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

i hate flashing lights I genuinely can't see why they even have that setting
if I lived opposite it's not the bedtime that I'd worry over it's the entirety of the rest of the evening
sorry to be brutal like
however in all these years of living opposite a very garish flashy Christmas house and now again after moving having a neighbour (otherwise lovely ) with unexpected (thought he had better taste!) flashy lights I've never once felt it was my place to tell them to change them

You can't on my phone

Just put them on static - flashing lights can be a real problem for some people.

@Laurendelaney1987
@SuddenlyISee

my dc was full of beans last night so out for a drive we went...

Train your kids or take the lights down. YABU.

I get annoyed by my across the road neighbour constantly locking and unlocking his car then reversing off his drive so this would drive me insane! For context he is a taxi driver but he seems to insist on returning home after every taxi journey. I find it so annoying I've had to move my furniture round so my back is to the window!

I get migraines very fast, that last days, from any flashing light. It's unbearable for me to have flashing lights at night. If someone explains it to you nicely please act decently in return.

I hate flashing lights. Every Christmas, neighbours have theirs on flashing mode and we have to close the blinds because they are in our line of vision in the lounge. YABVU

I'm glad you aren't my neighbour! Flashing lights would do my head in if they were on until 10pm. Oh and your kids need to know they aren't allowed to be playing with the switch too. As the parent, do your job and parent them!!

I know the op has solved this issue and is no longer having her lights on the flash mode. Thank you. All your neighbours will be grateful. This thread reminds me of a programme l saw some years ago about some of the most extreme decorated houses in the country. One young man, still living at home with his parents, had not only festooned the house with lights from top of bottom but had also rigged up a computer programme with Christmas songs on a continuous loop to go with them. They had used so much electricity on this that they could not even boil a kettle and, of course, the whole extravaganza was on for hours throughout December. It must have been terrible for all the neighbours, but particularly horrendous for the people directly opposite. It must have taken all the self control they could muster not to attack the whole thing with a pair of wire cutters.

Wow that looks amazing for children to see..If they don't ''flash'' that's not too bad to love opposite.

As a child, I loved going past houses and seeing Christmas trees in windows.
Someone had a 19th Century rocking horse on the window as well that looked beautiful.
Antique shops used to put a rocking horse in the window as well {when there were more actual shops on the high street} I definitely associate them with Christmas.

This! ⬆️ You CAN control your kids messing with the settings - you're their parent!!

@alloalloallo & @Baldieheid thank you both for answering my question.

I think we can all stop now 😉 the OP has understood flashing lights are not nice for other people, she had a civilised encounter with her neighbour about it and will act accordingly. Oh, and she will start parenting her children once she got them back from the police station 😜(sorry OP, I couldn't resist 😂)
Have a wonderfull december all of you 🎄

Hear hear

You're welcome. To be honest, it took me a bit by surprise to list just how many changes I make to my life to get through winter without seizure activity or to avoid feeling really ill for days. I just do it, don't think about it anymore. I become a hermit!

Yes - you are being unreasonable. Move the control settings out of reach of the children or tell them to stop messing.

Keep them static - static lights don’t bother me, flashing lights triggered my seizures and migraines, they could be the same or equally they just don’t want a disco going on when they are in their own home. Closing blinds etc doesn’t block it all out completely sadly.

Where is this? I need to know so as to never accidentally buy a house there lol. Its sounds ghastly! No ifs, no buts-flashing Christmas lights are just plain tacky.

I have epilepsy therefore flashing Christmas lights are my biggest fear And flashing ones certainly would be good for me, most people do not realise how much a flashing light can impact somebody with a condition like mine

Errrrmm, in every village, town and city across the UK I think?
They are hardly unusual.

Fortunately no tacky flashing lights anywhere near where we live thank goodness!

Surely you can control your kids OR put an extension wire so the clock portion isn't in their room?

I'm sure someone will probably have said this already, but I've only read page 1 of all the 19 pages, so apologise if I'm repeating.

Flashing lights can have serious effects for people who suffer with epilepsy, severe migraines, severe photosensitivity, to name just a few conditions, never mind them just being annoying!

@Chamomileteaplease

" I can't think of much worse than flashing lights coming into my windows "

Think harder 🤔

I hate them as well.