Neighbour asked us to stop our Christmas lights flashing

[SuddenlyISee]

Outside Christmas lights got put up on Sunday morning going around a couple of the windows at the front of the house (we live end terrace on a close).
We were out till late on Sunday evening so they were only on for probably an hour that day and then I switched them on when I got home from work at about 3:30 yesterday. Within an hour, my opposite neighbour knocked on my door and said that although he really likes the "Christmas cheer", could we not have them flashing all the time as they are disturbing him at night. They are turned off no later than 10pm as that is when we go to bed. There are multiple settings and I can't control that my children keep changing them when I'm not in the room where the plug is. I just feel like I'm going to spend the next few weeks worrying that our lights are offending him and wonder if I should just take them down. The neighbours either side of the neighbour that complained have both got the same lights as us so I have the same view as him, if not more so, and I can't see how it would affect anyone

YABU. Flashing lights when you're trying to sleep is horrible. If you can't control your children fiddling with the settings then the lights need to go off.

Flashing lights bleeding through curtains and stuff can be really annoying. Maybe just turn them off completely a bit earlier?

Basically this

Wouldn't it be easier to teach the children not to play with plugs and wires than to take the whole lot down

I can’t help but feel that if you are light sensitive then it is your duty to buy yourself black out blinds or curtains! Otherwise you will be continually annoyed by street lights, cars driving past and neighbours outside lights.

I am not bothered by outside lights but DH is so we bought black out blinds. I wouldn’t dream of bothering neighbours unless they were being excessively noisy!

Flashing lights are a nightmare for many! Have your lights, but I agree with your neighbour that they need to be static.

Flashing lights are a nightmare if they’re casting a glow into his house. Just put them on a fixed setting and tell you children not to change it (and discipline them when they do!)

and I can't control that my children keep changing them when I'm not in the room where the plug is.
Well you could do.
It doesn’t seem in unreasonable ask from the neighbour on the whole and it sounds as if they asked nicely too.

Yabu, teach your children to be considerate

I have migraines triggered by flashing lights so I always set them on a non flashing setting. Flashing lights across from me could be horrendous if I couldn’t block them out.

Can you really not stop your children messing with them? Put the switch box somewhere they can’t access? Tell them not to?

Stick the control box out their reach with some tape and give them a talking to/threaten coal in stockings/bad list etc.

The ones that are really flashy are a right PITA at night!

I'm not a massive fan of flashing lights but OP is turning them off at 10 at the latest. I don't think she's/he's being unreasonable

You can control what your children do - they have a choice: have the lights on and leave the settings alone, or don’t have the lights on.

that said, I would say that flashing lights are generally ok up until about 8pm, but maybe your neighbour has an odd work shift pattern, and is trying to sleep when your lights are on and disturbing them?

YABU. Flashing lights are so annoying.

If you can’t control your children you need to take them down.

YABVU I can't think of much worse than flashing lights coming into my windows at whatever angle or time of day or night. Home is where you should be able to relax.

Teach your children that the light switch is only for adults to control otherwise you will turn them off.

Lights which remain on with no flashing are just as pretty, surely?

YABU. My neighbours have bright, flashing external lights thar are really intrusive. We've got black out blinds and blackout curtains in the rooms on that side of the house (living room, master bedroom) and they still find a way in! It's very disturbing.

YABU for "I cannot control my children" said in any context.

YABU, I sympathise with your neighbour and he's been pleasant about it. Tell your kids that their messing around is bothering other people - if they don't stop changing the settings you'll have to turn them off completely.

Flashing lights are much different than static. Unless you are a house with a light show, he hasn’t made a big request.

Of course you can stop your children touching them! A few stern words and a threat from santa should do the trick (I'm joking about santa).

YABU. Flashing lights are horrible even for a few minutes let alone from 3.30pm-10pm!

Flashing Christmas lights are a pet peeve of mine and do my head in. Doubly so if they are brilliant white or blue.

Can't you stop your children from fiddling with them somehow?

Why can’t you control your own kids, what’s the back story there?

and flashing lights are really awful. And can cause migraines etc for a lot of people. So thoroughly reasonable request.

Man admitting you can't control your kids on here is very brave OP

a good teaching moment for your younglings. Touch that plug and they're going off, type of thing.

YABVU. Flashing lights are a bloody nuisance and trigger migraines in many people. Just put them on steady or twinkling and read the riot act to the children about leaving them alone.

But she turned them on at 3.30 yesterday. That would be 6.5 hours of flashing lights!