Noisy kids/noisy neighbors

[Kirsten]

The family in the house next to the one where I live has two girls, 11 and 7 years old. Doesn't sound too bad, but I never met kids before in my life that can make so much noise!! Especially the summer time is bad when I have to keep the windows tilted (we don't have a/c here). They scream, they yell, they squeal, and they're scolding their poor little dog all the time, and yell at him. The younger one has an extreme high-pitched voice that makes your blood freeze, and the older one always talks in a very commanding tone. Unfortunately, they're playing in their garden all day.

For me, stressed as I usually am, it's hard to find any peace here at home. This Sunday afternoon for instance I eventually gave up reading my book because it was simply impossible to pay any attention to the story. It's so frustrating!! I know that they're kids and that some kids are like that; I also know that you don't have the right to complain about loud kids - and I won't. But what about me? I'm working 40 hours a week or more, I'm suffering from several chronical illnesses and need the spare time I have for myself to relax and recover! Don't I have the right to find some peace in my very home? I cannot deny that sometimes I'm getting utterly upset with this!

Kirsten

[pomtzu]

That's a touchy subject for sure.

Do you know or speak with the parents at all? Perhaps you could bring it to their attention - perhaps they don't know it's an annoyance to you since you don't have any kids of your own. Explain your situation and the need for some peace and quiet. Not saying they should keep the kids inside, but maybe they could tone it down a bit??? Hopefully the parents would be sympathetic to your issue about the noise.

Yes - kids will be noisy, but they should be taught to respect others too. The world doesn't revolve around just them!

[sasvermont]

Or maybe you could put headphones on, and listen to music..... or play your music so loudly that they can hear it! (Not a good idea!) Gosh. I know what you mean. There is a fine line between tolerating noise and being extremely irritated by it, to the point of distraction!

Sending them to the movies sounds like the best bet!

Maybe you will have to resort to going to a private park.

Ugh!

[aTailOf2Kitties]

you need a yappy dog to level the playing field

[Kirsten]

There is a fine line between tolerating noise and being extremely irritated by it, to the point of distraction!

Exactly! Education these days often tolerates reckless behavior, you can see that everywhere. I'm not sure if it would help to talk to the parents. They're not very talkative when I see them in the street, are more of the phlegmatic kind. However, they're not like that when it comes to their dog! That poor creature is not allowed to walk a single step without being told off, that's another thing that's bugging me a lot.

I find some comfort in the thought that winter's approaching, they should be more indoors then. At least it has been like that during the past years. They're living there for maybe 5 years now, and every summer, it's been the same. Today's one of the days where it has gotten me to the point of feeling somewhat aggressive because I badly wanted some peace and quiet to read my book. Before they moved in, there was another family with kids. Of course you could also hear them playing when they were in the garden, but it's never been this bad!

Oh, and btw, there's a young man living in a small flat in their house, and I'm sometimes talking his mother. From her I know that he is also upset with their noise. But he's moving out now 'cause he found a job in another town.

Kirsten

[ChrisH]

Kristen, I can empathise. Where I used to live I was surrounded by noise of a similar kind. I used to dread the summer holidays. Luckily where I live now although there are a couple of families with children living close by and they can be loud and noisy at times it is of different kind, not that screechy yelling over the top stuff. In fact I often find myself smiling hearing them laughting and playing.

[Kirsten]

In fact I often find myself smiling hearing them laughting and playing.

There's nothing wrong with "normal" kids play and laughing... it can even be heartwarming. However, the sounds my neighbor kids make just hurt my ears!

Kirsten

[cassiesmom]

I can relate because my arrangement is similar to KAK's.

Do you have a property manager, a landlord, or someone else who could talk to them, instead of you being the one to talk to them?

[Kirsten]

Thanks for the advice everyone - and for your support and sympathy! Well, I guess for the time being, I won't say anything because it will soon be winter, which means I can close the windows when they are too annoying.

Talking to the landlords won't be easy, because the landlords of the neighbor house are the children of my own landlords. And they are befriended with the sister of the mother of these girls. And she - their aunt - is a former co-worker of mine, and she's living in the same house where I live, one floor down. So, as you can see, entire neighborhood is something like a huge clique, and I have to be careful to not step on any toes... That's why I haven't said something so far. It's difficult.

It was the screaming banshee she became during the "special moments" with her husband.

LOL, the same happened here a couple of weeks ago. It was a hot summer night and obviously a couple some houses down the street forgot to close the window. I thought someone was slaughtered, and it sounded like a dog was involved, too. The next day, I asked my neighbor if he had also heard these strange sounds, and said that it was just a couple having "fun". LOL Still wondering about the dog though...

We moved out to an acreage outside of Calgary to get away from all the city crap.

That sounds wonderful!! I would love to live somewhere where I have some peace!!



Kirsten

[DJFyrewolf36]

I lived in an apartment building in the ground floor and for the last 5-6 months I lived there a newly wed couple had the unit above.

I could not look at the gal when I saw her in the garage because I would start to laugh.

Was it her workout with aerobics? Nope.
Was it her early morning prep to go to work? Nope.
Was it her walking about the apartment during the day?

NOPE!


It was the screaming banshee she became during the "special moments" with her husband. There was another apartment building next door and that building made noise echo back and forth.

It was interesting and I thought it was nice that she was a religious person during that time.


She was always calling out to "god". I never knew prayer could be so intense?

LOL when I first moved to Eugene I lived underneath a guy who was very good with the laides. Since our bedroom was directly under his we got a very good idea of exactly how good he was! He never got offended when we told him to try to tone it down later in the evenings but his lady friends always seemed to be annoyed lol.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Oh, I'm sorry Kristen! I sometimes know how you feel!
When I was a kid, my parents would constantly remind me and my sister or any friends we had over that "We have neighbors!!"

[Cataholic]

I can't stand noisy anyone! Kids, adults, dogs, music, whatever. I have a general noise intolerance. I will never forget the live band practices in the house next door before and after J was born. M-W-F, from 4-7 or even 8 sometimes. I was so stressed by it all. I couldn't sit in my house with my windows opened. Horrible, horrible situation. I remember calling the police (after talking to the neighbors at length about it). I remember the 'boy' justifying his position of practicing there, rather than elsewhere, "my parents are the only ones that allow it". Ya think?

He has grown up (mildly) and out, lives in CA most of the time, with a wife and kids here, and I never hear practices anymore.