A request to parents

[momcat]

Marigold, I understand exactly what you're saying and I couldn't agree more. There are kids next door to us that scream and or cry constantly. We're on the first floor of a rowhouse and our upstairs neighbors moved a few months ago. These brats keep running up the stairs yelling and screaming the whole time. The parents play the radio so loud at night you'd swear it was in our place. The police have been called several times, things change for a day or two then the noise level goes off the chart again. Ours always was a quiet neighborhood, the other kids on the street play outside and have a great time without excessive screaming. They don't have to shatter everyone's eardrums to have fun or let off steam.

[mruffruff]

I agree completely with Catlady711.

I too was taught not to scream unless it was for a darned good reason. The kids today haven't been taught that there is a difference between yelling and screaming.

My neighborhood has a few screamers. One day I approached them while they were playing. I told them the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. I explained that I was worried they were being hurt when they screamed, but I understand yelling and playing 'cause I was young once.

That seemed to work. They now have kids of their own who visit. They play outside and get loud, but no screaming.

Unfortunately, too many people forget that their right to make noise bumps into others right to quiet.

[carole]

well said.

[Catlady711]

I refuse to feel guilty about allowing my daughter to be loud in the great outdoors. I don't believe in the mentality that children should be seen and not heard. I believe in training children to be loud when and where its appropriate, and likewise to be quiet where its appropriate. Children are not much different than some pets in they have lots of energy that needs to get burned off or they go stir-crazy. The great outdoors is exactly where that energy should be burned off!!!! Fresh air, under the great blue sky, in the green grass. If you take that away from children, then what is left???? And for the record, my daughter does not go outside before 9 am, and is inside after 7 pm.

I've never believed in 'seen but not heard'. Yes the 'great outdoors' is fine for making loud noises, but not near close neighbors whether that's in your own backyard, or a campground, or public place with people's homes nearby. And certainly screaming one's head off is never appropriate unless you are injured or in trouble.

You are a rarity since your daughter goes in after 7. In my neighborhood children are out screaming until at least midnight some nights in the summertime, and many times unsupervised at that.

There is a BIG difference between happy-shouting and hurt-screaming....a BIG one. There is no mistaking one from another.

Not in my neighborhood!!! I long ago gave up checking on the neighbor kids for trouble when I realized they were ALWAYS screaming as if in pain, when they were only playing. Heck at this point the entire neighborhood is so accousomed to their screams I'm sure they could be murdered right in the street or kidnapped and not one person around here would check outside to see what was going on since there would be no difference in the sound.

Face it, its part of living in society that we get along with other people, and they get along with us. We have a neighbor who goes to work at 4 am, when they tie their big German Shepherd out....said dog barks from 4 am until sunup every single day.
We have neighbors on our left who 3-4 times a summer throw loud parties, all night long on the river. This includes loud(!) music and fireworks at 11 pm, 2 am, 3 am etc. These neighbors also are in the habit of 1-2 times per month filling our house up with smoke when they decide to burn some super stinky trash.

And I have, and do, call the police on every one of those. Getting along with people doesn't mean having to be tortured by unnecessary noise in your own home for the sake of you being able to be as noisy as you want in return.

One reason that I love Jesus so much.....He wasn't ever annoyed with children, He welcomed them with open arms and said, "Let the little children come to me", even though they were dirty, loud, and in the way.

And also in the bible:
Psalms 131:2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother

Isaiah 32:17-18 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

1Tim. 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

I beg to differ on that one, you never heard my neighbor child when she was younger. She never was kidnapped or threatened, thankfully, but you would not have known it from her screams! I don't know how many times I went out to check, to see her playing, not in trouble.

Gosh Karen, I feel for you!! I think your neighbors must be related to mine!!

[pomtzu]

I don't know about anyone else, but I would much rather have the annoyance of the kids squealing and screeching, than listen to the teenager next door who has his car loaded with stereo speakers, and he sits in his driveway for an hour or more at a time, with the volume turned up so loud, that it vibrates the windows and thuds thru the walls of my house. There is no closing the widows to get rid of that damn doom-boom-boom, and the sound carries great distances!
And I'm not talking about his house so close that I can reach out my window and touch his - his driveway is a good 400' from mine. Listen to that for a while and then see if the kids are still all that annoying!
And sorry - there are no noise ordinances in the rural areas.

[Bonny]

Pomtzu, That would call for an early (5:30) in the morning round of Whoopi John Polka music full blast when that kid is trying to sleep from a night out on the town.

[Taz_Zoee]

I don't know about anyone else, but I would much rather have the annoyance of the kids squealing and screeching, than listen to the teenager next door who has his car loaded with stereo speakers, and he sits in his driveway for an hour or more at a time, with the volume turned up so loud, that it vibrates the windows and thuds thru the walls of my house. There is no closing the widows to get rid of that damn doom-boom-boom, and the sound carries great distances!
And I'm not talking about his house so close that I can reach out my window and touch his - his driveway is a good 400' from mine. Listen to that for a while and then see if the kids are still all that annoying!
And sorry - there are no noise ordinances in the rural areas.

We live right next to a park that has a public pool and tennis/raquet ball courts. A parking lot between the tennis and raquet ball courts is right over our fence. We often get the thumping cars and it is sooo darn annoying! Now we don't have screaming children so I have nothing to compare it to. But I did work with children in day care for 12 years so I'm not a stranger to how noisy that can be. But I agree, screaming children anyday over the bass of a stereo.

[Karen]

his driveway is a good 400' from mine. Listen to that for a while and then see if the kids are still all that annoying!
And sorry - there are no noise ordinances in the rural areas.

Well, at least you know that he will pay - if he's not already suffering hearing loss, he will be before long! Sad, and preventable damage, and the effects are cumulative - they lose hearing, so turn it up louder, so lose hearing so ... Maybe mail some generic booklet on preventable hearing loss to his house, anonymously!

[pomtzu]

Well, at least you know that he will pay - if he's not already suffering hearing loss, he will be before long! Sad, and preventable damage, and the effects are cumulative - they lose hearing, so turn it up louder, so lose hearing so ... Maybe mail some generic booklet on preventable hearing loss to his house, anonymously!

How true Karen. I was always preaching to my kids when they were growing up, about the eventual effects of playing music too loud.

Sure - I could send something to his house, but I doubt that this one has the intelligence to even be able to read it!

[Alysser]

I think it's so rude when people my age blast the stereo in their cars or elsewhere. I know I hate the annoying vibrations that come with loud music, let alone hearing the music itself! I hate hate hate when the 14 year olds down my block practice their horrible guitar playing in the garage with the door wide open. SO annoying! My sister is 19 and BLASTS the music in the car where I need to scream over it to here her. I am 17, and would NEVER do it. I can't stand when anyone else do it. I think I blasted my music once when I was on I-95 just to piss an a$$ doing the same thing off.

[momcat]

Hi Ellie, Over here we get both, often at the same time. The screaming, crying brats AND the shatter your windows blasting stereo of their parents from the same place...right next door. Weekends? Forget about it! Several people on our street have called the cops a number of times. It quiets down for a day, maybe two then it's right back to "let's shatter the neighbor's ear drums".