Children playing in the garden

Anything past 9pm would annoy me. I don’t want to hear the constant banging from basketballs or footballs along with people screaming / chatting / laughing.

i can imagine the neighbours were already get wound up 8-10pm so lost it when it hit 10pm.

Once in a blue moon is fine but every night for months would make consider moving. Luckily we have really lovely respectful neighbours (currently)

I have a family locally that make noise. I have no issue with this but their eldest absolutely riles the younger ones up and then there's tears and tantrums it's frustrating to listen to it all day and night.

Be honest are they irritating and / or loud/obnoxious. If yes, deal with it. If not then let them be.

You can make noise up to 11pm, I hope the police told them that, if they don't like it they can get ear plugs or move to a detached house, they have no other rights to demand you boys stop playing.
She sounds quite demented, screaming at you children, lovely behaviour.

I can sympathise with the neighbours. If they like to sit out in in the evenings and relax in the garden and your DC are playing basketball not just occasionally but every night it would probably stop them sitting outside. It's not unreasonable for you to use your garden, but that would drive me mad...and I have teens of my own.

at first I thought you are not being unreasonable but then you said they play basket ball. Do you know how bloody annoying that noise is? And to have it all evening till 10pm?! I’d be complaining also.

We had a miserable neighbour who always moaned about my children playing on trampoline .I just got them to stop at about 9 pm. Think that's OK and reasonable.

Not justifying their reaction but kids playing in garden next to me until 10pm would piss me off too tbf 🤷‍♀️ would imagine basketball etc can be fairly loud if you were hoping to enjoy relaxing in the late evening in your own garden.

Do your kids shriek, shout and holler, and do they bang balls against fences etc? If yes, then your neighbours aren't being unreasonable, the constant thunk thunk of balls against fences and shrieking at volume is irritating. But if it's normal conversation noise and there's no banging, then that's normal neighbour noise.

Teenagers playing in their garden is not weird. Mine play football, basketball, American football and with the dogs. It's weird that people think teenagers playing sport is weird.

I'd get my DC to start coming in at 9pm. I would also ask the neighbours to stop their dogs barking at 6am. The noise conversation has been opened now. They should know that they are also making noise outside of sociable hours. I would mention the shouting at each other being loud and tell them not to yell at my kids again. They can go directly to you with any complaints if they can't be polite.

Even though we might legally be able to make noise till 11pm,it is not the right thing to do if we have neighbours. I personally think 10pm.is late for noise. There is absolutely no excuse for rudeness though. I would call the police and arrange to go into station as they obviously want to speak to u.no point u worrying. I agree re people making noise way is not good too. I am.regularly up 5ish at weekends too,but would not dream.of making noise as there are lots of people who choose to have a lie in.

Totally agree with that. I think 9pm is way late enough for the thud and crash of balls… outside talking quietly is totally reasonable.
But surely your neighbours shouting and carrying on were making way more noise than the boys?!
There has to be give and take. I would go and knock and say you’ve asked the boys to stop ball games a bit earlier as a goodwill gesture, as it appears they get upset by it. But at the same time, you are being woken by the dog at 6am and the glass recycling at weekends, and you would appreciate some consideration from them in exchange. Perhaps they didn’t realise how much you were having to put up with, or quite how much noise they were making… smile sweetly and also mention that to the police if they call back.

I would actually ring the police to arrange an appointment. I’m gobsmacked they came out for this, does make me wonder exactly what your neighbours have said..

Is there not a park they can maybe go play in instead. Teenagers playing ball games in a back garden seems really odd unless you have a huge garden.

Basketball til 10pm a couple days a week, and you're asking what to say to your neighbours?! Apologise profusely and tell your teens to play ball games at a park, that might be a good start. You've said several times you're not a nightmare neighbour, but you are.

Having neighbours we expect a certain amount of noise.
The thud thud of a basketball on concrete and or/football bashing against a fence/wall is soul destroying and annoying.

Equally being woken up at 6am with dogs barking is annoying.

A bit of give and tske on both sides is needed. It was an overreaction on their side to call the police however perhaps you are not aware of the level of noise your DC's are making?

Stop trying to 'keep the peace' your neighbours clearly aren't bothered about keeping the peace with you, given they allow their dog to bark at 6 am, scream at your children and call the police on you. They sound insane.
Why are you allowing them to dictate how your children spend time in their own home!
As long as the noise stops at 11pm there's nothing the police or anyone else can or will do.
They have absolutely no right to shout at other peoples children, I'd be more bothered about that than I would some teenagers using their own garden for it's intended purpose.
Stop people pleasing, stand up for your children, they aren't doing anything wrong.
You don't need to 'make agreements' or live by their rules, you're an adult who has a right to use their own home within the law.
They are clearly hypocrites who think they can control what you do whilst doing what they like.
And stop mowing their bloody lawn!!

People don’t like hearing noise. Especially kids for some reason.

I get annoyed hearing kids screaming in the garden. There’s a family a few doors down and I’m not kidding when I say their children go in to the garden just to scream as loud as possible for as long as they can. I find it extremely annoying but I don’t say anything. It’s their house, it’s not in the middle of the night when we are trying to sleep and whilst it’s irritating it’s not hurting anyone

They are complaining about kids playing ball in their own garden until 10pm but have their dog out barking at 6am daily?
I would not entertain the unless they addressed the barking issue.

This really tickled me.

There is a park opposite my mom's house and she's forever moaning about the teenagers hanging out there playing ball games 😂

Basketballs thumping every day for hours on end alone until 10pm would drive me insane let alone all the other loud things they do, no wonder they are fed up I would hate to, just because you can make noise until 11pm doesn’t mean you can make as much noise as you like, big difference.

It's fine for them to be in their own garden until 10 in the summer. Ignore your neighbour.

Your neighbours are being unreasonable to call the police over something so petty.

The police are being unreasonable to attend given they're complaining about children playing in a garden at 10.02pm (if what you're saying is the truth).

And YABU to allow kids to play outside until 10pm, that's way too late! 9pm is much more reasonable.

I would suggest you apologise, but state that you're aren't impressed that they called the police on something so small and I would probably ask if they're ok as you find that quite odd (the fact they argued afterwards suggests to me that she's irrational and her husband has had enough). Then, I would suggest the time moves forwards to 9pm, with the agreement that if they go a few minutes over, a polite knock on the door would be more appropriate than screaming and children and calling the police.

Im really surprised by the police attending this. I have had a noise complaint situation and it’s dealt with through the council. I wonder what your neighbours have actually said to warrant a police visit….

Basketball until 10pm would drive me crazy