Wedding Etiquette Forum

Screaming kids

Really, I don't want to be that bitchy old lady.

I live in an apartment building with cement walls, so it's pretty hard to hear things.

About once a week, my neighbour has her sister over and their kids all run, scream, jump. It's all I hear all night. I don't know what's worse - being a shitty neighbour, or letting your toddlers stay up until 11pm. 

Anyway, during exam times last winter I would get easily frustrated with the noise and I would kindly ask them to be quiet.  They stopped for the night, but were back at it the next week.

Right now is particularly bad. I want to say something but a part of me thinks these kids are just having fun and I shouldn't be that grouchy old lady.

WWYD? 
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Re: Screaming kids

  • mgietler76mgietler76 member
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2010
    I understand kids need to be kids but your neighbors need to respect the fact that they live in a community where their actions affect other people. I would go back up there and ask them to quiet down, kids can have fun without being overly rambunctious.

    ETA: But maybe I'm just a grouchy old lady too lol
  • Earplugs? Headphones with music playing? Turn up the TV?

    I'm weird though. I probably would have never said anything in the first place so I don't know.
  • JerseyMLJerseyML member
    100 Comments
    edited November 2010
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_screaming-kids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9b533be0-958c-485c-9153-3972910db253Post:3764fdf7-371e-4d22-8158-ef39842908a8">Re: Screaming kids</a>:
    [QUOTE]Earplugs?
    Posted by LessThanZero[/QUOTE]

    I carry mine all over the place and tons of spares too.  I am a really light sleeper so most nights I sleep with them in.  They became my life saver in college and have stuck with them ever since. 

    I wouldn't have said anything either.  Now if it was music then I would complain.  Screaming, running, jumping kids don't bother me. 
    "Do I look like a killer to you?" "Yes, you kill my patience." -Castle
  • I'd go say something and if it still doens't get better, I would complain to the manager/landlord. My apartment building is pretty quiet except when my downstairs neighbor plays his bass guitar (which he likes doing on Saturday nights when I am trying to clean). They said back that I walk to loudly. I eventually complained to the manager and she addressed it (I believe she said "Just play it when you know she isn't home.") It hasn't been as big an issue since then.

    But this is only if it is during sleeping hours- if it was 1 PM I wouldn't complain.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_screaming-kids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9b533be0-958c-485c-9153-3972910db253Post:b713ef8b-5f80-4e38-ac26-b398f5f33018">Re: Screaming kids</a>:
    [QUOTE]I'd go say something and if it still doens't get better, I would complain to the manager/landlord. My apartment building is pretty quiet <strong>except when my downstairs neighbor plays his bass guitar (which he likes doing on Saturday nights when I am trying to clean).</strong> They said back that I walk to loudly. I eventually complained to the manager and she addressed it (I believe she said "Just play it when you know she isn't home.") It hasn't been as big an issue since then. But this is only if it is during sleeping hours- if it was 1 PM I wouldn't complain.
    Posted by MrsMLRB[/QUOTE]
    Why would guitar-playing disturb your cleaning?  JW.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_screaming-kids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:9b533be0-958c-485c-9153-3972910db253Post:2c0f767c-328e-4da4-89ac-f66d5d237cc6">Re: Screaming kids</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Screaming kids : Why would guitar-playing disturb your cleaning?  JW.
    Posted by KentuckyKate[/QUOTE]

    Yeah I'm wondering that also.

    We have shared walls in our townhomes.  The one side of us is only a 1 story and we never hear a sound out of them.  The other side has 3 kids, and sometimes I swear they are playing a soccer game in the house, and jumping off the couch at the same time.  I really only hear them around 8am when they are getting ready for school, around 3 when they get home from school, and then around 7-8pm when they're probably getting ready for bed.  I never even consider complaining though because it doesn't interfere with anything we do, and the little girls are really sweet and polite.  And for being 3 young girls, I never hear any screaming or crying, so I can't complain.
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  • The walls are so thin in my building that I can hear my upstairs neighbor peeing.  I can tell when she turns her shower water on.  I can hear any conversations she has, too.  It's awkward.
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  • I had a neighbor that would play loud bassy music while vaccuming at like 1 in the morning, we put up with it for awhile until one night we asked them to keep it down, they did for while but we didn't live there much longer so I don't know if they stopped for good.
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  • I would say something to them, even if that means having to say something every week. From your post, it seems like they were polite and respectful when you asked them to quiet down; maybe doing it weekly will get the point across that their behavior isn't acceptable late at night, regardless of if you're studying or sleeping. If it doesn't improve, I'd talk to your landlord/lady and see what can be done.


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  • The people who live above us have a baby elephant running around their apartment. It'll be 12 or 1am and they are stomping around and when they stomp, stuff in their apartment squeaks(could be the bed, I don't really want to know). It got to the point where we had to sleep on an air mattress in the living room. I left a note in their door one time, asking them to be considerate of the people below them since FI had to be up at 4:30am for work. It's only happened one other time since then, so I guess my note worked.

  • When I lived in my apartment, the woman above me would come home at like 2-3am and walk around in heels on her laminate flooring.  Then she would run the garbage disposal for extended periods of time.  Seriously, why?
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