Neighbour problems

[rov1200]

We are being driven to destruction by many kids playing in next doors semi detached garden... There are swings, slides,,a bouncing castle and a full sized trampoline. The children range from about 3 to 9 years old and scream at the top of their voices for up to 8 hours per day and there never seems to be less than 5 children at play. Some of the children are not resident there and are dropped off by their parents. We believe they are acting as childminders. Can anything legal be done or are they breaking any council by laws?

[hippyhoppy]

If they're being paid to look after these children, or are looking after children for more than 2 hours, then they need to be registered with Ofsted. How you find out if they're being paid..? I don't know, other than asking outright. Get in touch with Ofsted and ask for a list of childminders in your area to check...

[hippyhoppy]

http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/index.asp

This might help - but I don't think that it is compulsory to be on the list...it's the choice of the childminder...

[stonekicker]

also, you might want to explore the noise pollution route through environmental health - especially if you or your neighbour are council/housing association tenants (they have a duty as landlords to sort things like this out!). have you approached your neighbours and said that you are having a problem? i hope they are ok and you feel that you could talk to them...

[stonekicker]

ooh - or if things get nasty after you talk to them, perhaps you could blare out some hideous music (sinatra, big band - you get the idea) that the parents/children will hate or get a biiiiiig sprinkler that will go in their garden and switch it on for the 8 hours a day that the kids are out - the wet toys/mud will drive mum and dad to distraction. or you could try my mothers approach, which was to ask nicely, fail and then lean out her windows screaming shut the f!*k up at the parents/children whenever they were in view. worked like a charm!

[rov1200]

Thanks for some interesting replies especially with the link which I am investigating.

[sleepy1]

kids will be kids ,,,dont think you can do much about it ...oh well soon be winter they wont be in the garden then ,

[mumof3angels]

I must say that I read your post and thought " I bet my neighbours think that about my kids". My 3 are 4-11 and in the holidays are out all day in the back garden, especially in this weather. My 11 yr old has just started to play 'out the front' with her friends, but my 2 boys are too young and stay in the back garden sometimes with thir friends round. They can be really noisy and because my neighbours have no kids I'm forever telling them to keep the noise down- but kids will be kids. When I was a kid we would go out in the morning, come back at lunch and then go back out till tea. Then if the weather was lovely we'd be out till the street lamps came on. But in this day and age kids can't do that anymore and so spend more time in the back garden. Like I said, my 11 yr old has just started playing out the front, but she has to keep coming back to let me seee she's ok, and she's back in by 5.
Is your problem more that they may be unregistered childminders or just the noise the kids make. You may just have to grin and bear it till September.

[NiceCupOfTea]

So what you're saying is that you'd rather kids be stuck indoors than out enjoying the weather when they can as it disturbs you. Boo diddums. You sound like Victor Meldrew.

[ethanryan]

sorry but its there garden and its daytime so not much you csn do, isnt it better that there parents have put them in the garden to play rather then on the streets like a lot of kids. chill out you were once a child

[rov1200]

A noise is a noise but its when it becomes excessive. Parents are too bl??dy lazy to take their kids to the park but just let them get on with it and s?d the neighbours. When this noise is increased by inviting other kids to join in the melee its taking the pee.

[ethanryan]

are there parents just letting them get on with it or are they letting them be kids. my boys play in our garden all day if were not going out. they have got a swing slide climbingl sand pit etc etc but i wont stop them from making a noise out there, its there garden. they come in at latest 6pm as i have respect for my neighbours and understand that when people have been to work all day they dont want to hear it all evening.
do you not work i take it?

[obNOXious]

Sweet jesus they're just little kids. Our house used to sound like a lunatic asylum ( fortunatly we had no neighbours) but none the less if it's just kids playing with their friends then frankly put up with it and stop critising parents who are after all just letting their kids be kids, at least theyre not stuck inf ront of the xbox all day. Some people are never happy, and before you say something along the lines of ' well how would you like it?' the answer is I wouldn't mind, might be noisy, somewhat annoying even, but get it in perspective, you're moaning about little kids behaving normally.

[LoftyLottie]

I agree entirely with NOX. I played outside with loads of kids, so did my kids. The summer holidays were great fun, we all went to each others gardens and sometimes there were dozens of us. Nothing nicer than kids playing outside and enjoying themselves and the weather over the last week or so has been great for them. And why should their parents take them to the park if the kids are happy in their garden - nothing to do with being lazy.

The weather will change and the school holidays will be over in a month.

If I were you I would move to an area of retirement bungalows.

[LoftyLottie]

Quite honestly rov1200, I think the answers must indicate that there isn't really a solution to the problem. If anyone comes up with one (other than the usual jokers) I should be very surprised.

You can't ask someone who is coughing night and day and being sick to turn the volume down!!! If you live in a flat then I am afraid you have to expect things like this to happen. Your tenants will just have to move.

[voltr4m4x]

If youngsters play football in the street it's a problem...

If kids are let loose in the park they become prey to paedophiles...

If kids hang around the town centres they are causing a nuisance to all and sundry...

If kids question "authority" they are classed as vandals...

Oh, to be in England now that summer's here !!!

[pink-kittens]

You have jumped to the conclusion she is unregistered and has she told you she is being paid?

Hate to say it but for children over the age of 8 you don't need to be registered, so whilst she may get rid of the smaller ones she could get bigger and louder with the whole street worth of children.

As hippy says, she doesn't have to go on the childcare link so just because you don't find her, doesn't mean she isn't registered

And why should the parents, if they have a garden, take their children to the park?

Have you got children? I doubt it

[LoftyLottie]

Sorry posted in the wrong section!!!!

[cassa333]

LOL Loftylottie I saw the post it should have been in.

Anyway. you could be (but aren't) discribing my garden.

What is it you are objecting to? The amount of children or the amount of noise?

As long as she isn't being paid to look after the children tuff nutts. If she is then you could report them but I would suggest you at least talk to them. (in my opinion people who don't talk to the people they are whinging about are not worth knowing. How else do you think neighbour disputes start)

The summer holidays is 6 weeks of pure fun and fantasy for children (((tongue firmly in cheek))) and taking them out all the time or even often is mostly impractical and/or costly.

Tell you what rov1200 instead of you expecting them to go to the park why don't you go over there for some peace. That way the children can do what comes naturaly and enjoy being children.