to expect next door's children to be quiet!

[Pinkjenny]

I think this is a dilemma that has no answer, but I'll vent anyway.

We live next door to a lovely couple, with 3 dcs, 8, 4 and 9 months. We get on really well with them, they are a very sociable pair, and we often pop in for a coffee etc. The lady is definitely not someone you would want to be on the wrong side of, however, she has a very sharp tongue, and wouldn't be afraid to use it.

The problem is thus. We are expecting dc2, and will be moving dd into the back bedroom soon, that overlooks both gardens. Neighbours children are typically in the garden until about 8.30pm during the week, and around 10pm at the weekend, when they generally have friends round. Their elder dc are extremely noisy, and spend loads of time kicking their football against the fence, and jumping on their trampoline.

My dd is a very light sleeper. Can you see my problem? There's no answer, is there. She's just going to be disturbed and there's nothing I can do.

I don't think there's much you can do really. How about buying her a CD of background soundtrack, like rain or tropical rainforest noises?

I use this to drown out the sound of noisy neighbours and traffic and it works really well.

Oh that's a really great idea, McSnail.

She is in with us at the moment Riven , her bed is next to ours. If we so much as breathe too loudly she wakes up, it's so bloody annoying. Mucho stressful when you're trying to stifle a cough!!

Could you and your DH move into the back bedroom and leave DD where she is now?

Not really, we have a wall of fitted wardrobes in our bedroom, and the TV

As I said, I don't think there is any answer. I keep telling dh we'll have to just move, which he feels is a little extreme

I feel for you, my lazy kids would sleep through an earthquake

You would get on really with my dh, Riven.

VT - can I order one like that this time?

really well

we have similar problem but were ground floor flat and kids room is above ours they bang and jump on the floor play ball sing karaoke till silly o clock but not late enough to be able to complain have asked politely if noise can be kept down they are 11 and 13 but it just made them worse weekends its 11.30 till they quieten down

wouldn't mind though my dp was playing music at 4.40 pm and they came down and asked for it to be turned off as dd wasn't well she is 13 my ds was 2 with bad croup they had blaring music at 12 went up asked if they could turn it down as ds couldn't sleep took 20 mins for them to turn it down

i feel your concerns as ds is very light sleeper but sadly not much can be done

She'll adapt but might be worth doing sooner - before baby is imminent - rather than leaving it. By the time yours are 8 and 4 you might come to realise that they werenlt so very noisy after all !

sometime sitas more our concerns and anxieties though as now ds is older and we get to go out in garden till later it doesn't worry me about anyone else iyswim but if i was indoors id be panicking that ds was being woken up as i simply don't want to deal with it but nothing i love more than being outside with friends on a nice evening

itas = its lol

My tip for deep sleepers is dont tip toe around them when they are tiny, babies get used to noise and will sleep right through it

Hopefully your dd will get used to it too eventually

VT - I don't think she's got a choice

LIZS - I don't resent them for being noisy much which is why I wouldn't dream of saying anything.

I think the asnwer, not just for this but as a general sleep skill, is to help her adapt to noise.

After all, one day she might be in hospital, or you may holiday soemwhere noisy or soemsuch.

white noise is supposed to be great for blocking out exta5r noise, a radio on no setting would do quite well and very cheaply.

i must admit ive always made sure there was some element of noise for ds to fall asleep with as if they get used to quiet they will only ever sleep if quiet i used to put music or tv on louder so ds had to learn to fall asleep with some noise going on

when he was baby i had tv on in same room as he got older music on slightly louder etc in other room best skill they can have is to be able to settle themselves down no ,matter what

Trust me, I will be dealing with 'sleep' very differently with dc2!

Before we moved, all my clothes were kept in dd's room as there wasn't room in ours. Why can't you have your bed and tv in the back bedroom and dd and your wardrobes where they are now?

Otherwise, no there's no answer. She'll just have to get used to sleeping through noise - not a bad thing anyway.

What are you going to do when the new one is too old to be in your room?

The new one will go into dd's old room that she's never slept in.