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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour complaining about jumparoo

307 replies

SeaLeaf · 26/03/2016 08:31

We live in a first floor apartment. Downstairs neighbour is complaining about 'thumping' noise when baby goes in jumparoo! I've put a foam mat under it and tried moving it to other rooms but she still complains! We have wood floors everywhere and I prefer to keep it in kitchen so I can cook!

He's 7months and uses it for about 30mins at a time, usually 7am, 9am, 1pm, 3pm, 6pm.

I feel she should put up with it, you can't expect silence in a building with families and what will happen when he's older and starts running and jumping?
Why should he be denied playtime in his favourite toy?

What do others think?

OP posts:
CaffeineBomb · 27/03/2016 18:38

I'm glad I'm not your neighbour. I am a believer in what goes around comes around and by your reasoning you couldn't possibly be annoyed if a family with a teenager playing extremely loud music moved in above you because, you know, that's what teenagers do

namelessboy · 27/03/2016 18:48

I feel sorry for your neighbour as you seem determined not to compromise, but I also feel sorry for your baby. I've had 3 velcro babies and a clean/tidyish 3 bedroom house to run, and I still don't see how can you need to plonk him in it for 2.5 hours a day?! Poor thing. Investigate baby carriers and maybe look at where you could reorganise your washing/cooking/cleaning as that's an awfully long time every day.

FeckOfffCup · 27/03/2016 18:52

Caffeine imagine if a teenager did move in above PFB's room and played loud music at bedtime, or 4am ... I suspect OP would have a shift of attitude then.

Spickle · 27/03/2016 18:59

Surely your landlord is in breach of his lease. Regardless of the type of flooring the landlord put down, the vast majority of flats are not allowed to have hard floors on the upper floors. If I was your neighbour, I would be complaining to the landlord (or freeholder/management company) and demanding to see a copy of the lease. If it is in breach, the landlord would be made to carpet it at his expense, or forfeit his lease.

alig99 · 27/03/2016 22:27

If you think your neighbour is unreasonable you want to live with ours. The 27 year girl next door bangs the wall of our grandson's bedroom (she is in the one next to it) when we open and close the window, if my daughter plays with her child and laugh and giggle..That is unreasonable and its not that she is quiet but we chose to ignore it. On the other hand I would go barmy if you let your child thump around at 7am, 9pm and 6pm. I don't want to be woken by thumping at 7am; I want to eat my breakfast at 9am and I want to eat my dinner/tea in peace at 6pm. So I think you are being unreasonable. Please be more considerate, its difficult living in close communities I know from experience but its always a 2 way street.

Bitlost · 27/03/2016 22:47

I live in a first floor flat with wooden floors. When dd was little, I'd wait until the neighbours were out to put her in her jumparoo. To be honest, even if you had carpets, it would still be loud.

It's hard having a child when you have downstairs neighbours. I sympathise.

SoThatHappened · 27/03/2016 23:11

2.5 hours a day of this...I'd march into your flat and chuck it out of the window.

lorelei9here · 27/03/2016 23:19

Sothathappened - well, what are you waiting for? Oh, sorry, the address Grin

seriously, looking at the clip I can't believe anyone doesn't realise the potential harm of spending ages in that as well.

lorelei9here · 27/03/2016 23:21

gasman - what an awful thing for you!

kali110 · 28/03/2016 01:52

On threads like this i never understand the posters who
Say that the people who complain should move.... And go where??
Maybe they own their flat? Maybe they are council tenants or can't afford to? Why should they have to just becaUse their neighbour is being inconsiderate?
As someone above said, it would be karma if op got new above neighbours!
Be ironic if it was a new family who took the same line as her and then they kept her child awake.
I think i personally would snap and simply play my loud rock and metal music between 7 am and 11pm and slam doors several times a day.

elQuintoConyo · 28/03/2016 09:56

That's ^^ a jumperoo? Fuck my ears!

YABVU OP.

Inconsiderate. Inconsiderate. Inconsiderate.

I'd have no qualms speaking to your landlord and I have a Duracell child who is now 4 and shows no signs of stopping. We moved.

CatherineH38 · 28/03/2016 10:16

Now that's a dilemma. I'd say they've got a point about the morning particularly 7am. Compromise has to be the key. My lg really goes for it and I can imagine it would drive you insane to have to hear that through the floor

Hackedabove · 28/03/2016 10:42

Did you manage to pop down yesterday afternoon OP?

FuzzyOwl · 28/03/2016 11:11

^ That child is quieter in the jumperoo than mine is!

Original poster
SeaLeaf · 28/03/2016 11:18

Update: I went downstairs and listened. It is audible yes but not as bad as I expected considering all the fuss she made! It sounds like... a baby jumping up and down. A soft repetitive thudding noise which would be annoying at night but is easily drowned out during the day. I suspect my washing machine sounds louder through the floor!

However, as the vast majority on MN feel I'm being VU, I listened sympathetically to neighbour's rant and apologised. And agreed that he will only use it after 10am, for max 20mins 3xday.

She also complained about other 'banging noises' which I explained could be baby drumming his heels on floor when being changed or dropping toys. And no, I'm not going to throw away any toy that could make a noise when dropped.

She then mentioned his nighttime crying, apparently it wakes her up every 2-3hours! Not sure what she expects me to do about this Confused

I do take him to baby groups and classes but they are only for an hour or 2 each day. He likes toys he can bang and things that make noise! Soft fluffy things don't entertain him for long. I do think some noise is inevitable with a baby and that you shouldn't live in a flat if a baby crying/playing will upset you so much.

OP posts:
lorelei9here · 28/03/2016 11:25

SeaLeaf "She then mentioned his nighttime crying, apparently it wakes her up every 2-3hours! Not sure what she expects me to do about this"

I think the decent thing would be to talk your landlord about carpeting. Explain that the downstairs neighbour is going to have problems with anyone living there.

or suggest to your neighbour that she writes to the landlord.

" I do think some noise is inevitable with a baby and that you shouldn't live in a flat if a baby crying/playing will upset you so much."

I can't afford a house. I suspect your neighbour can't either.

mummymeister · 28/03/2016 11:27

thanks for the update sealeaf glad you were able to go downstairs and hear it. It sounds like you have come to a workable compromise which is always better than going down the complaint route. The funny thing about noise and how it affects people is the level of stress repetitive noise can cause so that the person hearing it become sensitive and sensitised to it. this might be what has happened to your neighbour.

does your lease say anything about carpet? does the freehold say anything about it? might be worth checking it if you can. it takes bottle to go and speak to someone when you know they are going to give you an ear bending.

53rdAndBird · 28/03/2016 11:30

Definitely worth speaking to your landlord about carpeting - even if he/she says no (which I suspect is likely), at least you can tell the neighbour that you tried.

Artandco · 28/03/2016 12:17

But there's still things you can be doing.

Waking every 2hrs - that's like a newborn, it's more frequent than most 7 month olds. If he does wake this often you need to be proactive at getting him quickly and reducing the noise ( cuddle or feed)

Toys - you can't give him banging toys. It's unfair. That's doesn't mean he needs teddies only. Get a decent thick rich with underlay as a play mat. Building blocks, figures, all play with on there. When he's older move certain toys to playing with at the table. Things like trains and cars make less Noise below played with on a coffee table than the floor if uncarpeted.

If you know he kicks the floor hard when being changed you need to again use a thicker may on a rug, or change on a surface like the bed or table so he isn't kicking the floor

PestilentialCat · 28/03/2016 12:24

it's not as loud as you expected but I think it's the repeated thudding that cause the nuisance rather than the actual volume.

waiting for the thudding to start up again is also awful - like sleeping with a snorer

PestilentialCat · 28/03/2016 12:26

Agree he is waking more frequently than average I suspect you're pandering to him & he probably won't need a feed overnight now - not sure how you're going to manage controlled crying unless you send the neighbour away on holiday...

elizadolittlechoc · 28/03/2016 12:35

Some flat leases include clauses to insist on fitted carpets. Might be worth checking.

NeedACleverNN · 28/03/2016 12:40

I've been watching this with interest and yes ywbu regarding the jumperoo at 7am but moaning your baby wakes at night is not your fault.

If you can get a carpet in, it would make a big difference but it sounds like this woman will moan about everything she can.

ilovesooty · 28/03/2016 12:41

I'm already feeling sorry for the nursery staff and reception teachers who will have to keep this child engaged.

Hackedabove · 28/03/2016 12:42

That sounds like a good compromise to me.

I think the night time waking is probably a lot worse for you and I don't think that is such a legitimate complaint. I think since you've shown willing over the jumperoo she needs to cut you some slack over the nighttime waking, but probably thought once you were there she would get all her complaints in.

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