Bloody, bloody neighbours...

[Pollyanna9]

And so starts the spring/summer season... fab.

This past two weeks alone, as a snapshot:

• woken every weekend morning by 8.30 am as their kids thunder up and down the stairs for about 20 minutes
• every, single, evening, shouting (from the parents) screaming (from the kids) answering back (from the kids), doors slamming
• parents heard shouting at their children (by my children) just last week "you effing dickhead!"
• just now kids kicking a ball against a metal shed in their garden for around 40 minutes (I'd never allow my children to do that)
• then someone literally standing at the shed (I think) super rapidly bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang on said shed
• one of the DC once again (as per previous years) standing on their climbing frame or whatever gawping at me as I try (and fail) to sit in the privacy of my own living room (must remember to keep the curtains drawn and the doors closed throughout the summer, and never dare to spend time in the garden)

I finally cracked and had to bellow out of me french doors (at the banging on the metal shed) "Will you please shut up!!!". To which one of the adults retorts "Oh be quiet". Be quiet?! That's what you need to do.

I am SO sick of this. It's been like this since I moved in in 2011..... they are such disrespectful w*nkers I struggle to believe it.

Rrrrrr.

Can you get some of that privacy film to go over your glass? That way they can stare all they like and you have some privacy. They sound horrendous. It may even be worth looking at some sort of noise insulation against the interior walls.......you can get accoustic plasterboard. At least you may not hear them so much then.

Net curtains to stop them seeing in?

5moreminutes:

"The children are just standing on their climbing frame in their garden - there is no way they are gawping at you - they won't be able to see in through the window, they are more likely to be gawping at their own reflections in the glass!" Er, no, TRUST ME - they CAN see in through the windows how else in God's name would they make eye contact directly with me when they're caught doing it! I'm impressed how you can know this when you haven't sat on my sofa and experienced it for yourself!

"Many people would say good for them not shoving the kids in front of a console or cartoons to shut them up..." I agree with that, but if your children are in the garden you normally keep your eye on them to monitor their behaviour. Not constantly, but from time to time. Well, at least that's what I've always done as I won't have disrespectful behaviour like that.

"Have you actually ever talked to them nicely and calmly about the noise carrying" - yes, it got me nowhere. When I went round to return the almost full adult sized plastic keyboard that narrowly missed my DDs head I was calm as well. Didn't get me anywhere.

I am fine 99.9% of the time but when I've been at work all week and all I want to do on a nice warm evening is have the patio doors open and enjoy the breeze whilst I watch a bit of telly, I don't want to do it observed by anyone - child or or adult. Why am I not allowed to have just a basic level of privacy within my own home?

"Or do you just randomly yell commands to be quiet over the fence (hence naughty lady...)". No.

You need to be more specific when pointing out the behaviour.
So yelling " shut up" only sounds like " angry woman is shouting at us" to the neighbours.
Saying " banging repetively for 40 minutes is very annoying" actually tells them why they are being gits.

Sympathy op if you've never had nightmare neighbours you won't understand

I wish I could just get a higher fence because it's pretty disconcerting to be constantly gawped at. On a summer's day I often have to come in from the garden, shut the patio doors, draw the curtains and whack the volume up on the tv in order to get a modicum of privacy and to drown out the noise. I LOVE hearing kids playing, but the parents should, as I would, monitor their children's behaviour and pull them up about what is disrespectful. To be able to enjoy your own dwelling - they have that right, but so do I.

Even with their lack of respect and the appalling way they speak to their kids, I STILL insist on my children turning down music if I think it's too loud or too late, and being quiet in the mornings. It's just common decency and basic manners.

They sound awful, I actually feel sorry for the children being shouted at like that. What did the NSPCC say? I'd be tempted to record the shouting and once you've got a few, ring the NSPCC back again and play it to them!

I agree Kerala - you can't imagine what it's like unless you have relentlessly suffered it for a number of years.

I wouldn't mind but it's so easily solvable - just casually monitor your children when they're playing outside - and get Supernanny in to teach the parents how to insist on respectful behaviour through fair and sensible boundaries and discipline, instead of shouting and screaming - those are the only interactions they have between them and their children. It's very sad as well tbh, I often find it really upsetting to hear.

Oh BBQ season brings all the nutjobs out.

Our lovely neighbours call their kids (ages about 4 and 7) the c word, "little idiot", etc etc. The "mother" ignores them unless she's screaming abuse at them. Today I heard her - only the second time in the 3 years they have lived there - running up and down the garden and actually engaging with them. I wondered what was up? Then realised from the braying voices - she had a guest. Second the bloke went the kids were dragged indoors.

Their garden has play equipment bought on the kids' birthdays by the gradnparents but they are never allowed to play on it unless there are visitors. Husband calls it all "set dressing".

NSPCC don't do a thing even if kids are being genuinely abused - like my neighbours' kids. Another neighbour heard the little girl screaming last year and realised she'd burnt herself on their BBQ. Instead of rushing her to hospital, the nice neighbour said, they spent ten minutes arguing about whose fault it was and trying to get the story straight for A & E - before they set off.

IfYouGoDown - not a lot I don't think. I thought things might improve - I honestly think all that they need is a bit of support around boundaries and discipline and respecting one another (because people who don't shout and scream at each other in every conversation). But I imagine that the lack of 'severity' of the situation is way down on their list when they have so many more severe cases that they are struggling to manage. I don't know if they were ever contacted and whether this is what led to the 'naughty lady' moniker or not...

And btw for anyone wondering, I'm not some nutty disciplinarian who likes to smack and keep everyone under tight control and discipline. I have always taught important stuff like respectfulness by starting off from a point of respect for my children as human beings in their own right - so I'm not a dictatorial arse and don't expect anyone else to be. If it's done right boundaries and discipline are delivered in such a way that they are positive to the children concerned, not a negative impingement on their activities and behaviours.

Dear God Joffrey, I've heard it all now. 'Set dressing' - WTF?!

Who ARE these people and why did they have kids? Certainly my neighbours seem to derive absolutely NO pleasure from it at all. Which is a shame cos kids (whilst bloody infuriating at times) are bloomin' fabulous!

there's some bloody horrible parents out there.

I wouldn't mind but the house is clean, the kids are obviously well dressed, clean, plenty of toys, two nice cars on the drive - but the way they communicate with them and the way the kids communicate with their parents is just appalling. It must be bloody draining and miserable for the parents and for the children. So things could be a lot lot worse - literally all they need is a Supernanny figure and they'd be away! Alas, that is not going to happen.

I PRAY she'll fall pregnant again and they'll have to move to a four bed house....

Still, at least the dope dealer on my right hand side (I'm the middle of three townhouses - joy) has now gone and been replaced with a lovely (quiet) young couple, lovely and very considerate and friendly. I shall be able to open the windows on the top floor (bloody neighbour kids can't gawp in my Veluxes!!) without being choked on the aromas of a full on cannabis factory/and smoking from next door, nor have to watch him dealing just off his driveway!

Now if these neighbours with the kids could be encouraged to move.... plans for naked garden dancing if it's still warm over the weekend maybe....hmmmm...