my neighbours kids never stop screaming!!! Driving me insane

I hate children these days, they are annoying, aggressive, screaming little brats and the parents are no better. As i'm typing this it's 8.10pm and a gang of 8 children are outside my bedroom window screaming at the top of their lungs and it has been going on for near 3 hours. Normally i would ignore the noise but i'm trying to study for a maths exam and i can't because of these brats. Why should i have to put up with that kind of noise where i live just because the parents don't give a c**p about what their children get up to?

I can't go and complain to the parents, they'll most likely smack you or cause trouble for you.
Can't tell the brats to shut up, they will most likely damage your property.
Can't call the police because they never do anything.

Hence the reason people complain on the internet. what a f*****g great world we live in.

The reality is children are born with personalities, this is very apparent when you raise more than one child in the same environment and they display very different behaviours. I think it's safe to say that most people who say it's simply a mattering of parenting aren't themselves parents. Oh how I would rejoice if it were that simple, not that I don't make mistakes and sometimes even make matters worse, because Hello I am human. But really I follow good sound advice, and common sense MOST of the time and it's not as full proof as you might think. I've decided someone was playing a cruel joke when "they" made it sound like consistency was a sure fire method to ensure your children never threw a tantrum when they aren't getting what they want, I NEVER give in to tantrums and yet still to my amazement they still try. My daughter is 4 almost 5 and she is still a screamer/whiner, she has always been an emotional and reactive child, she will outgrow the whining and screaming but more than likely she'll always be an emotional person, THIS is her personality. Good luck to all those who are not yet parents and think they are going to have model children, that is going to be one serious wake up call.

I have a neighbour and EVERY weekend they mind their grandson and they let him play out in the back garden at 5, 6, 7am. He is screaming and shouting everywhere! I am constantly being woken up and as i work all week i am fuming as it is my only time for a lie in.
I did write a letter to the grandparents and it got better (they let him play out at 8.30) But its not startting again as this morning it was 7.30.
They are just inconsiderate people. Is there a time limit where noise is unacceptable as i was thinking of contacting the Enviromental Health department regarding the noise so early, but would they do anything??

What a great essay on parenting! I think that you've offered some great insight and I wish you the best with your daughter, as I'm sure she is going to be a handful in about ten years. Thanks so much for posting your thoughts on it.

I'm in the same situation as the OP.

Six months ago, a young(ish) family moved in and seemed really nice. They told me their child was teething and apologised in advance for any crying.

Each and every night I am woken about to or three times by the kid screaming and crying.
Of a day, the screaming starts about 0730 and continues constantly until about 6 pm. And I mean constantly.
It's generally whinges, but about 9 or 10 times a day turns into full out crying. About three of four of these are screaming (along the lines of real pain). When it is not crying, it is screaming, and the mother encourages it.

All I can here is the mother going "whoooo" in a high pitched voice and the child copying her. That goes on for about 2 hours a day.

I've not actually seen the kid properly, but it is apparently 3 years old, and I know damned well that teething takes place well before then. I have a kid brother half my age and he cried nowhere near the amount this child does, nor have I heard any other kid make so much noise.

It's making my life hell. I have chosen not to have kids, but I can accept other people's kids and the problems that come with them. What I cannot accept is their behaviour affecting my life.

Why should I have to tolerate this noise day and night. It's not my kid, it's not in my house, I did ask for any of this, but there it is.

To all those who think it's people "moaning", I'd like you to spend a week under these conditions and see how quickly you change your attitude. And if you're thinking of saying "Ah, but I do go through this because I have kids", then realise that it was your choice and not something inflicted on you.

what a load of c**p
According to Darwin the slow, the stupid and the infirm should not breed.
Just because you spread your legs to produce another welfare check should not be sufficient reason to call someone a "parent".
In addition there is no exception to the fact that PEOPLE are jerks, and as all are soooo eager to point out
kids are ppl too.
So, I have no warm fuzzies for children just cuz they are children. I do NOT enjoy the sounds of someone else's ill educated offspring
disturbing the neighbourhood entire for their own amusement.
And personally I think most of those ppl should not have been alllowed to breed much less raise their own offspring!!!

the laughter of children is LOUD AND SHREIKING why would anyone enjoy that

and on a final note
those who now sit in a park to watch and enjoy the children playing would probably be detained by the police for suspicious behaviour!~~~

So here's the deal, we all understand that children make noise, I think people are talking about the bad kind of acting out. The people who are voicing their opinion about the loudness of children are talking about excessive and troubling behavior. It doesn't mean the rest of you are bad parents because your children make noise and act out all kids do at times and I think all of society is aware and deals with it, but ....Seriously excessive, repeated, crying, screaming, fighting that happens every day I think needs to be reported, it sounds like the rest of you are sane parents otherwise. I didn't go on like that when I was a child and we were not allowed to play with children who acted like that either. I also think something is kind of off with a family when parents just allow children to act so horrible OR animalistic ( assuming the child is normal) for long periods of time in public and ignore it, it's weird, not to mention a reflection of your family. If the parenting skills are that bad you need to be called on it, that's why you're the adult and responsible for the child. Don't just brush it off, by saying hmm kids are kids, too bad so sad, are you not suppose to correct this behavior? Besides, I don't recall a news story on epidemically high phony misleading calls to the LOCAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES or POLICE DPT'S NON EMERGENCY # OR 1-800-4-A-CHILD, but I kind of recall lots of news stories on abused children so....don't feel bad people about questioning horribly loud awful children because you know if that same loud, crying, screaming, swearing child reacted to their child that way they would stop it in a hot second so don't let them fool you or tell you otherwise.

Great food for thought. My neighbors kids scream all the time and it drives me nuts, but I haven't ever called the police about it because they're always outside and playing. But it's awfully ahrd to tell if they're being abused or not...because they scream so loud and convincingly!

I've recently moved into a new house and have the same problem with a kid screaming all day next door. They have a baby which I understand will cry and that does'nt bother me. What bothers me is their 4 year old howling like a dog all day long from 7 am to midnight. I know kids will make noise, it's a fact of life but there comes a point where constant shrill screaming goes beyond normal behaviour.

No doubt if I start playing loud music to drown the noise out they'll complain I'm the one being anti-social.

Well, rather than doing that, why don't you complain to the neighbors and document it? next time, just call the police, and keep doing it until they keep better control of their kids.

There is seriously something wrong with kids who scream all of the time! Lack of intellectual stimulation, exercise, poor diet and poor parenting all have an impact on a child's behavior. I have a neighbor with two children and the 5 year old runs around the house and screams at the top of his lungs...just screaming! If he were my kid I would put him in a pool and make him swim until his arms fell off. Then lets see how much energy he has left to scream. It drives me crazy!!! I am a triathlete and take naps in the middle of the day so that I can recover for my next workout of the day. I try to plan my naps when they take theirs but it doesn't always happen. I choose not to complain because I love where I live and want to choose my battles. But it is extremely disruptive. I will address it when I feel the time is right. And why am I writing this? Not to complain just to let others know that I am going through the same thing as they are and that there is something wrong with this behavior. It should not be tolerated! ;-)

I have a similar problem with my neighbours. The child (a girl) of about 18 months has been shrieking and screaming for hours each day for as long as I can remember. At one time I called the authorities in case something weird was going on - you never know! I thought she might be being abused. I was shocked that the Police were called. I wanted social workers to check them out. Am wondering whether she has a mental or medical condition, in which case it would be forgiveable. She sounds angry and unhappy. The parents are always shouting though and have very loud voices. Some of the time I think she screams to get their attention. I have a daughter of my own who only screamed when she had colic at a few weeks old. After that she was a happy child who communicated normally. As for turning up the music, as one person suggested, not a good idea as they might reciprocate then I end up with two problems.

OMG. I have neighbor children that are killing my serenity by their heinous screeching. And not just screaming. While only toddlers or so, they scream insults at the top of their lungs, including at passers by .... increased to a fire truck pitch if ignored. This is my neighborhood and I have lived in my house for 40 years. Never before have children been so horrible. It is more than a nuisance. It is excruciating and my nervous system is shattered. Don't give me any c**p about they are just kids. They are horrible and rude kids and their pitch could shatter glass. And you bet, I learned respect (intuitively, and thru parenting) and would no more have screamed like that in a million years, much less hurled insults like "Fat" and "poo Poo" and worse. I hate them, to be honest. I speak for plenty of people who can't stand the uncensored children, either. We aren't all children people, just as everyone is not a dog person. Do you child defenders enjoy barking dogs, by the way? Then shut the ---- up! I agree with a former guest that the parents are not parenting and the kids would benefit from learning manners. Kids can have fun without screaming (I promise), left free to intrude on decent people who have a right to summers outside too. Anyone disagree? Makes me hope an inconsistent fire siren is your next neighbor. You'll come to your senses. Everybody who agrees with please let's not p***y foot around, we need to stand up for ourselves. It is really only asking to live on this earth in peace. :!:

Here's the deal.

You should know where you're kids are at especially by 9pm school night or not. If you don't you're being a bad parent. They don't need to play in other people's yard's. You got one right? Plenty big enough? Good. Model kids? no. Parent who actually give a S*^T what and where they're kid are and doing? YES! Having the sense to know when they are obnoxiously loud? YES! In the end, it's never the kids who need a butt whipping, it the parent who's not giving the butt whipping to their kids for behaving like a neanderthal that needs one. Everyone who thinks the OP is whining might actually live next to me and teach thier kid SH*&TY manners. If you are, I guess I can take solace in the fact that I won't ever loose "Parent of The Year" to you because you teach your kids no respect.

No one should have to deal with constant sounds of screaming coming from their neighbors residence, so i totally sympathize with the poster. I'm not usually one to post on blogs like this, but when i came across responses from other mom's saying that the poster should just deal with it because that's how kids are and should "get a life and stop whining on the internet," i couldn't resist the urge to point out that YOU ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING by responding to a blog post with completely useless advice. Now that i have that out of my system, the real reason i am here: I moved into a relatively high end townhouse about 6 months ago, and the neighborhood is quite overall. There is a homeowners association in place here, so noise disturbances are usually not a problem. When i moved in, it was my understanding that this was a "no kids allowed" kind of place, which thrilled me beyond belief as i have pretty bad insomnia and need to live somewhere quiet where i can sleep for a few hours anytime i am able to. However, one week ago, a family moved in below me with 2 kids: a 9 month old and a 2 year old. I understand that kind cry when they wake up, that's fine. The 9 month old is never a problem, she cries for 5 minutes when she wakes up and that is it. The 2 year old wakes up every morning around 6 am and screams bloody murder for the next few hours. The first time i heard this, i thought they were literally abusing the kid to cause it to scream so furiously, but i've come to realize that it is just a normal part of life for them. This continues on and off throughout the day until the kid goes to bed around 9 pm. It is absolutely ridiculous. It frustrates me that a) these parents blatantly disregard how annoying this is to their neighbors and don't even TRY to do something about it (i never hear them trying to discipline their child for this behavior), and b) i pay a small fortune to live here, i should NOT have to deal with this. Is there anything my homeowners association can do to try and stop this insanity?