You might be my next door neighbour - it all fits, even the horrible previous occupants. My DD has always been a screamer, now she has separation anxiety - she wants to be held by me 24/7. This is not feasible if I am to get dressed, have a shower, prepare dinner, clean etc. She screams horribly at bedtime, sometimes for hours, because DH is putting her to bed and she wants me. If I am putting her to bed she screams because she wants DH too. She sounds extremely distressed, and she is, but it is really a temper tantrum.
It gets worse when she is over tired, and she screams no matter what we do. She sleeps in our bed every night, but unless we are both to go to bed with her at her bedtime, there seems no solution to the crazy screaming. If both of us are not there, one of us cuddling her at all times, she screams. She is such a light sleeper that it is impossible to get away without waking her.
What exactly would you have us do?
This thread has really upset me, that so many people are so mean minded that they assume abuse when a child cries a lot. I've been told that neglected babies and children who are taken into care almost always sleep through the night, and go down easily. They have learned that crying does not work.
On the other hand, the friend whose baby cried incessantly eventually realised that he he is profoundly disabled. Think a little before reporting your neighbours.