Quiet neighbours now making noise.

[OpalBird]

My neighbours talked to us about the noise coming from our property. OK, my son has a hobby that does make an annoying noise. Since then we have made sure he's doing it less but we obviously aren't going to stop him completely. They haven't said anything since and I think we've been considerate in reducing the number of hours our son does his thing.

It seems like they've now decided that they are allowed to make more noise. We've been neighbours for years and they've always been quiet. Now we get occasional music or radio in their backyard. When I asked them about it they said they have always worn headphones to be considerate but they don't really like listening that way, so they thought it was fair they got to have their hobbies the way they enjoy them best as well.

Would I be unreasonable to complain to them again? There is a difference between children playing and music when they have the option of headphones.

4 times a day for 30 minutes = 2 hours. But also team neighbour here. Basketball is not approiprate in gardens.

I wake up at that time and seriously would lose my shit if every day I was subjected to that racket

just so you know, the world does NOT revolve around your son. Are you deluded that you think everyone should just pander to his needs?

This is one of my favourite ever opening posts. If it's truthful, it belongs in psychology textbooks.

A radio is normal household noise. Unless it’s turned all the way up or on before 8 or after 10, you cannot complain about it.

basketball is not a normal household noise and should be severely limited.

Oh god there can’t be anything worse than the thud of the football/basketball.

Poor neighbours. Well done taking the comments on board OP - your neighbours deserve an apology really.

Ocassionsal music from the backyard unless it's blaring out bass is completely normal, your son should take his hobby to the park or sports hall

So you are allowed to make noise but they aren’t?

Not just his needs - I doubt he was too bothered by the occasional music that upsets OP.

when you "approach it" I hope they laugh.

I hate the sound of a ball bouncing over and over.

Is there not a local club he can go to? We live in a small town, but you can hire the local leisure centre sports hall out for basket ball. Could this be an option with a few friends?

We live rurally. Our garden is about an acre, our next door neighbours a bit bigger so we are fair distance apart…I can still remember the summer, 1998, that their teenager took up basketball…boing boing boing thump. Repeat. I was thrilled when he went back to school in September!
Is there not a park he can go to, even our tiny village has a basket ball hoop.

Well. You take this week’s biscuit for entitled CF. The world doesn’t revolve around you. Your son is 13, it’s not like he’s a 4 year old on a tricycle. He can go to the part and play there.

Your wfh got interrupted by their radio? Boohoo. Go to the office. No sympathy. You are the problem neighbour here.

Yes their change in behaviour is completely directed at you. Of course it is. You are inconsiderate. You’ve continued to be inconsiderate even after they’ve brought it to your attention. They’ve moderated their behaviour up until now to be considerate towards you - they aren’t doing any more though because you haven’t shown them that same consideration. Good for them. I hope their music grates on you.

You cannot complain about your neighbours having the radio / music on in there house/garden unless it's 2am in the morning)

I would have thought that half and hour once a day is just about enough. Eight times is practically all day long.

You need to buy a hoop on a pole and put in the furthest corner of your garden away from everyone. He can shoot hoops on grass, not concrete required.
He needs to find a team or a club. He needs to use the facilities at school.
He needs to stop before school. That is truly unbelievable.

My lights were on at 6:30 this morning as DH was up early for work. I on the other hand am still in bed chilling at 9:30 with it being Saturday.

You have 2 options really, either accept DS is driving the neighbours nuts and he stops doing it. Or, accept the neighbours won't ever be considerate towards you ever again and you'll have a lifetime of music, bbq's and if you're lucky really, a trampoline will appear at some point.

Utterly bizarre. Op if you can afford a detached home on a school hours job you can afford some kind of noise reducing stuff for the only place a basketball hoop can possibly go on your property. Also fascinated that because your kid has a hobby that means the whole world is expected to smile indulgently regardless of how irritating it is. And you understand noise is irritating but only when it’s someone else doing it. Really odd.

OP I think the obvious solution is find a way to have the basketball hoop moved so it isn’t near the neighbours. I know this might have a cost but it’s worth an investment for good relations with your neighbours.

I thought it was practically written in to law that you don't let your kids out before 8am!?

I get up at 5:30am - for the peace and quiet!

This thread is flabbergasting honestly!

I think you might need to go round cap in hand and apologise + offer a solution.

I could cope with one hour as long as I knew I wasn't going to hear it again all day.

I'm team neighbour.

I wouldn't have ever been wearing headphones in my own house. They've obviously thought why the hell are we tiptoeing around so much? Yabvu and self centred here.

I havent rt whole thread but I'm going to weigh in anyway at the risk of repetition...🙃....

You can only control your response, you can't anticipate or wait for what they might do regards noise. So, take some control back and it might not feel so overwhelming. Can you wear noise-cancelling headphones for eg if their noise is disturbing you when you are working?

Reframe their noise making in your head.

It seems like they are neighbours who prefer a quieter life (they were previously quiet, they wore headphones, they don't like your noise) so that is a good thing - it means that they are less likely to ramp the noise up or become really problematic.

So say to yourself, gosh my usually quiet neighbours are a little noisy today. However on previous form, I know this won't go on forever and they will soon stop.

(They sound really reasonable, btw.)

So 4 times a day is 2hours.
Same amount of time as the neighbours radio.

You can't actually be serious.