What do you think? noise shabbos backyard neighborhood kids?

amother

Slategray

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:09 am

We have a neighbor that recently added a backyard playground set. A lot of neighborhood kids some with their parents, come to play there shabbos afternoon for about 3 hours and make a lot of noise, screaming, playing. We would like to nap shabbos afternoon, but it's too noisy. What do you think of this situation? Edited to add a poll.

amother

Red

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:31 am

Unless they're making significantly more noise than is reasonably expected from kids playing outside, you will need to learn how to deal. If you're in the northern hemisphere, this time of year means generally nice weather + Shabbos ending pretty late. What do you expect children to do all those hours? Especially as it's Shabbos and are already quite limited in what toys and activities they can do.

heidi

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:32 am

amother wrote:

Purchase earplugs, or move to a retirement community.

Or run a white noise machine.

This.
I believe people can do what they want in their backyard.

amother

Hotpink

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:32 am

Legally there is anything you can do.
Are the parents menchen? If they’re considerate people you can mention this to them and ask if there’s an hour when the back is off limits or noise is limited so you can have your quite too.

I live in a building and we’ve had neighbors on specific floors request that there’s an hour of quite on Shabbos afternoon for their floor. These couples are older. They had a meeting and agreed to an hour that the kids either play inside the apartment or play board games quietly in the hallway. Legally they didn’t have to but it was considerate for the older couple.

amother

Green

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:38 am

amother wrote:

We tried plugging our ears but it didn't help. How can you put a noise machine on shabbos? Can anyone recommend one?

iPhone plus speakers plus white noise app. You run it all of Shabbat.

amother

Slategray

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:40 am

amother wrote:

iPhone plus speakers plus white noise app. You run it all of Shabbat.

we don't have an iphone and I don't want to run it the whole shabbos. Is there a way to put a machine on a timer?

amother

Fuchsia

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:41 am

If you live in an area with an “unspoken rule” that shabbos afternoon backyards are quiet, it can be really upsetting.

In my neighborhood it’s like that. But there’s always that one selfish inconsiderate neighbor.

I don’t think there’s mucb to do.

Notsobusy

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:42 am

silly wrote:

I used to live in a building with a backyard and the neighbors made a rule for shabos that u can only play from 5 in the afternoon and on

Five is late. Most people in my neighborhood are finished the seuda by one. That's a long time to keep kids cooped up inside when the weather is nice.

Notsobusy

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:45 am

amother wrote:

You don't know what's going on in her house with her kids stuck inside for hours. It's pretty selfish to expect someone else to accommodate your nap schedule. Why do some neighbors think they're entitled to a quiet Shabbos afternoon, but they don't think the other neighbor is entitled to do what she needs to do to survive the day?

amother

Green

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:49 am

amother wrote:

we don't have an iphone and I don't want to run it the whole shabbos. Is there a way to put a machine on a timer?

https://www.amazon.com/HoMedic.....JBMRE

That one would work on a standard plug timer.

sim

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:49 am

amother wrote:

we don't have an iphone and I don't want to run it the whole shabbos. Is there a way to put a machine on a timer?

I have this white noise machine:
https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-.....chine
I put it on a timer for shabbos. Sometimes I just leave it on the whole shabbos; it doesn't pull too much power.

amother

cornflower

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 11:56 am

I live in a townhouse development with a lot of communally used space. There is no way I could expect quiet on a Shabbos afternoon. I can't even stop the kids from playing loudly on my property. And the endless, endless noise from basketball playing all week long ... don't get me started.

But I know there is nothing I can do about it so I try to make peace with it. In the beginning of the Spring it bothers me but after a few weeks I just get used to it and tune it out

amother

Linen

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 12:02 pm

Notsobusy wrote:

I don't think she would have this issue if it would only be her neighbor's kids running around outside in the backyard. The OP specifically mentioned that the backyard has suddenly become the place where other neighbors congregate with their kids. If this is a residential area, then turning a home into a park-like atmosphere on a weekly basis on Shabbos afternoon is unfair to neighbors. Perhaps they can agree to compromise and accommodate both. They can set a time for when other neighbors can come to play, this way there will be time for both naptime and playtime.

flowerpower

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 12:49 pm

If you live on a jewish block where it's expected for people to nap during the day on shabbos then I would consider it mentchlichkeit to keep the kids quiet or even indoors until a certain time.
We have a rule on our block that kids can't play outside until 4:00 pm. It's a reasonable timing. Everyone is happy about it and cooperates.

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 12:54 pm

I have the same issue. Theres absolutely nothing you can do about it but move to a private property. My kids play outside as well, it's hard to keep them inside cooped up.

tweety1

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:06 pm

Ladies, keeping the kids inside till 4 or 5 is very doable. I do it every week. I never ever let my kids outside before 430 because other ppl wanna nap. I consider that selfish on the opposite end. Because I can't entertain my kids and keep them busy other ppl can't nap?! My kids are very close in age, live in a tiny Apt, once a week, for a few hours Im allowed to teach them to be considerate of others

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:08 pm

I'm sorry, but the street is a public area & kids can play outside whenever they wish. Especially in their own backyard, they can surely do as they please & ivite over as many people as they'd like. All kids on our street are out all shabbos afternoon. No one ever had a problem with it.
We also have non Jews on our block, we can't exactly ask them not to play outside because we want quiet.