium sized, dense foliaged plants, and your son some ear plugs.

Blimey, that's a bit strong isn't it? 🤣

I used to be a nurse and regularly worked nights i lived in s flat ,I could expect people living in my block to not go about their business
I regularly got woken up by the communal front door slamming, people pressing buzzers etc etc It's a down fall of working unsociable hours

I agree with you, OP

You're only thinking of asking the families to wait another hour (ie until 9am). In your position I'd ask , but soften it along the lines of 'as close to 9am as you can manage'.

Calm down dear.

How does he cope when its not the school hols and there's general noise of getting ready to go to work/school?

The problem is that any reasonable person wouldn’t allow their kids outside screaming in a residential area at all. Especially before 9. Playful laughter and giggling after 9 fine. My kids do not run around screaming because I just wouldn’t tolerate it. Your neighbour doesn’t sound reasonable so might well react badly to your request.

8am isn’t exceptionally early, it’s a normal time for people to be getting out and on with their day.

We live near a primary school and their breakfast club starts at 7.45 so we hear the dulcet tones of screaming kids and slamming car doors from then whenever it isn’t school holidays.

Everyone has their own schedule and their own life to live, it’s part of having neighbours.

I think YANBU. 8am is early. I think asking for a delay to 9 is perfectly acceptable, especially given the reason.

I have a 19 year old ds and feel your pain! However after 8am there really isn’t much you can say to the neighbours and I think you just have to encourage him to be resilient and get used to sleeping through noise! Maybe try some soundproofing? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audimute-Sound-Absorption-Sheet-Soundproofing/dp/B07N6MR93T/ref=sr_1_30?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qQev0JShvMd3i_J-U3ag__mFjv5UUnEujQtMlBzRtT4aMrnSHk8blQq8T65gHZa_n6h8Xgq4sCXV_qzE6emsdk7CxFQJ_l4iyXMw4emXI57-xCryYGVSawK8bcqBL5fPIZ-HJB77vFg49R0L5z8yJK8GnQM5SfzyTUvh_2LbLEJcuL3qRJIhTZvsfQ4No8dcrmpuTp4jwLlX87Qte4FUHPJkiGd0TaO0gv_bqlkysB3uz_JrCRni6hMKXNCVamdFUk9g1uibRPzyXLZIbsfm9KSmD8uB8hVj91L0a5xdG5Q.G_kMn5zbHhm69Uvou_EmeJb9nnD6KgQIzgFrYIrv3s4&dib_tag=se&keywords=window%2Bsoundproofing&qid=1721991408&sr=8-30&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.d7e5a2de-8759-4da3-993c-d11b6e3d217f&th=1

I thought you were going to say 6am!

I don't see why you couldn't ask. Ok, 8am isn't particularly early, but 11pm isn't particularly late imo and I bet your neighbour wouldn't appreciate your son doing something noisy that disturbed the children at that time so it works both ways.

From a legal point of view, statutory noise nuisance can occur at any time of the day or night. there are no time restrictions. there are restrictions for commercial noise, so building sites and the usual conditions are no noise before 8am or after 6pm on weekdays. Whilst I accept that the noise is annoying and a nuisance to him that is because of his work pattern. the average "person on the clapham omnibus" (which is the test for stat noise nuisance under case law) would not find 8am disturbing. Having plants in the garden will not make any difference to the level of noise. You really only have 2 choices. have a word with the parents and set a time that you can both work with (9am) or buy ear plugs.

Playful laughter and giggling after 9 fine.

😂 this is the most insane thing I’ve read today.

@Galoop oh it’s 8am at weekends too! 😆
2/7 days I can bear. but 7/7 is a bit much.

Mumsnet says I’m unreasonable so I must be. Although I didn’t let my kids out that early when they were small even in the holidays. But…by starting this post I knew what I was letting myself in for.

Yeah it is screaming. Mostly shouting though. Def not just happy chatter.

I do have tonnes of shrubs and trees in my garden. They do not.

We do have double glazing, thanks.

He can’t move to another bedroom. Besides I can hear the noise when I’m in the front of the house so 🤷‍♀️ wouldn’t make much difference.