Neighbours complaining about noisy dc in garden

[Xmasinthegarden]

We got the dc (8 and 5) a lot of presents for the garden (mud kitchen , outdoor toys, football/goals basketball hoop etc) they both have AuDHD and need to let off steam in the fresh air.

They were in the garden 10-1. Then back out again after lunch 230-430.

We had had a text from the neighbours at 115pm saying ‘we have guests today and would appreciate a little less noise from the garden thanks’ which I ignored but when the dc went back out at 230pm we had them knocking and telling us that they have family there and some are quite elderly and want peace and quiet and their niece has a newborn and all the commotion from our garden is very irritating as they are trying to relax in their conservatory. I said that the dc were not being that noisy and they wouldn’t be out there past 430 anyway. They said if this happens again tomorrow they will file a ‘noise complaint’ and may call the police!

The dc were just playing, not screaming or fighting. Just running about. Some ball bouncing yes but nothing terrible. They play out pretty much every day and this hasn’t been an issue before ? The neighbours moved in Feb this year so obviously it’s their first Xmas here but they would have known our dc play out a lot ?

They have text now with a ‘gentle reminder - tomorrow needs to be a calm peaceful day. Thanks for your cooperation’ wtf !!!

AIBU to ignore this ? We are home in the morning them leaving at 1230 to see my parents so if the dc play in the garden it wont be for that long just 2/3 hours in the morning.

Children playing outside all day is not a symptom of a new shitty UK. I am old enough to remember that this phenomenon happened in the old UK as well.

The new shitty aspect if anything is people complaining about unavoidable facts of life like the noise of children playing being part of the environment in populated areas and then blaming it on some new shitty UK, harking back to an imaginary utopian UK.

If you choose to build a conservatory as these neighbours have done, you need to accept it will be noisier than a conventional room. If you don't want that, pay extra for triple glazing. You can't expect the rest of the world to stop making normal life noises because you decide you want to have a lightweight construction building that offers limited soundproofing.

Maybe this is one occasion when we can just hope for rain - persistent, heavy rain with strong winds!!

Maybe just limit the ball bouncing? Sounds like it’s the ball noise rather than the kids noise.

This. If before 7am or after 10-11pm it would be a nuisance issue, or if it was offensive language etc sometimes during day complaint might be upheld. But is obviously neither. Whilst it may well be irritating for them it simply isn't any kind of offence.

OP.
Do you have any Welsh heritage? Now might be a good time for your children to start learning the bagpipes...

It won’t make any diff

op wraps them up well

They wear thermal base layers , warm clothes and a waterproof / windproof all in one , hats , gloves etc they are always nice and warm.

Yikes are people still falling for this made up nonsense.

Nothing will happen if its children playing during accepted hours. That said, try if you can to talk to the neighbours after Christmas about why this is particularly important for your kids. Occasionally a compromise might be possible?

What made up nonsense?

I sympathise with the neighbours. My NDN's son was obsessed with his basketball set about 5/6 years ago. Hours of boot,boof,boof then crash as he bounced ball on concrete then threw at net. I lived through years of it without saying a word. School holidays and weekends sometimes up to 10 hours and after school every night. Worked from home too so was awful somedays. However, I have a son younger than him who played in our garden with street kids and they could be noisy at times (not balls but just running about and talking as kids do) so I didn't feel it was right for me to complain.

However the first Christmas after my mum died my son was at his dad's so I was alone. The ball started christmas morning about 10am and for the first time ever I went out and asked him if he could give it a break (no loud voice, no insults or swearing) just for that day (he was 15/16 by then so not a little kid). He said no and his mum came out and said 'he'll do what he wants in our own garden'. I said I've put up with it for years, please just today can he not' and she told me to 'xxxx off', told him to carry on and stormed inside! I was so upset I went round and apologised (via the husband) because I hate the thought I've upset anybody. It carried on for about a year after until he grew out of it.

Summer 2024 they had extensive work done in their garden and in their house. 3 months of slabs being relayed, walls built, etc. Horrendous again and with no word of it being planned or how long it would go on for. Realised then they were just selfish pricks!

I think the neighbours here may have gritted their teeth all year then just exasperated with it, have asked for some quiet for 1 or 2 days while they have guests...it's really not too much to ask.

Had you read the OP's other posts, they were out 5hrs with their new ball toys, and in the summer they are out all day.

What's that you say about facts? 😂

To be fair to them, if your children are particularly noisy I.e screeching and shouting and this went on for 5 hours on Christmas Day when they wanted to chill and talk to their relatives, I can see why it was annoying. An hour or two fair enough but 5 hours is an awful lot.

Clearly, reading comprehension is beyond you.

From the OP:

"They were in the garden 10-1. Then back out again after lunch 230-430."

Is that 5 continuous hours?

Also, the summer is not whats being questioned by the CF NDNs.

So yeh, dont let facts get in the way of your selective reading eh...embarassed for you. Almost. SMH.

🙄🤦‍♂️😂

When I was a child, one of 4, same for my other half, if we were noisy, we were brought indoors because of consideration of the neighbours. This tale is repeated many times with my friends.

Yes, people did have more consideration for others. This is being eroded in the UK, people are entitled, me me me me. We saw it with lockdown and the shops and we still see that attitude now.

With the hours of play, all year round I think the neighbours were not out of order to ask for one fav on Xmas day, because the OP bought the children balls. Non-stop bounce is gong to be annoying even at the most mild-mannered and understanding neighbours. The outrage that they asked for consideration is again, another example of sheer entitlement. Absolutely no regard whatsoever for the neighbours.

@ChristmasDayIsHere children playing basketball can be a statutory noise nuisance, so can screaming children. It all depends on the volume and duration of the noise, in much the same way that a dog barking occasionally for a short period is OK (but annoying) but extended barking over days or weeks will get you a noise abaitment order, kids playing at a reasonable volume and occasionally shrieking or screaming is ok but constant or excessive shrieking and/or screaming for hours everyday would not be considered normal or reasonable noise and can also gain a noise abaitment order same with the basketball as 2 of my indirect neighbours found out thankfully (no i didn't complain to the council that was their direct neighbors). @Xmasinthegarden really does need to be honest with herself about how loud her dc are and long they are making that noise, also sponge balls dont really work as basketballs so she needs to think about how she's going to deal with her dc wanting their basketball back and for how long and how often she will allow them to play basketball as if its daily she'll get a noise abaitment order banning any basketball.

If the neighbours want complete peace and quiet they can move to the countryside, with no one living nearby. In the suburbs, we all put up with other people's noise. Loud cars, kids playing, music etc. Fancy turning up to someone else's house and trying to dictate which toys their kids can play with!

It’s really good for kids to play outside, it’s far better than being inside on screens. Your neighbours are a miserable pair of old scrotes. They don’t have a leg to stand on legally, the police would tell them to do one. As should you.

The people who are complaining that the OP is being unreasonable to have her kids play in the garden are actually bonkers. If you have a garden then you can literally be out there 24/7 if you want to - it’s your private space! I agree if they were screaming at the top of their lungs or bouncing a ball against the neighbours property etc then of course that’s would be annoying and not very neighbourly but if they are literally just playing and running about, what’s the problem?! If you want complete silence and solitude, you need to pick a property accordingly.

I don't think anyone's asking for complete quiet. A bit of consideration isn't too much to ask

People wanting to call the police over kids bouncing a ball are bonkers though! I'd call the police if I were witnessing a murder, being stabbed or something of that nature. Pretty sure the police have better things to do than monitor children playing in their own yards.

You therefore have no idea of the torture bouncing balls cause! You are sounding VVVU.

I would normally be so on your side of the fence here, but seriously wtf are your kids doing to cause such offence? They really must be, being very loud

I’d bet money that many of the posters with this attitude are also the ones constantly “despairing” about children “these days” constantly using screens.

@TealSapphire the neighbours have put up with the children playing outside for hours since February without complaint. I’m also assuming they probably have to put up with meltdown/dysregulation noise too.

Maybe they just wanted one day, when they had elderly relatives staying, some consideration from their neighbours, and it appears the bouncing ball was the main culprit

No: children playing in their garden during the daytime, as these children were, categorically are not a “statutory noise nuisance”. That’s the point: it’s perfectly legal and any complaint about this would be laughed at and ignored by the Council who enforce the laws on anti-social noise because this does not meet the legal definition. Rightly so. In terms of the police (!) I’d be amazed if they managed to remain polite during a phone call attempting to report this to them.

Some people here seem to be in need of a very long marble hunt.