Neighbor Can’t Stand Kids Playing Outside At 6:45 AM, Asks If They Should Contact The Council
We expect our homes to be peaceful oases where we unwind from the outside world and enjoy daily living. That is until the outside world seeps into our dwellings through loud neighbors. But let’s be real, noisy people living close by are part of city living. Whether they blast music all hours of the night or allow their kids to scream and shout like there’s no tomorrow, some shared walls and fences meet very different lifestyles.
Speaking of the latter scenario, at what point does the sound of children playing outside in the fresh air become reasonable grounds for a complaint? Well, according to a recent Facebook post, it’s when parents let their little ones out between 6.45 AM and 8 AM every single morning.
After these parents let their toddlers play outside at first light, this person reached out online to ask their community for perspective. They shared how annoyed they feel to be woken up by playing kids in the early morning hours, to the point where it’s “getting silly now”. Suddenly, their question sparked a heated debate where people jumped to share their opinions, and it’s a mixed bag. Continue scrolling to read the post in full, as well as the reactions that followed. Then be sure to decide for yourself where you stand on the matter and weigh in on the discussion in the comments!
Recently, a neighbor shared a post criticizing parents who let their kids play outside at 6.45 AM
Image credits: Kampus Production (not the actual photo)
This complaint sparked a heated debate in the community, as people immediately expressed mixed reactions
Image credits: Spotted: Quedgeley, Kingsway, Hardwicke
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
The post has stirred up a vocal debate in the small suburban towns of Quedgeley, Kingsway, and Hardwicke in the UK. The question of whether children should be let out to play at this early hour sparked anger and fury among some people. They explained that kids should be encouraged to spend time outside, and it’s definitely better for them to be outdoors than stuck inside. A few residents reacted with deep sarcasm to the threats made to call the local council about the “nuisance” and noise from children playing in their own garden.
Others, however, expressed support for the neighbor, with some commenters stating that everyone needs to show consideration to the people living around them. It’s nice to believe neighbors will respect our lifestyle, but the reality is that people living near us can swiftly make our lives more pleasant or difficult. While living in harmony and avoiding hostilities is the goal, tensions and disputes between neighbors are inevitable.
It’s no secret that kids make noise. The little ones may be the greatest joys to their parents, but they sometimes cause disruption to other individuals’ daily lives. Everyone wants to feel comfortable in their homes and get a good night of rest, so it’s easy to understand that loud noise from the outside can be irritating. If you can relate to this situation, coming up with a solution can be challenging as nobody wants to be labeled a complainer. Yet, residents have the right to feel annoyed at certain behaviors that strike their nerves.
Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, excessive noise also harms human health and interferes with daily activities at school, at work, at home, and during leisure time. It can disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and metabolic effects, provoke annoyance, and generally take a toll on both physical and emotional well-being.
Some people aired their frustrations and outrage towards the post, here’s what they had to say
Regardless of the type of noise, it’s crucial to delicately communicate the issue with your neighbors and reach an agreement. As Elaine Swann, a lifestyle and etiquette expert and the founder of the Swann School of Protocol, toldMartha Stewart, it’s best to talk about your noise complaint in person. She suggested approaching the neighbor, letting them know about the noise, and keeping the conversation brief and to the point. When you want to confront someone about something, “leave out the icky and keep it matter of fact.”
Then it’s important to bring a solution to the problem. It may be as simple as asking to manage the noise level during that time. “If the person is practicing music, say, ‘Hey, it’s great that you’re talented, and great that you’re learning, but if you ever aren’t quite sure about the noise factor, here’s my contact information. Call me anytime and I’ll let you know,'” Swann added. “This way, the person will feel as though they are connected with you. They’ll know where you live and how to reach you.”
Most notably, you should keep a level head and try to put yourself in your neighbor’s shoes. “When approaching the person, think about how you might feel — this is what really helps us to craft our statement to them,” Swann explained. “When we think from that perspective, then we won’t go to anger. Our goal is to dwell together in peace.”
When we feel overwhelmed with emotions and harshly approach our neighbors, publicly humiliate them, or even make threats about their behaviors without sorting out the situation ourselves first, it can lead to long-lasting arguments. It’s important to be respectful of your neighbors so everyone can live peacefully, and the more we can resolve conflicts on our own, the better.
And others agreed with the noise kids make and shared support in the comments
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Share on Facebook"Sound of children playing is a joy to hear at anytime". That's about the worst noise for me, it's probably the high pitch (and I have a family of resident magpies which doesn't bother me at all). Everyone has different trigger noises.
This whole child worship thing some people have going isn't good for them. Nobody, not even a child, is "a joy to hear at any time" and we shouldn't be teaching children that. When they become adults and suddenly aren't the center of the universe anymore that transition is going to hurt.
Load More Replies...Nope, anything before 9am shits me. Kids, people mowing, using power tools etc.
Yes! My former landlord once tried to cut the hedges outside my bedroom window at 7am with a hedge trimmer! I stepped outside half naked and told her to F-OFF
Load More Replies...If he's not a close neighbor the kids doing a lot of noise?.Even the way she responded sounded quiet selfish.I think we live in a me me generation so a lot of people tend to not have some consideration. I was always taught to keep it low as much as possible before 9am when I was young.Still till these days it never failed me. Surely the kids can play in the house and also be entertained a little bit before going outside.
*Edit to be clear*: Since I could not be certain on the OP, I focused on the noise issue at hand and I would agree with you. Kids can play all they want, but there are tons of options to keep them entertained inside, even physical activities, until a better time to go outside. To me it has nothing to do with kids playing and everything to do with the noise. If the kids wake me up after 8am in my neighborhood, it's just another thing I deal with.
Load More Replies...Keep them indoors until a more acceptable time. Some people have no respect for others. Who wants to hear kids at that time of day. Or any time of day for that matter.
A lot of people just think their precious poopsies are worshipped by all!
Load More Replies...Parents... if you live nearby one, take the kids to a playground! Why should everyone else suffer because a parent can't well.... parent. I work from home and have had to deal with loud and disrespectful kids all freaking summer. I feel OP's pain .... EDIT: When I said the kids are disrespectful they are literally disrespectful to ME. Insulting me, throwing garbage in my yard sorta thing
Nope, they bought a house with a backyard for their kids to play in. Deal with it!
Load More Replies...I kinda understand, I wouldn't be happy to wake up early every day because kids are screeching at top of their lungs. Neighbor at least should tell their kids to keep noise to the minimum. Pretty sure this is problem here.
I think part of the reason it's so hard to sleep when there are children running around screaming is that humans usually are more sensitive to the sounds of screaming than to other noises. I suspect it to be related to survival. I know that I can have a fan running and white noise playing through earbuds, and still find myself jerking alert to the sound of sirens from several blocks away. Different people have different sensitivity, and it's important to consider that. That being said, I understand that it can be really hard to quiet some children down when they're excited. Most of the young children I've been around (and I've lived with nephews/nieces in the same house) could be calmed down, but we had a few screamers. Didn't matter if you talked to them, as soon as you turned them loose, they'd find something else to lose their minds about. The trick we used on those was to give them sticky rice pudding or frozen fruit, something that would keep their mouths too occupied to scream.
Wow! I love this! It's respectful of those around you and shows that you care- mostly about the kids. If they are having an emotional issue, you have found a way to help them through it. That's just awesome. (I am not saying you're teaching them emotional eating... But that you are teaching them to find a way to calm themselves!)
Load More Replies...Nope. Not sure in other countries but in the U.S. every city has regulations of when construction can happen due to noise. If there are loud sounds happening before that time, report it. I used to work night shifts and definitely wore earplugs sleeping but anyone that has remotely been around children know that those earplugs don't block out everything, particularly the high pitched screetching/screaming (happy or sad)
Yes but every city Ive lived in the noise ordinance lifts at 5 am - the start of the morning rush hour. The city is out with the jackhammers by then fixing who knows what for so long (mostly annoying because they "repave" at the end of every day and the road is a bumpy shock-destroying mess). 7 am is perfectly reasonable time for kids to be out - our schools are open by then!
Load More Replies..."Sound of children playing is a joy to hear at anytime". That's about the worst noise for me, it's probably the high pitch (and I have a family of resident magpies which doesn't bother me at all). Everyone has different trigger noises.
This whole child worship thing some people have going isn't good for them. Nobody, not even a child, is "a joy to hear at any time" and we shouldn't be teaching children that. When they become adults and suddenly aren't the center of the universe anymore that transition is going to hurt.
Load More Replies...Nope, anything before 9am shits me. Kids, people mowing, using power tools etc.
Yes! My former landlord once tried to cut the hedges outside my bedroom window at 7am with a hedge trimmer! I stepped outside half naked and told her to F-OFF
Load More Replies...If he's not a close neighbor the kids doing a lot of noise?.Even the way she responded sounded quiet selfish.I think we live in a me me generation so a lot of people tend to not have some consideration. I was always taught to keep it low as much as possible before 9am when I was young.Still till these days it never failed me. Surely the kids can play in the house and also be entertained a little bit before going outside.
*Edit to be clear*: Since I could not be certain on the OP, I focused on the noise issue at hand and I would agree with you. Kids can play all they want, but there are tons of options to keep them entertained inside, even physical activities, until a better time to go outside. To me it has nothing to do with kids playing and everything to do with the noise. If the kids wake me up after 8am in my neighborhood, it's just another thing I deal with.
Load More Replies...Keep them indoors until a more acceptable time. Some people have no respect for others. Who wants to hear kids at that time of day. Or any time of day for that matter.
A lot of people just think their precious poopsies are worshipped by all!
Load More Replies...Parents... if you live nearby one, take the kids to a playground! Why should everyone else suffer because a parent can't well.... parent. I work from home and have had to deal with loud and disrespectful kids all freaking summer. I feel OP's pain .... EDIT: When I said the kids are disrespectful they are literally disrespectful to ME. Insulting me, throwing garbage in my yard sorta thing
Nope, they bought a house with a backyard for their kids to play in. Deal with it!
Load More Replies...I kinda understand, I wouldn't be happy to wake up early every day because kids are screeching at top of their lungs. Neighbor at least should tell their kids to keep noise to the minimum. Pretty sure this is problem here.
I think part of the reason it's so hard to sleep when there are children running around screaming is that humans usually are more sensitive to the sounds of screaming than to other noises. I suspect it to be related to survival. I know that I can have a fan running and white noise playing through earbuds, and still find myself jerking alert to the sound of sirens from several blocks away. Different people have different sensitivity, and it's important to consider that. That being said, I understand that it can be really hard to quiet some children down when they're excited. Most of the young children I've been around (and I've lived with nephews/nieces in the same house) could be calmed down, but we had a few screamers. Didn't matter if you talked to them, as soon as you turned them loose, they'd find something else to lose their minds about. The trick we used on those was to give them sticky rice pudding or frozen fruit, something that would keep their mouths too occupied to scream.
Wow! I love this! It's respectful of those around you and shows that you care- mostly about the kids. If they are having an emotional issue, you have found a way to help them through it. That's just awesome. (I am not saying you're teaching them emotional eating... But that you are teaching them to find a way to calm themselves!)
Load More Replies...Nope. Not sure in other countries but in the U.S. every city has regulations of when construction can happen due to noise. If there are loud sounds happening before that time, report it. I used to work night shifts and definitely wore earplugs sleeping but anyone that has remotely been around children know that those earplugs don't block out everything, particularly the high pitched screetching/screaming (happy or sad)
Yes but every city Ive lived in the noise ordinance lifts at 5 am - the start of the morning rush hour. The city is out with the jackhammers by then fixing who knows what for so long (mostly annoying because they "repave" at the end of every day and the road is a bumpy shock-destroying mess). 7 am is perfectly reasonable time for kids to be out - our schools are open by then!
Load More Replies...


























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