freaked out by neighbour dispute

[TheScatterGunApproach]

Apologies have posted already in chat but few responses.

Ok. My neighbour's kids are basically good kids. But when the boy (10) has friends around they throw stones at our windows. They have also thrown stones at the other neighbours' places and at an old lady walking past our block of flats.

Last night my husband went and spoke to their mother because the kids were deliberately kicking a ball at the windows of the shops below our flats.

Her attitude is basically 'Kids will be kids, that's just what boys are like'. They both ended up raising their voices.

Then her estranged partner came out and started telling my husband to 'bring it outside' while smacking his fist into his hand. My husband told him to stop trying to intimidate him and came back inside. Then the guy came and knocked at the door, I answered it and he asked for my husband. The lady next door then came and pulled him away.

What the hell do I do now? The estranged partner seems a nasty bit of work and I am kind of freaking out now as I'm home by myself a lot of the time with our one year old daughter.

Oh dear. You poor thing, how shitty for you. Your husband did the right thing in not rising to the bloke's provocation.

I suppose it's a good sign that the woman, however rubbish at sorting the problem with the kids, did not let it escalate. MAYBE that's a chink of reasonableness you could exploit, by maybe talking to her yourself if it happens again?

I don't really know what to advise, other than keep a written record of everything that has happened.

Have you ever tried to talk to the kids directly?

That's shitty.

You've a few options:

1. Leave it and see if it calms down
2. Report his behaviour to police/housing office if you life in council/HA
3. wait until ex is away and then you go and approach woman and try and discuss be civil (maybe leave bringing up the kid thing again unless they do it again)
4. See if there is a mediation service in your area.
5. Teach your one year old to aim high and hard

hope you get it sorted.

awwww this is not good

can imagine why you feel abit threatened by being in the house with just you and DD alot

Im sure things will quiet down, tbh though by the actual fact the women had told her previous partner about this, suggests that she perhaps wanted him to come over to yours to throw his weight about, just pulled him away before it become to aggressive

Not sure if you should speak to her when she is on her own, my advice would be, leave it be for now, unless anything else happens, just perhaps ignore them both in the street, and hope thatll be the end of it

To be honest, this man came out because he heard a row involving his woman. If my partner let a man shout at me I'd dump him. I wouldn't worry, it was a man to man thing, unless the neighbour is off his head I doubt he'd start on you.