Noisy kids

Pop up shop

Ok, apologies for the long post.......hoping someone will read and offer some kind of advice.....

Our front garden is a magnet for lots of kids in our cul de sac. Its driving us insane. Every so often they convene for football and proceed to scream and roar for hours. We go out and tell them to move up the road, they leave and are back within 10 mins. They ride bikes over the lawn, wrestle on it, but the football is the worst. We keep going out and moving them on and its a bloody waste of time.

The garden is an open plan garden shared between us and the neighbours (semi d). We have thought of planting a hedge down the middle but i'm sure they would rip it up before it gets the chance to take root. If we put a wooden fence down they would probably use it to play tennis or kick footballs off it. The other option is to get it paved and park our car on it but we cant afford it to be honest.

We paid a fortune for a house and dont even have privacy in our front garden. We were so stupid! I hate summers long evenings, i actually long for winter time when it gets dark early and they cant play on the lawn. We used to be really vigilant and run them the minute they set foot on the lawn but then we relaxed a bit as we have 2 kids of our own ( much younger) and they wont have one friend on the street the way things are going. Also i'd worry about them being targetted in school - maybe i'm going way OTT.

So has anyone had this problem, overcome this problem etc etc?? Thanks for reading....

Mrs OBumble

Go out and make friends with the kids. Either they will go elsewhere or they will start to like you and be more considerate.

athtrasna

I feel your pain..I live in a mixed development, houses and apartments and we have a cute little playground, about 20 feet from my front door. On dry days, kids are out there screaming and roaring from 6am until 9pm. I have to sleep in the back in summer.

I would be inclined to plant aggressive growing (fast) prickly plants as a hedge, Berberis can be a good one.

evolving_doors

When it comes to kids and neighbours I think you really have to play the long game. Depending on the ages they could be moody teenagers hanging outside a centra before you know it. Failing that....
Put bleech on the driveway (the smell wil deter them somewhat.
You can get music with high pitched annoying frequencies that only young kids ears can hear, they will barely realise it but just not want to hang around.

Or put our your own kids junk that theyd get sick of tripping over. Broken trampoline, one armed doll etc

the_syco

Armelodie wrote: »

You can get music with high pitched annoying frequencies that only young kids ears can hear, they will barely realise it but just not want to hang around.

As sound will bounce, the OP's kids will probably hear the noise as well.

OP; fence off the area, and put a gate in. They'll shortly find another garden.

Pop up shop

Thanks for all replies

Mrs oBumble, we have tried making friends with them, since we moved in to the estate over 5 years ago. The girls are grand, will say hello but the lads just stand there open jawed if we say hello or try to make slight conversation! We contribute to every school fundraiser that the come knocking on the door for etc etc, we are plentiful with sweets at halloween etc etc, they cant string 2 words together it seems.

I think the long game is the way to go myself, its so hard though when its constant noise...they were especially bad last night / all day yesterday. It was quarter past ten last night when they were rounded up by parents, some are not even 3 years old.

the_syco

Pop up shop wrote: »

since we moved in to the estate over 5 years ago.

Do you get on with any of the other parents? Maybe ask why the kids congregate at your garden? It may be that they're banned from the other gardens, and you'll just have to find out how they implemented this?

Teyla Emmagan

Put up a wall? Bushes by themselves are no use - they will run through them and trample them when they're small. A wall is the way I would go, with a gate (and keep it shut all the time). Even poles with chickenwire and lots of pyracantha for a cheaper option. You have my utmost sympathy anyway, kids screaming outside for hours every night can make your home seem like a war zone instead of a refuge. The problem is when this shower grow up there will be another rash right after them. I would enclose the whole thing so they can't get in.

Are the people in the other half of your semi-d not affected? Or are they the sort of lucky folk who don't get bothered by noise?

conorhal

Open the windows and play some Dvorak's new world symphony or a little Debussy, I assure you that they will flee in terror, classical music is kids what salt is to slugs.

Mrs OBumble

Pop up shop wrote: »

It was quarter past ten last night when they were rounded up by parents, some are not even 3 years old.

I dunno about others here - but if someone else's 3 year old was in my garden at 10pm at night, I'd be calling the guards. There's a serious parenting fail going on there.

Pop up shop

Hi again,

Yes we get on with some of the other parents who sympathise with us over the lawn issue. We dont know all of the parents however. All of the gardens on the estate are different sizes and our is the second largest (lucky us eh...)
There is an extended family attached to us with a lot of babies and kids.....so thats part of the issue too.

We had no visitors this evening thank God as it was raining!

emeldc

Op, I feel your pain, only in my case it's barking dogs. I live in an estate of large 4 and 5 bed detached houses and while its a lovely estate, It's a sh1t hole for barking dogs. I love dogs. My own is asleep at my feet, but then she was walked for about 5 miles today and every day. I'm a broken man.

Sorry for the thread hijack

Pop up shop

Sorry to hear that emeldc ! We have the odd barking dog but really nothing to complain about.

Mrs o'Bumble, i agree on the parenting fail. I think its a case of there is so many of them out there they think ah there is safety in numbers. They stick their heads out intermittantly to see where the kids are but thats about it. I think the kids just go in on their own accord when its too dark to see the football anymore.

Thoie

Sprinklers on the lawn that go off at various times?

Or drop a note in to all the houses on the road saying you're putting down lawn chemicals (pesticide/fertilizer/whatever) next week, and can parents remind their children not to play on your lawn? I'd leave it at that - don't say "until x date" or "for next week". Just ask them to remind their kids.

pwurple

Wall or sprinklers are your options.

I'd go for a wall with a sloping top so it's not good as a seat.

Is there any public green area for these kids?

Mrs OBumble

Pop up shop wrote: »

Mrs o'Bumble, i agree on the parenting fail. I think its a case of there is so many of them out there they think ah there is safety in numbers.

It's not only safety.

If a 3 year old is regularly not asleep at 10pm, that is neglect, and you should be reporting it to the child welfare people.

emeldc

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's not only safety.

If a 3 year old is regularly not asleep at 10pm, that is neglect, and you should be reporting it to the child welfare people.

C'mon now, that's a bit OTT. It's the summer. They've no school. Sure they wont surface until lunchtime the next day.

DoozerT6

I think a fairly tall wall (a bit too tall for them to sit on) with some of those decorative spikes on top, plus a nice gate, might be your only option OP. You can ask them nicely all you want, but realistically the only way they will stop is if there is an un-sittable and unclimb-able physical barrier in their way. Get a few quotes, mention it to your neighbour who shares the lawn area with you as a courtesy (you never know, if they decide to continue the wall around their own patch of lawn you both might be able to strike a deal with the builder!)

The_Morrigan

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's not only safety.

If a 3 year old is regularly not asleep at 10pm, that is neglect, and you should be reporting it to the child welfare people.

Could you please try keep your posts to the remit of the forum? This is A&P, not Parenting.

LynnGrace

I'd go with a physical barrier, whatever you can do, along the lines of the suggestions above.
I wouldn't worry too much about popularity, at this point. By the time your own kids are out and about, the dynamics may well have completely changed, on the street. Don't be one bit afraid to let the odd roar at them, and run them off.

goz83

I do have a similar problem, but not because of Garden size. I have a small raised pond in my front garden and the kids do like to hang around it. I don't mind that at all, but it grates on me when they are dropping stones into it, or headless figurines and broken toy cars! It's very awkward removing these things. I also had to replace an expensive external filter head on two separate occasions due to the neighbours kid jumping over the wall and standing on the filter. The current filter is cracked on the top and won't last long before it springs a leak.

Only yesterday four kids were in the garden. They ranged from 2, to 6. The 2 year old was trying to climb onto the wall of the pond, which was raised just high enough to keep him at bay, but god forbid he managed to fall in if nobody was watching. Luckily, an eye is usually thrown to the garden, but my wife had to bring the 2 year old back to his dad, 100 meters up the road, because the other lads had abandoned him.

Thargor

goz83 wrote: »

I do have a similar problem, but not because of Garden size. I have a small raised pond in my front garden and the kids do like to hang around it. I don't mind that at all, but it grates on me when they are dropping stones into it, or headless figurines and broken toy cars! It's very awkward removing these things. I also had to replace an expensive external filter head on two separate occasions due to the neighbours kid jumping over the wall and standing on the filter. The current filter is cracked on the top and won't last long before it springs a leak.

Only yesterday four kids were in the garden. They ranged from 2, to 6. The 2 year old was trying to climb onto the wall of the pond, which was raised just high enough to keep him at bay, but god forbid he managed to fall in if nobody was watching. Luckily, an eye is usually thrown to the garden, but my wife had to bring the 2 year old back to his dad, 100 meters up the road, because the other lads had abandoned him.

You have more patience than me!

robhall_ie

I have a similar issue with footballs coming over my back wall from a common area. Kids climbing in damaging the wall, plants, garden furniture. They are quite noisy but that doesn't really bother me much (not so for the wife). I really don't begrudge them playing because once upon a time that was me and my friends.

I opened a dialog but it wears off after a week or so. Tried getting angry but it's a different kid each time. There are too many kids (20+) to track down the parents...over a wide variety of ages. Sometimes they do call around and ask for the ball back but it's seldom. Recently they've taken to throwing random items (toys, sausages!) over the wall, one of which hit a friend in the head, luckily no injury occurred.

I got legal advice that says if they trespass and hurt themselves I will be liable (at least partly) in all cases. Both the wall itself and my garden contents are potential items they could injure themselves on. Putting anything on your property to deter them (greasing walls, wire/glass/etc is just plain asking for a civil suit).

I'm lost at what to do...add a few bricks on top of my wall and keep footballs til parents call around. I will also go to my local mgmt agency to see what they recommend. Other suggestions?

I think you should be aware of your legal obligations but be careful not to tell anyone since unscrupulous people may try to exploit you.

No Pants

robhall_ie wrote: »

sausages

You're getting free sausages. What's the problem again?

endacl

I want to say 'land mines'...



Seriously though, kids are a fact of life. A bit of a pain when they're not your own, but a fact of life nonetheless. Your choice is between putting up a barrier of some description, or just accepting the inevitability of it. I don't think talking to parents will do the trick. You'd have to talk to all the parents, and get them all on side. A proportion won't get what your problem is.

DizzyDamsel

"sausages" LOL, what brand?

emeldc

When we were kids we had a neighbour who was very good at giving the ball back ………..... Burst.

Chris_5339762

robhall_ie wrote: »

I got legal advice that says if they trespass and hurt themselves I will be liable (at least partly) in all cases. Both the wall itself and my garden contents are potential items they could injure themselves on. Putting anything on your property to deter them (greasing walls, wire/glass/etc is just plain asking for a civil suit).

I thought this only applied if you showed wilful negligence or deliberately put something in place to injure them? If they came into your garden, tripped over a stone and broke a wrist, I didn't think that was your fault.

In any case, legal advice trumps what I know so I could well be wrong.

Electric Sheep

endacl wrote: »

I want to say 'land mines'...



Seriously though, kids are a fact of life. A bit of a pain when they're not your own, but a fact of life nonetheless. Your choice is between putting up a barrier of some description, or just accepting the inevitability of it. I don't think talking to parents will do the trick. You'd have to talk to all the parents, and get them all on side. A proportion won't get what your problem is.

Other peoples' kids in a garden not their own should not be a fact of life, and parent who allow their kids to behave like that are neglecting to teach their kids basic courtesy.

robhall_ie

Unfortunately even if they trespass into your property you are partly responsible if they get hurt. It seems crazy but it's true. It wouldn't be my 'fault' but it's my responsibility to keep my property safe and legal advisor says these cases are usually shared responsibility. Seems mad that if I collect bear traps, store them in my private back garden and someone trespasses and gets caught in one that it's my fault!! In other countries this is not the case e.g. Belgium.

Ireland is so litigious that I'm more worried about the legal aspects much more than the trouble of a football coming over the wall. Do what you can to keep the kids off your property and then "live" with the remainder.

Flippyfloppy

Sprinkler attachments to hoses are very reasonable in price. No doubt the first few evenings the kids will be in the sprinklers but it won't be long until their parents disallow them from going near your garden.

Aside from that a wall is an obvious option going forward. From a child's point of view, the world is playground. They seriously probably don't even notice they're in anyone's garden/that it bothers anyone.