At what age does it stop being acceptable to be smashing a ball against a wall on a quiet Sunday morning in a residential area?

[Watermelonsugar44]

We have lived next door to a family with a son who is obsessed with playing “tennis “ against the wall for about 10 years now.

He hits the ball at about serve level intensity.

It wasn’t too bad when he was younger as it was mainly after school and also our son who is a bit younger also used to play football outside, so although it was a bit annoying, it was understandable.

It got a bit worse around GCSEs and a levels as he obviously had more spare time, so would be thwacking it multiple times a day into the evening and starting about 8am usually.

He is now at uni (hoorah) but seems to be home a lot, still thwacking multiple hours of the day. He must be 19+ by now….

He hits it against his garage wall which is right next to our kitchen and office where my husband works from home and our bedroom above.

He shows no signs of stopping. He doesn’t seem to go out or see friends ever, or work.

We have never said anything because I’ve always presumed it’s just a phase and prefer to keep the peace, but this is ridiculous isn’t it?

My arse and parsley!

It would be like Chinese water tortore though - never knowing when it was going to start up again, multiple times a day. I'd go insane.

He may be using it as a regulation activity.

It's in his own private space, not yours.

It would not likely meet noise disruption threshold.

So you have to find some way for you to deal with it yourself.

'My arse and parsley' - I am so nicking that @MermaidofRye

I'm actually amazed that some people think you are being reasonable. It's less than an hour a day total in his own garden! You would be totally unreasonable to say anything imo.

I'm always surprised by the expectation on Mumsnet that community living should be largely silent. People make noise.

At what age does it stop being acceptable to be smashing a ball against a wall on a quiet Sunday morning in a residential area?

From birth.

In daytime hours for 10 mins?

YABU

its reasonable enjoyment of his own garden

lol, might be delicious, how do I know from here LOL

You would like to think though that where it’s young children, the parents would step up where the child doesn’t have that situational awareness - but reading so
e of tbe replies on this thread, seemingly not!

Diagnosis by Internet.

What time does the bugger get up?

Try and work it out, get a good hefty ball and have a some time doing the same while he's in bed.

Wait until they are in the garden and do it-with a soundtrack of lots of shouting.

Someone said, don't upset him it may be a huge part of his life. Such bollocks-make it a huge part of your life. See how he and his ineffectual parents like those onions!

Sometimes, lessons have to be practical ones.

It would certainly annoy me, but I think you should have mentioned it before now!

It’s relevant because he’s now an ADULT.

And adults can’t have hobbies?

I think the parents must have said something, eg “you can’t start until 8am or 9am” because it always starts at a specific time like that at weekends.

We are fairly relaxed neighbours and I would never say anything as the rest of the time they are all very quiet. You never see him in the garden or hear him apart from the tennis practice. There is a park and tennis club 5 minutes walk away though which would be more suitable.

It is noisy though and I have had other neighbours in the cul de sac, quite a few houses down asking if it is our son who is the tennis player, so they obviously hear it too!

It just seems very old to still be doing this, but there may be sen or similar. My son used to speak to him a bit when he saw him around but the the boy started ignoring him and looking down, that has been for a few years now.