to feel taken for granted

[allyoops]

I don't mind helping neighbours out. In fact I like it! But one of my neighbours is really taking the pee lately. I have been taking in a parcel every day for the last two weeks and today I have taken three in already! I have a two-month old baby and the constant dropping off and picking up of these parcels constantly wakes her up. That's when they pick them up. The other day i had to catch the woman as she went back out to her car and she was very put out that I'd stopped her to give her HER parcel. I know I'm on maternity leave but I'm very busy breastfeeding and getting baby to sleep etc. How many parcels would you feel was too many?

You don't have to take them in. Tell the postman or courier that it's not convenient, they won't question you and will either take the parcel back to the depot or leave them with another neighbour.

Don't answer the door. Your neighbour will soon realise you aren't their personal collection service.

We take parcels in for our neighbours and they do the same for us. But it's certainly not three a day, maybe once every few weeks. They're taking the piss, especially if they don't make the effort to collect them.

Tell the postman you won't take parcels. You don't have to.

It'll probably get worse as we head to Christmas - she'll be expecting you to take in all her presents I bet. Just don't answer the door, or go the next time and tell the postie that you won't be able to accept any more parcels for the neighbour so he knows not to keep knocking unless the post is actually for you.

I've ignored the door a couple of times because I was busy feeding and didn't fancy flashing the neighbourhood(!) but the same delivery van turns up again the very next day so i end up taking it in anyway. Why on earth do the neighbours ask for a redelivery on a day when they know they'll be at work? And some of the parcels say on them to deliver to our house if not in!

I should start ignoring the door every time but I know that will backfire and I'll end up one of my own deliveries!!

I wouldn't mind but said neighbours never take our parcels in and have been quite hostile to us lately, so why expect so many favours!?

Has your neighbour asked for the parcels to be dropped at your house or is it an over-zealous courier/postie.

Oh God I hadn't even thought about Christmas! Hopefully all these recent parcels are for a birthday or something and it will all calm down again.

It's lots of different couriers and vans and the parcels often say leave at No X...!

allyoops if they're being quite hostile, there is no way I'd take parcels for them! You're doing them a big favour, and you're not their housemaid. Either don't answer the door, or quietly tell the postman you don't accept parcels for other houses anymore, and leave it at that.

I am always grateful to neighbours who take in our parcels, and vice versa.

allyoops!! Fuck em! Seriously, and they've been hostile lately? Fuck em!! They haven't actually asked you to do it...
Enjoy your baby, dont let them stress you. You don't mind helping neighbours out but they're taking the piss.

So they're putting down to even leave at your address? They are absolutely taking the piss. Stop answering that door! I have a toddler and hate it when the doorbell rings when he's asleep. Or worse, the phone.

I tell my postman sorry but no as our neighbour used to do it all the time.

It worked - after six months of this the parcels stopped coming - I reckon our neighbour counted on me getting them for her. Half the time she was upstairs and couldn't be bothered to come downstairs!

Now I take the odd one in, but only very occasionally.

You are being used I reckon, so take a hard line - my postman said that lots of ppl have the same problem so they are quite used to neighbours saying no.

Good luck!

Print out a note in bold to put on your door:

WE DO NOT ACCEPT PARCELS FOR NEIGHBOURS - PLEASE DO NOT ASK.

Works for junk mail too ;)