Am I being a bad neighbor

[Angie]

Exactly! Its definately better than being a video game zombie... My guess is they are just trying to get the most of the last few days before school. Plus, what 13 year old wants to hang out with their parents?

I don't think a ton of 13 year olds want to hang out with their parents, but I also can't see why they couldn't go to the park or something (depending on the neighborhood). I think it's important that the kids get to be outside, absolutely - I just think the parents could have driven or walked with the kids to a place where they wouldn't bother anyone, or (if the kids were old enough and in a safe neighborhood) they could have ridden their bikes there on their own. Kids this old should be able to be outside on their own, but these two obviously couldn't handle it - they should have some adult intervention when getting rowdy, at least.

 

[isufbcurt]

We ran thru peoples yards playing Army, we rode our bikes around the block racing them against each other, and even played baseball games through numerous peoples yards. I can't think of a single time when I went to the park to play. We even played hide and seek well past 9 when it was dark. I just don't think its a big deal.

I have some kids in my neighborhood (now be it they are high school kids) and they hang out on their front porch and run up and down the street to well past 2 AM. I hear them and I have to get up for work in the morning but I don't worry about it cause they are kids and I know I was the same way so I ain't going to complain and be a hypocrit.

I am also always amussed by people who get upset with kids running across their lawns, 1. they are kids let them play and have fun and 2. it's a lawn for crying out loud. Sorry this last part carries with me from my child hood when I would get yelled at for "cutting a corner" of someones lawn on my bike.

 

[dosry5]

We ran thru peoples yards playing Army, we rode our bikes around the block racing them against each other, and even played baseball games through numerous peoples yards. I can't think of a single time when I went to the park to play. We even played hide and seek well past 9 when it was dark. I just don't think its a big deal.

I have some kids in my neighborhood (now be it they are high school kids) and they hang out on their front porch and run up and down the street to well past 2 AM. I hear them and I have to get up for work in the morning but I don't worry about it cause they are kids and I know I was the same way so I ain't going to complain and be a hypocrit.
.

That's right! I used to drink and drive when I was a kid in high school. No way am I going to say something to my kid about it--don't wanna be a hypocrite....

 

[Clonegrad07]

Bad parenting... nothing wrong with the kids except their deadbeat parents.

 

[BryceC]

I definitely respect the kids that play in my neighborhood, as there are a ton of them and they play in the cul-de-sac in front of my house. They ride their bikes up into my driveway a lot to build up speed going down into the street.

I have no problem with kids playing outside. Like others have said it's great to see them enjoying the outdoors and socializing. I also agree that kids aged 13 and 10 should be able to play outside by themselves. I was in 7th grade when I was 13.

However the parents are often watching these kids and letting them know when they are getting out of line. I'll let kids do whatever in my yard up to a certain point. I respect that they are young and I love that they play. However I also get up early and if it's a once in a while thing it's no big deal but if it goes on a lot it should probably be addressed.

Nobody wants kids to not have a good time. But kids have to respect the adults in the neighborhood that have to get up and go to work too.

 

[cybsball20]

Bad parenting... nothing wrong with the kids except their deadbeat parents.

yup, god forbid letting kids be kids. Don't these parents know well enough to send them to their room with their x box and a bag of chips?

 

[egami]

yup, god forbid letting kids be kids. Don't these parents know well enough to send them to their room with their x box and a bag of chips?

Maybe I am a bad parent because I don't let my kids be obnoxiously loud past 9:00 outside or play in the street.

 

[cybsball20]

Maybe I am a bad parent because I don't let my kids be obnoxiously loud past 9:00 outside or play in the street.

Its barely even dark at 9, school starts soon... People'a definiton of 'obnoxiously loud' can vary quite a bit. I'm sure if the kids or the parents knew someone was trying to sleep it would have been different.

 

[egami]

This itself isn't a big deal but they are constantly screaming. I have to be up at 5am during the week so I'm usually in bed around 9pm. Last night from 9-9:30 all I heard was these kids running around my house screaming.

I think most civil people would generally consider this 'obnoxiously loud'.

 

[dosry5]

Its barely even dark at 9, school starts soon... People'a definiton of 'obnoxiously loud' can vary quite a bit. I'm sure if the kids or the parents knew someone was trying to sleep it would have been different.

Maybe, maybe not. Like I said earlier, it didn't work for me. I asked politely and was told 9:00 is too early for him not to be working outside.

But make noise at 5 am when they want it to be quiet........wow, different story.

 

[Clonegrad07]

yup, god forbid letting kids be kids. Don't these parents know well enough to send them to their room with their x box and a bag of chips?

That's not at all what I said. You're a bad parent if you don't supervise your kid from time to time and teach them respect other people. I played outside CONSTANTLY when I was kid, but I didn't run around people's houses after it got dark, screaming like an idiot. I am all for kids playing outside and letting them live up their summers, but I have some of the same problems in my neighborhood.(although they're not screaming, just riding four wheelers up and down the street all night... damn Indiana folk)

I am all for letting your kids be kids and encourage them to be outside. I also think you as a parent should monitor your kids actions from time to time and also teach them what is and is not acceptable in terms of respecting others' privacy.

 

[bugs4cy]

Similar situation, different town.

When they kids were younger, we had a cyclone cover on our mailbox, but since kids next door are hawk fans (no comment) they beat on it with snowballs, etc., until it fell to pieces. Also thought that knocking over the cyclone rain gauge out in the flower garden (um, OUR flower garden) on a daily basis was great fun.

Now, can hear the neighbors scream at each other, when we're in our house with the A/C on. This summer's topic: teenage daughter's pregnancy.

My suggestion, try to explain very nicely to the neighbor your schedule. Of course, the parents may immediately go on the defensive, but trying is better than not trying.

Of course, I'm advising you to talk to the parents when we haven't done that here. I'm pretty sure that he'll just scream at the kids, and then the little hoodlums will just target us for more crap. I'm really not up for replacing windows that have rocks thrown through them. I just want them to turn 18 and get send to the pokey so that they're out of our neighborhood.

 

[isufbcurt]

That's not at all what I said. You're a bad parent if you don't supervise your kid from time to time and teach them respect other people. I played outside CONSTANTLY when I was kid, but I didn't run around people's houses after it got dark, screaming like an idiot. I am all for kids playing outside and letting them live up their summers, but I have some of the same problems in my neighborhood.(although they're not screaming, just riding four wheelers up and down the street all night... damn Indiana folk)

I am all for letting your kids be kids and encourage them to be outside. I also think you as a parent should monitor your kids actions from time to time and also teach them what is and is not acceptable in terms of respecting others' privacy.

So you never played Hide and Seek, Bloody Murder, Capture the Flag, etc after dark as a kid? Man you missed out.

 

[Aclone]

Here's a suggestion for an alternate solution. I sleep with a fan on, which creates white noise and smothers almost all other distracting sounds. Except, of course, for the jerks whose car stereo bass vibrates through the entire house at 3am....

 

[Ames]

A fence is about all you can do. Anything else and they will be back at some point to vandalize.

 

[CYdTracked]

I must be getting old because a few years ago I watched some kids playing in the street during a downpour and my roommate goes "where in the heck are those kids parents?" and I agreed. The other year there were some middle school aged kids messing around with their skateboards in the street around midnight and I yelled out the window at them and they took off. I'm going to be the grumpy old man in the neighborhood when I get old... LOL

 

[dmclone]

I had the TV on low, I had the ceiling fan on, I had the air on, windows closed, and our bedroom is on the 2nd floor. So yes they were loud.

 

[Aclone]

So you never played Hide and Seek, Bloody Murder, Capture the Flag, etc after dark as a kid? Man you missed out.

I dunno about Bloody Murder, but I'm pretty sure that the other two involve a great deal of not screaming...

 

[CloneBack]

Contech Electronics CRO101 Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler


case closed, next topic.

 

[dosry5]

So you never played Hide and Seek, Bloody Murder, Capture the Flag, etc after dark as a kid? Man you missed out.

I preferred 7 minutes in heaven. Nice quite inside game.