“Give moms and dads a break and let kids play in their yard” – Vikki White

Vikki White argues children should still be allowed to play in the garden before 10.30am on a Saturday after a parent posted on Mumsnet about being concerned about being a noisy neighbour

A mother who allows her child to play in the garden at 8:30 am makes her a “neighbor from hell”.

Parents discussed this on the popular website Mumsnet.

“The tiny terrorist is on one this morning and I said to my partner it’s fine, we can take him to the garden in about 20 minutes to burn off the excess energy,” she explained.

“He looked at me like I had two heads and told me anything before 10 or 10:30 on a weekend was unacceptable and would make us neighbors…am I accidentally the neighbor from hell?”

Many on the busy internet forum sided with her partner, with one admitting, “If you were my neighbor I would put pins in a little doll of yours.”

But another advised, “Once he’s had breakfast, let him go” — and I totally agree. For mothers of young children, 8:30 am is lunchtime.

I have an early riser friend who was walking her two toddlers in the park at the time and was back. Another pal’s three-year-old wakes up at 6am and asks “NOW Mummy” to go outside.

My own child woke up at 5 a.m. every morning for a long, long year. By 8:30 we had breakfast, went back to bed for another nap, had a game in the garden and made our way to the cafe.

As a former night owl, I struggled with those early starts, which might explain why I’m convinced that any outdoor play after 8am is perfectly fine.

When I think back to my days when I enjoyed sleeping in on a Saturday or Sunday, I could sleep through it all.

And also, in my suburb, the sound of a lawn mower, a drill, a dog barking, or a boy getting excited after 8 am is common on weekends in my suburb. Our Street What’s App group has no complaints and usually doesn’t hold back.

Playing outdoors helps children develop physical fitness, agility and endurance, not to mention agility, coordination and strength. It’s a much-needed antidote to watching Peppa Pig and eating rice cakes by the dozen.

A good neighbor is also important. Balls shouldn’t be thrown over the fence every five minutes, shouting or yelling should be strictly discouraged, and trampolines should be banned nationwide (the latter I’m just kidding).

But please, give mums and dads a break and let the kids play.

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