A request to parents

[Lilith Cherry]

The sound of happy children playing noisy outdoor games should not be offensive to anyoneSorry you had a bad day Marigold but please try to see the other point of view ( as in Sirrahsim's post) as well as your own. Relax and let the sounds be a part of life or go for walk somewhere quiet instead maybe?

[kittycats_delight]

I know the frustration of too much noise. We live in a country area. Behind out house are corn fields. Our street has at most 20 house but in those 20 houses there are about 40 kids. The really unfortunate thing is that for the most part kids here are completely unruly. They have no discipline at all. The parents only speak up (outside the home) when the kids are bothering them. IE: when they are talking to another parent or friend and the kid keeps bugging. And then if the second parent is there you always hear from the one not being terrorized. 'Leave him/her alone.' Otherwise it is a free for all. It is really something to be seen. The fact that one parent is continually telling the other to leave the kid alone and let them do what they want gives the kid free reign to play one against the other and then you have anarchy. Thankfully our street is fairly tame in comparison to many.

There is one thing that drives me completely insane and that is the barking dogs. My dog barks at strangers and she hates when other dogs are too close to her territory but she responds when told to stop or called. But I have mentioned this before the people that live upstairs (we live in a duplex) have 2 collies and they are incessant barkers. But with all honesty I don't blame the dogs. I blame the owners. There are several 'barkaholics' in the neighborhood. And for the most part they are little dogs who are allowed to run loose. They make their rounds to the gate of the dogs who are closed in their own gardens and start a barking war. This I despise. I have witnessed the owners of these dogs stop and watch the dogs and wait for someone to say something. I had a massive migraine a few days ago. The owners of 2 of these dogs were out talking to the neighbor and these little rats (chihuahua) came to my gate and started the war games with Artica and the 2 dogs upstairs. I called Artica and put her in down/stay. The 2 little ones kept it up anyway...I went to the gate and sent them away or tried to at least. The stronzo owner (husband) actually started yelling at me for yelling at his unrestrained dogs that were causing all the problems. How can you fight these things. The owners are people of influence (government) and make life difficult for anyone who gives them grief.

Anyway...I kinda went off there...the issue is not the kids or the dogs etc. The issue is the parents for the most part especially if they are small kids. Kids get over excited and use voices that are more than outdoor but lost in the jungle voices. LOL If the kids are let do what they want and not checked then that is how it will be.

Another quick example. We were out to dinner the other night. A family with 3 kids came in. 2 girls about 6 & 9 and a little boy about 2. The oldest girl was quiet as a mouse as was the little boy. You would never even know they were there. The middle girl was like an auctioneer. She never shut up for 1 second and she was super loud. The parents never once spoke to her to be quiet. The restaurant was large (could hold about 500 people) and the wait staff kept getting complaints from out diners. They (different waiters/waitresses) went several times to ask the parent to please have the little girl quiet down some as she was disturbing other guests. (We could hear the entire conversation as we were just 2 tables away) The parents would said 'certamente' (certainly) and then say nothing. Finally the owner went to the table to ask them to keep her a little more quiet or maybe take a table outside where she could make all the noise she wanted and the father went off on him. It was unreal. Some people have no respect for others and it is their way or no way. Sad...very sad really that 1 family should be allowed to ruin the meals and time of so many.

[Medusa]

That's a toughie b/c kids are overflowing w/energy, especially now that school is out. My neighbor has two little girls and I call them Air Raid Siren One and Two. (to myself, that is) I swear, all they do is scream but it's as though they can't help themselves. They just HAVE to let it out. LOL Frankly, when I hear and watch them, I'm a little envious. What I wouldn't give to have that kind of energy and enthusiasm again. My neighbor to my right has two barking dogs that bark at air all day long. I've managed to tune it out. They're good neighbors, both of them, and they work long hours, too, and the last thing I want to do is complain to them when they come home dog tired. However, if kids or dogs trample through my flowers and are destructive, then that's another issue and I will definitely speak up but the kids stay on their property and the dogs are fenced in. Such is life in a neighborhood. In an odd way it reminds me of my own childhood. I think you just had a case of jangled nerves that day, Monica. Given all the things you experienced in one day, it's no wonder. Perhaps try ear plugs. I wear them on occasion and they block out the irritating sounds but I can still hear the birds chirping. Good luck.