My neighbour's child is three. Although at her quietest at night, she still wakes up and howels several times during the night. During the day, all day, from early on to gone midnight, she shouts, screams and shrieks. She can talk, so it's not that she can't, it's just that she prefers wailing and moaning with frequent outbursts of temper style cries. The problem is, there seems to be no attempt from the parents so model or encourage appropriate communication. Of course language is a part of communication but if wailing and screeching gets the response she wants then she's learning that as an effective way of communicating.... And more so an appropriate way. I don't have children, I chose not to and here I am suffering somone else's... Or should I say suffering the result of somone else's ineffective parenting. It's now 4am and she has been crying and whimpering since midnight. Controlled crying for babies, yeah... but really these parents are not interested in any type of parenting strategies, age appropriate or not. There is no routine which obviously doesn't help the situation; the child is running round screaming and crying gone midnight most nights and parents making no attempt to put the child to a bed at a reasonable time. I've read advice, like talk to them but really... Parents are so defensive these days, like they have more rights because they decided to have children and how dare people like me have an opinion about anything. I have been patient and I have tried to consider that some level of noise is to be expected but I'm not willing to start making excuses... There are plenty of occasions where they could reduce the noise levels to a more respectful level, even just talking in a calm but firm manner and not responding to moaning and screaming. The only time they respond is in a negative way when they lose their rag and shout. I had spoke to them about noise levels at 1am when they were working on the house and they said they didn't realize somone was living next door... I just explained that I'm mindful of others. I don't know what to do... So frustrated!!