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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour's toddler waking entire street up

306 replies

Myheadhurtsintheheat · 27/07/2018 09:04

I've NC'd for this as it might be outing.

Our NDN has an 22-month-old DC who doesn't talk much but squawks like a parrot at top volume. I swear this is no exaggeration - it's the most bizarre noise. From what we can tell, toddler's parents never encourage him not to make the noise - they just let him squawk. I think they're from the "be expressive" school of thought.

My AIBU is that they're bringing him out into their back garden at 6.30am when he's up and he's squawking everyone awake, including my DC, whose room is at the back too. I get that it's very hot and really hard for kids to sleep at the moment, but isn't it incredibly selfish to inflict that noise on everyone else if you're not going to try to teach the child to moderate it when appropriate? Or am I just being a grumpy old moaner?

And if INBU, should I say something?

OP posts:
MayFayner · 27/07/2018 09:07

6.30 is a bit early. I let mine go out from 8 but no shouting allowed.

The actual noise he makes probably can’t be controlled much by the parents though. 22 months is still very young.

formerbabe · 27/07/2018 09:11

Don't say anything. Yes, you're being a moaner!

GravyMilkshake · 27/07/2018 09:12

6.30 is too early. I’d say something.

witchofzog · 27/07/2018 09:13

6.30am is too early to be squaking loudly in the garden. If you know your child is noisy you don't let them outside at this time. Yanbu

greendale17 · 27/07/2018 09:13

6:30am is ridiculous. I would have to say something

sunlighthouse · 27/07/2018 09:16

6.30am is too early for anyone to be out and making noise in the garden. So YANBU there.

I'm intrigued as to how you'd get a 22 month old to "stop squawking" though!

AprilShowers16 · 27/07/2018 09:17

There isn’t really a lot you can do about the noise he makes, but maybe you could politely ask them if they could keep him inside until 8? (I wouldn’t refer to it as squawking though unless you want to get their backs up 😆)

Original poster
Myheadhurtsintheheat · 27/07/2018 09:19

I have been sympathetic to a point MayFayner, thinking the noise might be out of their control, but a firm "quiet voice now" when there's squawking is surely how you teach a child, even one that young? And if you can't control it, don't inflict it on everyone else at 6.30am!

OP posts:
swishbish · 27/07/2018 09:19

defo NBU! 6.30 is well to early - I would have to say something
@formerbabe why you think shes a moaner? 6.30 is well to early and if its waking her children this early she has to deal with them being moody tired and cranky all day

Original poster
Myheadhurtsintheheat · 27/07/2018 09:20

Don't worry, AprilShowers16, I absolutely wouldn't refer to it as squawking to them! But it really does sound like a parrot.

OP posts:
user1andonly · 27/07/2018 09:20

I think 6.30 is too early.

I wouldn't mention the squawk. Most children that age would be noisy in some way or another.

Before we had children, our neighbours used to let their little dears out at an ungodly hour and their little boy would ride his push-along car up and down the drive causing a horrible scraping noise for what felt like hour on end.

If you're feeling brave you could pop round for a chat along the lines of understanding how tricky it is when they get up at crack of dawn when they're tiny but could they keep him indoors until a bit later as your dc are being disturbed.

I never said anything to my neighbours as they were otherwise lovely and I didn't want to fall out with them so I just lay in bed muttering dark thoughts to myself! We had dc1 a short while later anyway and forgot about being asleep past 6am for a long time! Never let mine out before about 8.30 though.

Racecardriver · 27/07/2018 09:21

Well if the child is non verbal how you expect them to teach it to be quiet Hmm.

It is far too early though. If they have a noisy child they should stay in doors.

formerbabe · 27/07/2018 09:22

Because it's a baby...it's hot weather at the moment so probably going outside while it's cooler. Oh, and as far as I know anyway, when it comes to complaints about noise, councils won't do anything about children making noise anyway...and for good reason.

NotAnotherUserName5 · 27/07/2018 09:24

I was going to say how is he waking the e thre street up from his bed,but then I saw they take him in the garden at 6:30 am?! What?! Shock

Are they leaving him outside alone or something?

Yanbu.

NotAnotherUserName5 · 27/07/2018 09:25

They should just buy a bloody fan if it’s the heat!

Original poster
Myheadhurtsintheheat · 27/07/2018 09:26

Who mentioned complaining to the council, formerbabe? And I said in my OP I appreciated how hot it is and that kids can't sleep. But that includes mine, who is now shattered because they were woken up so early having not been able to get to sleep until really late because it was still boiling. But I guess the baby's need to squawk trumps my DC's need to sleep. Hmm

I know it's hard when kids are non verbal Racecardriver, but there are still things you can do, like raising a finger to lips to indicate quiet. But that's not actually the issue - it's the parents taking him out into the garden at 6.30am.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 27/07/2018 09:27

God who puts their kids out in the garden st half six knowing they will make a racket.

Most of us always tried to keep our kids quiet didn't we?

Dd2 wa sbt verbal at 22 months but I certain my didn't let her screech in the garden

Original poster
Myheadhurtsintheheat · 27/07/2018 09:27

NotAnotherUserName5 No, parent is with him playing.

OP posts:
monty09 · 27/07/2018 09:31

6.30 is way too early! You can still teach a non verbal child how to be quiet just because they can't talk doesn't mean they can't listen! Go and have a word and see if it does anything

donquixotedelamancha · 27/07/2018 09:31

My AIBU is that they're bringing him out into their back garden at 6.30am when he's up and he's squawking everyone awake, including my DC, whose room is at the back too.

YANBU. Although I think if they teach him to cockadoodledo instead, you may have to put up with it.

donquixotedelamancha · 27/07/2018 09:32

Are they leaving him outside alone or something?

I'm picturing a wire-mesh run for some reason.

Original poster
Myheadhurtsintheheat · 27/07/2018 09:34

YANBU. Although I think if they teach him to cockadoodledo instead, you may have to put up with it.

Ha ha, that would actually be a more preferable noise!

OP posts:
BottleOfJameson · 27/07/2018 09:34

The squawking they can't help. If he's still non-verbal they won't want him to stop making sounds and expressing himself. HOWEVER he shouldn't be expressing himself in the garden at 6:30. That's far too early. I wouldn't let my DS play outside until 9:00. (Since DS is older I'd also not let him screech or make excessive noise).

kaytee87 · 27/07/2018 09:35

6.30 is far too early, the earliest I've taken my toddler into the garden is 8.30 and even then I was conscious to try and keep him quieter until after 9. How hard is it for the parents to keep the toddler in the house, strip down to nappy if too hot or run a shallow bath and let them play while you supervise or god forbid let them watch tv for a little while.

Gileswithachainsaw · 27/07/2018 09:36

You can help the squawking though .

You can sit down and look at a book together or even stick on a movie interact with the child etc.
An occupied child doesn't squawk quite as much.