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Neighbours shouting and swearing at children every morning

60 replies

Holaa · 29/06/2023 22:15

Every morning I can hear them shouting and screaming at the children about getting ready for school and then swearing at them and doors slamming. I think they are age 9-11. I WFH and often have phone calls at the same time and it’s very loud through the walls. Any suggestions

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Witchymclovely · 18/09/2024 23:32

Please don’t report this to a safeguarding lead as they can do nothing but log your information. You must report it to child services in the first instance , secondly to the child's school if you wish but they cannot act upon your report as it’s hearsay. Also environmental health will not send a noise complaint letter unless the noise causes significant distress, is a regular occurrence and continues for a sustained length of time. I only know this as I’m going through a similar situation. I noticed my neighbour abusing his dog first and it took a year for the dog to be safe. It took five neighbours to complain constantly before anything was done. Reporting any abuse is stressful but obviously the right thing to do. Get advice from your local child services. Good luck

Ladybug1964 · 18/09/2024 09:04

So if a 9 year old doesn't want to go to school and she screams and shouts, bangs doors and stamps up n down the stairs almost every week day to her parents and it also happens late a night. What are we supposed to do? I've had my children they're all in adult hood including my son who has aspergers. We've had conflict at times, but never like this, which goes on for months on end and she can be violent with her mum and there is an almost 3 year old daughter there as well. What should I do? Apparently she has anxiety?! I've got anxiety from being woken up, disturbed when I'm pottering around the garden. They are a nice couple, but it's slowly making me hate living next door. Why should I move, I love my house. Any suggestions please.

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 26/12/2023 11:37

batsandeggs · 24/12/2023 19:34

Or to put a different spin on it, if the kid is around 9 then they’ve moved passed the point of feeling scared or worried about it and instead think it’s just a normal way to communicate. I don’t really find the child shouting back to be reassuring at all.

of course, some families ARE just shouty and it’s a hard call to make. Shouting in the mornings alone, as described, wouldn’t be enough for me to escalate but I’d certainly be aware of it.

Yes, exactly. It's just like any number of other things that parents normalise by bringing up their kids that way. If you fed them nothing but chocolate, they would see that as normal everyday food and would probably walk past all the vegetables inside shops wondering what on earth they are.

Children who are brought up this way, unless they unlearn it, can then become the adults who frighten and terrify partners, colleagues and the next generation of children. They know no different.

Bringing kids up to think that shouting, screaming and swearing at each other is normal communication - as opposed to something that you may do on the very odd occasion when you're very upset or feeling threatened - is setting them up for a massive fall and terrible good parenting. As an adult, I would tend to avoid people who act like this, as I find them aggressive and tiresome; I can't imagine what it must be like for a young child who has no agency or confidence to extricate themselves.

It's kind of the equivalent of only ever speaking Spanish to a child who will only ever live in an English-speaking country, reckoning on them never actually needing to know English. The huge difference being that Spanish is not frightening or offensive at all - just confusing for people who don't understand it and live somewhere most other people don't use it to communicate.

DewHopper · 26/12/2023 10:14

Comedycook · 24/12/2023 17:37

There's always posters who say they've managed to raise their children to adulthood without raising their voice....i imagine in cases like this the children are either very compliant and/or the parents are so relaxed they're virtually comatose.

Shouting and swearing can be abusive...it can also just be a nice loving family going through a rough time.

Stop trying to normalise abusive parental behaviour - why would you do that? It is NOT normal to be shouting and swearing at children and it is very damaging.

batsandeggs · 24/12/2023 19:34

Icannoteven · 30/06/2023 21:31

One point that’s reassuring though - you mention that the kid is shouting back. This implies that the kids isn’t feeling scared / threatened by the parent; that they feel secure and comfortable enough to express their anger/frustration and ‘hold their own’.

To me it sounds like they may just be a loud and expressive family. Not all families believe that it is harmful or negative to shout or verbally vent anger and frustration with each other. Both me and my partner were raised in noisy, expressive working class families where this was the norm yet both were living, warm families. Some of us just don’t do repression or shy away from conflict 🫤

Or to put a different spin on it, if the kid is around 9 then they’ve moved passed the point of feeling scared or worried about it and instead think it’s just a normal way to communicate. I don’t really find the child shouting back to be reassuring at all.

of course, some families ARE just shouty and it’s a hard call to make. Shouting in the mornings alone, as described, wouldn’t be enough for me to escalate but I’d certainly be aware of it.

Comedycook · 24/12/2023 18:57

WonderfulUsername · 24/12/2023 17:44

Shouting and swearing can be abusive...it can also just be a nice loving family going through a rough time.

Every morning?

Well if it's only in the morning, I'd assume mornings are particularly difficult and fraught for whatever reason

WonderfulUsername · 24/12/2023 17:44

Comedycook · 24/12/2023 17:37

There's always posters who say they've managed to raise their children to adulthood without raising their voice....i imagine in cases like this the children are either very compliant and/or the parents are so relaxed they're virtually comatose.

Shouting and swearing can be abusive...it can also just be a nice loving family going through a rough time.

Shouting and swearing can be abusive...it can also just be a nice loving family going through a rough time.

Every morning?

sprigatito · 24/12/2023 17:43

BHRK · 29/06/2023 22:35

Everyone shouts and screams at their kids to get them to leave the house surely?

No. They don't. If you are regularly screaming and shouting at children to the extent that your neighbours can hear it, you need to address it as a serious problem and make changes, not shrug and kid yourself that "everyone does it"

AhBiscuits · 24/12/2023 17:41

Not swearing, but there's frequently shouting trying to get my two out of the door in the morning.

Comedycook · 24/12/2023 17:37

There's always posters who say they've managed to raise their children to adulthood without raising their voice....i imagine in cases like this the children are either very compliant and/or the parents are so relaxed they're virtually comatose.

Shouting and swearing can be abusive...it can also just be a nice loving family going through a rough time.

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 24/12/2023 17:31

BHRK · 29/06/2023 22:35

Everyone shouts and screams at their kids to get them to leave the house surely?

If they don't it's cause they've yet to experience teenage boy in the morning. 😂

The swearing isn't great though.

DewHopper · 24/12/2023 17:11

Holaa · 30/06/2023 11:29

The swear words are like ‘you’re going to be fucking late, get fucking ready now‘ and then the child screams something back and parent says ‘I don’t give a fuck, get ready’ etc. I think the two children fight too and then there’s lots of door slamming. It’s mainly in the mornings. I have heard the parents arguing too many times

They could be just rough as fuck OP and this is their normal way of interacting with each other - horrible but possible.

If you suspect abuse then report asap and don't overthink it. Many a murdered child could have been saved had neighbours reported their concerns properly instead of popping up on tv after the fact.

DewHopper · 24/12/2023 17:05

chellebelle77 · 21/12/2023 10:09

I live in a semi and having the same issue.. except this mum screams at her baby for crying! The baby is roughly a year old and wakes three or four times a night crying and screaming. Her room is next to mine so I am woken EVERYNIGHT. I have had three children so felt for the mum at first as its hard but I NEVER swore at them or screamed at them to shut the fk up. Instead I would comfort them and help resettle them, Sure I had my bad days but never swore abusive words. The baby settles itself in the end I assume as the mum shouts, swears and slams a door. I dont know what to do. Should I report???? I am so tired. I know that the baby will eventually grow out of it and it really isn't the baby's fault but the mum also shouts at her other child during the evenings and mornings. She is one stressed mum but does it warrant swearing shut the fck up and for f sake just stop itttttttt. Any advice greatly appreciated. I feel horrible for moaning about it but also feel horrible for the baby.

Edited

Bloody hell this is horrible. Report as soon as you can. No child should be living in that situation.

DewHopper · 24/12/2023 17:04

BHRK · 29/06/2023 22:35

Everyone shouts and screams at their kids to get them to leave the house surely?

No, they don't.

ClareBlue · 24/12/2023 16:58

And as the OP is seeing with the next door family, shouting and swearing at children looses it's effect and the abuse has to be upped to get noticed. All it does is create a barrier and make everything traumatic. They carry it into adult life.

ClareBlue · 24/12/2023 16:52

BHRK · 29/06/2023 22:35

Everyone shouts and screams at their kids to get them to leave the house surely?

No, never was as a child and never have as a parent

Doobidoo · 24/12/2023 16:02

WonderfulUsername · 29/06/2023 22:16

Well there's the obvious, which is to have a polite word with them and tell them it's affecting your work, but I assume you've done this?

How did they react?

🙄

CoffeeCantata · 24/12/2023 15:59

They sound vile, OP.

(And ironically I found that parents who verbally abuse their children like this are often the most aggressive when a teacher dares to suggest they might have done something wrong.)

thisisasurvivor · 24/12/2023 15:41

Not normal at all

Report

Let professionals deal withe them

Close case if no concerns

Ime say nothing =complicit

BetsyBobbins · 24/12/2023 14:18

BHRK · 29/06/2023 22:35

Everyone shouts and screams at their kids to get them to leave the house surely?

No, they don't. I'm sorry if this is the reality for you but it's just not normal.

OP, please ring children's services, this is not remotely healthy or normal. Children should not be subjected to shouting and swearing

thisisasurvivor · 24/12/2023 13:59

chellebelle77 · 21/12/2023 10:09

I live in a semi and having the same issue.. except this mum screams at her baby for crying! The baby is roughly a year old and wakes three or four times a night crying and screaming. Her room is next to mine so I am woken EVERYNIGHT. I have had three children so felt for the mum at first as its hard but I NEVER swore at them or screamed at them to shut the fk up. Instead I would comfort them and help resettle them, Sure I had my bad days but never swore abusive words. The baby settles itself in the end I assume as the mum shouts, swears and slams a door. I dont know what to do. Should I report???? I am so tired. I know that the baby will eventually grow out of it and it really isn't the baby's fault but the mum also shouts at her other child during the evenings and mornings. She is one stressed mum but does it warrant swearing shut the fck up and for f sake just stop itttttttt. Any advice greatly appreciated. I feel horrible for moaning about it but also feel horrible for the baby.

Edited

Report
Report
Report

Imagine the damage from such a young age 😫😞

chellebelle77 · 21/12/2023 10:09

I live in a semi and having the same issue.. except this mum screams at her baby for crying! The baby is roughly a year old and wakes three or four times a night crying and screaming. Her room is next to mine so I am woken EVERYNIGHT. I have had three children so felt for the mum at first as its hard but I NEVER swore at them or screamed at them to shut the fk up. Instead I would comfort them and help resettle them, Sure I had my bad days but never swore abusive words. The baby settles itself in the end I assume as the mum shouts, swears and slams a door. I dont know what to do. Should I report???? I am so tired. I know that the baby will eventually grow out of it and it really isn't the baby's fault but the mum also shouts at her other child during the evenings and mornings. She is one stressed mum but does it warrant swearing shut the fck up and for f sake just stop itttttttt. Any advice greatly appreciated. I feel horrible for moaning about it but also feel horrible for the baby.

thisisasurvivor · 16/08/2023 23:52

Anon report ?

catlover9819 · 16/08/2023 23:40

I’m in the exact same boat as you, I spoke to my neighbour about it but nothing changes.

redressgirl · 30/06/2023 21:57

In this case I'd say if its ongoing then dp report it to child services

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