Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think having blinds shut all day is weird?

91 replies

hmmmmm · 01/11/2017 08:22

Neighbour has 2 small dcs. Her roller blinds are shut all the time. Never seen them open.

I know it sounds like I'm going out of my way to look but I'm not. I only notice when passing during the day.

Is this usual? Even in summer? I know it's winter now but it's always been the case since they moved in last year. I've seen the dcs outside so they're ok with daylight.

She's quite shouty and the 5 year old is often crying. I suppose this worries me more tbh. When mine were 5 they rarely cried. I don't think the 5 year old has sn as I've met her a few times. Always seems grateful for attention.

The mother is nice enough and her dsis is there a lot as neither go out to work. So am glad she has support.

I sound like a nosey neighbour but it's just something that niggles me. The blinds always shut.

OP posts:
Choccablock · 01/11/2017 08:24

Does this neighbor live in a ground floor flat?
Also, I tend to leave my baby's blind closed some days as he has two naps a day and doesn't seem worth opening sometimes when I'm feeling lazy.

AnaWinter · 01/11/2017 08:24

Is her house overlooked? Some people prefer privacy.

treaclesoda · 01/11/2017 08:24

The only person I know who does this struggles terribly with depression. She can't motivate herself to walk across the room and raise the blinds.

That's not me diagnosing your neighbour with depression btw, just sharing my experience.

hmmmmm · 01/11/2017 08:27

It's a terraced house. Back blinds are all closed too.

She's a lovely lass and very young. I don't want to say too much in case she's on mn.

OP posts:
deepestdarkestperu · 01/11/2017 08:27

Ours are closed because the pavement runs right by our living room window and people can’t seem to control themselves enough not to stare in!

The blinds that overlook the garden are always open, however.

hmmmmm · 01/11/2017 08:29

deepest yes I can understand that. Mine's the same and I have vertical blinds tilted towards the fire so light comes in but no gawping.

OP posts:
Dreams16 · 01/11/2017 08:32

Depends I live in a terrace house sometimes my blinds are open wide others slightly just to stop people being able to look in as they naturally do when walking past sometimes keep them closed if trying to watch a movie the sun can shine on the tv making it impossible it all depends could be lots of reasons perhaps she has the front closed but the back lot wide open some people just like their privacy and not to feel like they are caged animals on display for people passing by to look in at

Frusso · 01/11/2017 08:32

You’d love my house then.
Our bottom ones are closed because the light reflects onto the tv. Top ones are closed because houses across road can see straight in.
Ds’ are closed as he has a tendency to stand on the windowsill to look out and it stops that.
Dds are closed because she’s a teen and I rarely venture into her pit.

hmmmmm · 01/11/2017 08:33

Dreams all are always closed. Never seen them open.

OP posts:
Aderyn17 · 01/11/2017 08:34

Or maybe the light hits the tv at the wrong angle with the blinds open. Or she likes artificial light. There are lots of reasons she could have for keeping the blinds closed and not be depressed/have something to hide.
She has roller blinds rather than venetian, so her choice is either total privacy or none at all. Personally I'd choose total privacy.

hmmmmm · 01/11/2017 08:34

Maybe it's more normal than I thought?

Bring back good old nets Halloween Wink

OP posts:
timeforabrewnow · 01/11/2017 08:35

Maybe she has nosey and judgy neighbours?

Floralnomad · 01/11/2017 08:38

They may be daylight saving blinds , my ds has what looks like a grey blind in his bedroom windows but it’s actually daylight saving , that rarely gets pulled up .

BillyDaveysDaughter · 01/11/2017 08:38

Our front room overlooks the public footpath to the park - it's a very pretty outlook and people don't generally look in much, but we have to keep the blind shut all day because our neurotic old terrier barks like a loon at the slightest movement and suffers from generalised anxiety. I'll miss her when she's gone, but we might at least be able to look out of our living room window without the 90db screeching.

There could be a specific reason for them being closed - or maybe they're just lazy like my DH's old flatmate who never pulled the curtains or opened any windows because it didn't occur to him to do so!

hmmmmm · 01/11/2017 08:40

timeforabrew she obviously does Halloween Wink

OP posts:
thecatsthecats · 01/11/2017 08:42

I don't bother opening the blinds in my house. The front one, in spite of the drive, leaves us visible to passers by, and the rear one in the bedroom is pointless to open - I'm in the room for about ten minutes when it's light!

I actually prefer natural light, but I get plenty of that in the kitchen and conservatory.

AnUtterIdiot · 01/11/2017 08:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thethoughtfox · 01/11/2017 08:43

Some people have children who refuse to wear clothes at home!

ShotsFired · 01/11/2017 08:44

In the summer my lounge is like an oven (S facing) so I leave the curtains shut all day to keep it cool.

In the winter it's dark when I leave and dark when I get back, so what's the point?

BackBoiler · 01/11/2017 08:45

My sister does this. She has 2 DC and it drives me mad that they are all sat in the dark at 10am! No one wants to stare in that much. If they do give them the finger they won't look in again!

ThreeMenInAGoat · 01/11/2017 08:45

Our neighbours always have their curtains closed fully or open a crack. We are set back from the road so no-one can see in walking by. They are odd and unpleasant people though. Somehow having curtains closed all day seems a bit grubby (so stuffy and dark). I may be influenced by their general horribleness though!

(Btw blinds, for privacy etc when windows overlooked all perfectly sensible, no judgement there).

astoundedgoat · 01/11/2017 08:47

In our old house all the houses in our area (Victorian terraced cottages) are directly on the street and many people keep their blinds shut to stop people looking right in. Small houses, so if you're on the sofa by the window, passers by would be literally a couple of feet from you!!

Now we're in central London and a lot of people on our street keep their shutters closed when they're out during the day or when they're running around naked in the morning.

FrancisCrawford · 01/11/2017 08:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whiskyowl · 01/11/2017 08:50

I think it's hideous having the curtains or blinds shut all day. But others like the darkness and feeling of enclosure. Different strokes, different folks.

I think the questions you raise about the welfare of her 5 year old are rather different. I'm not sure you have anything more than vague suspicions to go on here, though. Sad

laurzj82 · 01/11/2017 08:50

We have ours shut most of the time. My daughter has sensory issues and hates bright light. There could be many many reasons..

HTH