Let Kids Be Loud

Kids’ Noise vs Other Noise

• Many commenters prefer the sound of kids playing over lawnmowers, leaf blowers, generators, and modified exhausts; engine noise is described as continuous, harsh, and more intrusive.
• Some distinguish short, task-based tool noise (e.g., carpentry) from landscaping equipment that drones for 30–40 minutes or all day.
• Several argue that society should prioritize “sounds of life” (kids, sports, schoolyards) over commercial or mechanical noise.

Social Tact and Trades

• There’s debate over whether telling a carpenter that gas-powered tools are the “real annoying sounds” was a justified rejoinder or an insult to his profession.
• One side sees this as poor small-talk etiquette and punching down at tradespeople; the other says the carpenter framed kids as a nuisance and invited a pointed reply.

Ice Cream Trucks and Noise Regulation

• Strong divide: some see ice cream trucks and their music as beloved local culture, unfairly restricted after a single complaint and weak civic engagement.
• Others find the jingles, especially repetitive or “Hello?”-laden ones, extremely aggravating and manipulative toward children, sparking daily parent–child conflicts.
• Suggested compromises: volume caps, time windows (e.g., no late-evening chimes), only playing while moving, or using bells instead of music.
• Broader frustration that minor complaints can quickly become ordinances, while other loud nuisances (e.g., “crotch rockets”) face little enforcement.

Parenting, Boundaries, and Context

• Wide agreement that loud outdoor play in yards, parks, and schoolyards is normal and healthy.
• Many distinguish that from kids running wild or screaming in restaurants, theaters, hotels, and supermarkets; blame often falls on parents who don’t set boundaries.
• Others caution that parenting advice is sensitive, and that dealing with meltdowns—especially on planes or with special needs kids—can be genuinely unfixable in the moment.

Cultural, Generational, and Sensory Factors

• Some say anti-kid sentiment is overblown and largely anecdotal; others see a genuine cultural shift toward selfishness and complaint.
• Regional differences noted: Spain and parts of southern Europe are portrayed as naturally tolerant of noisy kids in adult spaces; Dutch kids are stereotyped as especially loud.
• Responses to kid noise vary: some find it calming or joyful, others have misophonia or “alarm fatigue” and are genuinely distressed.
• Coping strategies like earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones are common, with some joking they’ve opted out of hearing almost anything.