To think having blinds shut all day is weird?

[hmmmmm]

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.

[snowgirl1]

Floralnomad what are daylight saving blinds??

[Floralnomad]

They are blinds that let a certain amount of light through , so although they are pulled for privacy you still get natural light in the room . They are not perfect but they are pretty good . Ds has his because we live opposite a young lady who is not very discrete in her bedroom and he doesn’t want to catch an eyeful whenever he looks up from his computer .

[MrsMarigold]

I couldn't care who sees into my house and think light is a real mood booster. I also think it's a bit weird OP, also don't they air their rooms? Everything feels nice and fresh once you've got a bit of air in there, even if it's only for 10 minutes a day.

[amusedbush]

Our curtains are closed during the day when we're off work (me on a Saturday/Sunday, DH on Sunday plus a varying mid-week day) because the sun shines right onto the TV. Luckily we live in a shite area so we're not the only ones that look like a doss house

[reachforthestarseveryday]

That sonds really weird to me. And unhealthy. But then, I like to fling open all curtains and open the windows every day to air the house, and I hate rooms being dark and glomy. And why waste money on electric?

[mydogisthebest]

The neighbours opposite me are the same. Two young children and mum and dad. Literally every day blinds at every window are closed as tight as can be.

We have quite large front garden so passers by can't really see in. I know from my house that if the curtains or blinds are closed it is pretty dark and dingy inside.

I can understand in the summer because they would have the sun shining in (although I like that) but it is like it all year round.

Maybe once every couple of months the blinds will be open .

Mind you when I walk my dogs I am always amazed at just how many houses have their curtains or blinds shut during the day

[hmmmmm]

MrsMarigold I've never seen the windows open. She smokes and we can actually smell it coming through the bathroom so must be through the skirting boards or something? Her bathroom is next to ours. I doubt she smokes over the dcs though. She probably stands at the back door next to the bathroom?

[picklemepopcorn]

My old house had cream blinds. You couldn’t see in or out but there was plenty of light with them down.

[Juicyfruitloop]

Yes I've a family member who does this with DC. She has horrendous depression. She would never allow anyone inside though I imagine it's bad as it was previous years when you could visit. Very sad.

Obviously there are many reasons people do it but when you have little people you need to let daylight in.

[hmmmmm]

I've been inside not much light.

[washingmachinefastwash]

Keeping the blinds closed in the summer will keep her house cool as the sun shines through the window.

Keeping her blinds closed in the winter will keep the heat in.

My blinds are closed because my house is right on the pavement so everyone stares in.

It could be something like that.

[itsasecret1]

Vampires, definitely.

[Jenwen22]

Nah I keep mine in the living room closed all the time, as its easy for people passing to look in. Which they do with alarming frequency. So the blinds stay shut as I prefer privacy

[formerbabe]

Just because your DC didn't cry or scream a lot, doesn't mean every other child is the same.
One of mine used to scream the house down if they couldn't find a particular piece of Lego!

[JaneEyre70]

I had a friend that would never open her curtains or blinds at the front of the house. It was to avoid her mother in law .

[Summerisdone]

I often have to keep my blinds down all day because the angle of my home seems to be in direct line with the sun and it shines blindingly through.

My neighbours don't have the problem half as bad as me, occasionally having days where it's too bright for them but not too often. I think the position of the trees and houses opposite block the worst of it out for them.

This could explain why your neighbour keeps her's down.

[DeadButDelicious]

My eyes are very sensitive to light (I am one of those sunglasses in winter people because my eyes just stream otherwise) so I keep them closed during the day. They are cream vertical blinds though so they let in a bit of light. I regularly open the windows (can't stand a stuffy house). The front bedroom I keep closed to keep the room cool as it's a bit of a heat trap, in summer I lined them with foil to reflect heat out and keep the room shaded. Worked a treat! Much cheaper than black out blinds. The kitchen blinds I do open as the garden doesn't get a lot of sun and as downstairs is kind of open plan it lets a little bit of extra light in.

I always kept them closed when we lived in a terraced house, people do tend to stare in when they walk past and I don't like that. I've never really thought that much about it. I don't really care what people think about it.

[silkpyjamasallday]

I live in a terrace, and have shutters on the front windows at the bottom which I always have shut, just tilted to let light in. I also keep the blinds down in our bedroom which is above as I can't be bothered to keep putting them up and down for DDs naps, and the houses opposite can see straight into our bedroom. So from the street it probably looks like we live in darkness but that isn't the case, I just value privacy, and they muffle the noise from all the bloody inconsiderate students that live on this road. The windows at the back of the house are south facing so light pours in, so there is no necessity to open the front ones, and as the frontages of the houses are directly on the street you do get people peering in which I hate.

I wouldn't imagine the curtains being closed is because your neighbour is abusing her DC, some children cry more than others, and may be more difficult behaviour wise than your DC. You can't judge things by your own standards as they don't apply to everyone. Maybe she keeps them shut because she knows you are nosy and judgy OP

[ZippyCameBack]

I have a blind which I keep closed because otherwise the light reflects off my monitor and I can't see the screen well enough to work. I used to live in a flat in Glasgow with solar powered heating (yes, really, and yes, it was bloody freezing!) and the blinds would suddenly close because they had panels in them for the heating. It was very disconcerting and slightly counter-productive since I'd then have to put the lights on.
It does sound as if the neighbour may be struggling a bit, but it could also just be that she prefers to live like that. If you knew her well it might be okay to ask if she needed help with anything, but it doesn't sound like you do. If there is a problem and she thinks you are prying that's only likely to make it worse.

[BlueSkyBurningBright]

My Dh would happily leave all the curtains shut all the time, he does not see the point of opening them in the morning and closing them at night. He just turns the lights on if it is dark in the room.

I went away for a night and came home to every curtain in the house closed. I immediately started opening the curtains and windows. He thinks I am odd.

Maybe it does not bother her and she likes them shut.

[HarrietVane99]

But the sun moves. It shines through my front windows in the mornings, and on very hot days I do keep the curtains closed in the mornings. But it's moved on by late morning, so I open the curtains. In the evening it shines through the back windows.

I have nets for privacy. I think I'd find blinds depressing; they stop people seeing in, but also mean you can't see out.

[WishICouldThinkOfSomethinWitty]

We constantly have our blinds shut in our living room.
Our House has a path right in front of it so we can see people walking by. I'm quite happy to keep the blinds shut if that means I can take my bra off as soon as I get in from an 11 hour shift without the neighbours getting an eyeful or scaring the local children.

[hmmmmm]

I suppose to be fair there's not much to see in our street. Interesting hearing others views.

The crying only concerns me because of the shouting. I suppose some parents are shouty. I never see the point. I have young gcs and find they respond better when they aren't shouted at. Makes me shudder tobthinkbof little ones hearing it all the time. Though not as bad as hitting.

[hmmmmm]

To think of*

I'm rushing to go out sorry for typos

[Bluntness100]

I’d also assume this was a privacy issue and not that she likes to sit in the dark or is hiding something nefarious.

For me, voile would be better, but I lived on a road once where folks could see in, and I didn’t like it either, so kept voiles up to prevent feeling like I was living my life on public display.