Mom to Mom

[occasionalrain]

Children should not be allowed to scream, it isn't acceptable nor normal playing. I would tell these neighbors the sreaming has to stop. It doesn't stop, basketball and barking resumes. Consideration goes both ways.

[RoseGraham]

Exactly

[JaneMarple]

I'm very sensitive to noise but I shouldn't be upset with kids playing outside if I decided to have my office in my house. 

It is still my opinion that the OP's daughter should move her office elsewhere, it's a residential neighborhood and not subject to her daughter's job. The kids "screaming" may not be that at all but just a normal range of laughing and playing outside.

[blackhole99]

In the 50's when I was a kid we all played outside in the street  or on the sidewalk. Nobody complained about the noise and most of the women were home all day. If we got too loud someone would come out with a bucket of water and throw it on us or a broom to shoo us away. You would no doubt go to jail for that today.LOL

[x Hedge]

I have neighbors on one side that are incredibly loud, honking car horns next to my bedroom windows, screaming and blasting music for frequent outdoor parties from morning till the wee hours, etc.

I found setting up table & chairs plus another bed in the basement gave me an unexpected degree of quiet. I was amazed how moving to below ground level dampened unwanted outside noise, without any additional soundproofing steps.

You might mention your dd now works from home, and you would appreciate it if the kids could play their quiet games between the houses, but play their noisier games in the front or back yards.  That's about it. 

I was raised to be very quiet when between the houses, but these days I don't think anyone teaches their kids how sound travels through the soffitt or eaves on a house.

[CalminHeart]

I grew up with almost 50 kids in a 7 house range.  Our back yard was always a playground.  The kid noise never ended.  My parents loved it.  They knew where we were and what we were doing.  I promised myself that my back yard would be the same... and it was.  I'd much rather hear noisy (and even screaming) kids than worry about what they were doing elsewhere.   

I don't know what people expect from kids.  They aren't little adults.  They are children.  Given the current societal environment, let them be kids as long as they can.  The grown up world is pretty narrow minded, selfish, intolerant.  

[ccassaday]

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@CalminHeart wrote:

I grew up with almost 50 kids in a 7 house range.  Our back yard was always a playground.  The kid noise never ended.  My parents loved it.  They knew where we were and what we were doing.  I promised myself that my back yard would be the same... and it was.  I'd much rather hear noisy (and even screaming) kids than worry about what they were doing elsewhere.   

I don't know what people expect from kids.  They aren't little adults.  They are children.  Given the current societal environment, let them be kids as long as they can.  The grown up world is pretty narrow minded, selfish, intolerant.  

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This. Our neighbors have four kids. Last night you could still hear them playing in the back yard at 930 in the evening. They are always outside. It's very refreshing to see. Their parents aren't helicopter parents either keeping them in a bubble either. Let kids be kids.

[Plaid Pants2]

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@CalminHeart wrote:

I grew up with almost 50 kids in a 7 house range.  Our back yard was always a playground.  The kid noise never ended.  My parents loved it.  They knew where we were and what we were doing.  I promised myself that my back yard would be the same... and it was.  I'd much rather hear noisy (and even screaming) kids than worry about what they were doing elsewhere.   

I don't know what people expect from kids.  They aren't little adults.  They are children.  Given the current societal environment, let them be kids as long as they can.  The grown up world is pretty narrow minded, selfish, intolerant.  

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@CalminHeart

I totally agree with you.

It's like people today expect kids to be seen, and not heard, and sometimes, not even seen.

It's sad, really.

Let kids be kids.

[garmer]

I live in a young neighborhood. To me, those are happy sounds. Kids laughing, yelling, even squealing with delight. The dogs playing and barking at the kids and each other...happy barks, not the nonstop bored dog kind.

Kids on my porch, calling for me to come out and 'look what I can do'! "Can I help you water your flowers?"

Bikes laying on the sidewalks...

Adults outside, working and chatting with each other.

Football games on the road.

Aww, the sounds of summer...

Do they misbehave, of course they do, they're kids.

I'll talk to them myself, no need to go to the parents. There is a way to talk to them and get results. No yelling or threats involved.

A good way to start the conversation: "Hey Jimmy c'mere a minute, wanna do me a favor?" I usually get what I want. Always say thank you and compliment good behaviour. Deep down, most kids are eager to please.

"Hey you guys, lets get these bikes off the sidewalk so Mr.Smith doesn't trip and fall if he goes for a walk."

"Girls, girls, girls-you gotta quit screaming like that. Somebody's gonna think you're hurt bad and we'll have the ambulance and police here for nothing. You don't want that." (they don't know they don't want that, until I tell them they don't want that, lol)

If you get out and get involved in your neighborhood, you can accomplish a lot. Watermelon and popsicles help- secret weapon, ha ha. You catch more bees with honey...

It beats sitting inside getting aggravated.

And then winter arrives.   The silence is deafening. I'll take the loud crazy neighborhood anytime.

If it's not for you, if you just don't have the tolerance, there are places for you. Developments for older folks, no kids, no pets, no neon green curtains...all kinds of places to live.

For OP:

One more thing- they have property zoned as commercial! No happy noise there.

In short, I don't think you have standing to expect a residential area to be quiet for the sake of a commercial endeavor. Your daughter is the one who has to adapt. She's doing business in a residential zone.

Egg cartons stapled to the walls are very effective for noise reduction.

[Reever]

There's nothing worse than screaming loud kids running around with no supervision. Have you considered moving into a 55 and over community? Much greater opportunity for peace and quiet without those kids screaming.