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

Brilliant, thanks for the advice! Maybe they could cut their own hands off with the meat cleavers I have wrapped in their stockings.

You can turn them off earlier, it’s dark by half four. It would drive me insane if I had to sleep with flashing lights outside my window. I can’t even have my own lights inside the house on a flashing setting when I’m just watching tv. Your children need to understand that it’s upsetting someone but also why does it matter to them what the lights are doing later in the evening when they can’t even see them?

Really...you can't see how someone who has epilepsy for example might be massively impacted by your flashing lights?

Discipline your children and teach them not to piss about with lights. You are being massively unreasonable.

Flashing lights are migraine inducing so I wouldn't want to be your neighbour. You should either keep them on constant all the time or take them down. Try explaining to your kids that they are causing other people pain and maybe they will stop playing with them.

Flashing lights are for inside your own home.

1. They trigger seizures in many people
2. They trigger migraine in many people
3. They distract drivers

It's people like the OP that makes me glad I live in the middle of nowhere.

They should be banned. Slow fading is fine. My neighbours have theirs on til 12!

Of course you can control your kids not it’s just you’re choosing not to.

Basically you think your neighbour is a twat and you should be able to have flashing lights and your kids play with the settings and sod the neighbour. You don’t give a F about your neighbour at all.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain

You've literally requoted me saying that I will change the settings and stop the children from messing with them. Not once have I said anything about how I think my neighbour is a twat and that I should be able to do what I want. Don't put words in my mouth.

Some people are just pissed off at their own neighbours and taking it out on you

OP, if you were my neighbour and you listened to me and stopped the flashing lights, you'd be getting a massive thank you x

Flashing lights are rubbish - not suitable for putting outside a house where they can intrude on other properties. Why should they have to block out the universe just to avoid your flashing lights! And if you cannot control your children not to fiddle with them, then turn them off.

Ask him what time he wants them to be off and if it is certain days. If it is reasonable e.g. 8 or 9 turn them off or to a fixed setting then. Do they have a dimmer? Many of the LED strings with a timer and settings also have this.

@SuddenlyISee Agree with the quoted poster.

For fun in this thread you should mention that that your flashing lights are synced to your gigantic wind chime 🤣

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.

JFC. Statements like this just make me want to throw in the towel as a teacher.
If there was a modicum of authority in your house, your children wouldn't dream of changing them.

No means no.

Get a grip on your children doing what they are told, or you're in for years of pain.

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

AND from the beginning of December, i.e basically for a month.
I think your neighbour is being quite reasonable here. Could you put the lights on the timer, so that they come on for a couple of hours at dusk, and then go off?

OP thanks for putting a stop to this once you realised the potential issues.

What up with the kids?!!

Wow. I never realised the world of mumsnet had such an objection to some festive lights?! @SuddenlyISee I am genuinely surprised. It is December, less than 3 weeks til Xmas, it would honestly never have occurred to me that anyone would have an issue with flashing lights that are off by 10pm?! I don't put lights up personally but enjoy looking at other people's lights. All the houses on my street have some sort of flashing ensemble (my neighbours next door looks like the outside of Santa's actual grotto!) and whilst not all of it is to my personal tastes, and I am the last person who would ever want to cause issues with neighbours, it is just a bit of festive fun. Plus if people really hate it, they have curtains!

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.

Yes you can.

Some of us find them irritating and also think you need to manage your own children better.

How can people stand the seizure-inducing flashing settings? The gentle twinkle one is just about ok but I’ve never understood why anyone would want them to flash violently. I saw a house with a blue set on their tree that was on an aggressive alternating flash. It was like an array of emergency services were in their living room.

@SuddenlyISee I’ve quoted you because it’s clear to me and a few others on this thread that youre changing the settings and stopping the children messing with them but it’s under duress and from the tone of your posts you do seem to think you can do what you want and you cannot control your kids. I am not putting words into your mouth. You seem to come across as very combative on this thread though, so god knows how you come across to your neighbour.

Why did you then mention your other points about him not working shifts, how no other neighbours are affected and there’s a street lamp which your lights don’t overpower, therefore you’re insinuating that your neighbour is being difficult to complain about these lights due to the latter points, but yes you haven’t said he’s being a twat (bet you thought it though!).

I mean you have no idea if he suffers from epilepsy or migraines either.

@salamirose are you directing this to me or to @SuddenlyISee ?! Not quite clear here…

haha no been here donkey's years, very used to people just seeming to argue for the sake of it, it's just rare to actually have 2 posts with the opposite POVs at almost exactly the same time to perfectly illustrate it!