Is it just me?

[meiteoh]

I feel the need to rant...about my neighbour's kids.

=.=

Every noon and 5pm, whenever they pass my apartment, they would scream, and shout on the top of their voices plus stomp their feet as well. I've tried shutting the door and windows but I can still hear them clearly.

The trouble is that every day, without fail, they will wake up Eva up from her afternoon nap, especially around 5pm - she'd be in deep sleep, wake up in a fright coz of these kids and then have so much trouble going back to sleep that she'd start shouting and screaming to herself. :/

I've tried letting her take her naps in the crib but it's too hot in her room during the afternoons and I don't really want to use airconditioning when it's much cooler in the hall.

I dunno - am I being "too much" by wanting to tell the parent(s) off or is it normal to have children run about and scream/shout on the top of their voices in apartment blocks?

 

[diymummy]

Hi meiteoh, if you're staying in a HDB, it's actually very common. It seems to be less common in Condominiums.

Will you be talking to your neighbour abt her kids?

 

[PinkDiamonds]

I live in a corner flat so I don't have such problems. My parents' place are right outside the lift landing so it's quite common for us to experience such racket every day. BUT I CANNOT tolerate children who start screaming and shouting at the corridors. If they are with their maids I can understand if the maids are unable to control their behavior. But if they are with the parents, I would expect the parents to do something about the rowdy behavior.

The worse is when they use the corridors as a playground and start running up and down. Gosh. I honestly hope these parents don't think it's "funny" that their kids are like that.

 

[diymummy]

I think most of the parents cannot be bothered that their children is like that. I've even heard of a parent once that said it's a "COMMON" corridor and that we have no say over what happens because we don't own it. But they don't realise that although it is true it's a common corridor, it would be nice to exercise some grace and consideration for your neighbours. They just don't get it.

 

[apollo]

even me, i stay in at the most corner of the floor but my neighbour's kids, they stay at ANOTHER corner often come to our corner, scream and shout, run ard and even throw many rubbish outside our door!!! they can press our door bell and run away. when i confront the adults in their family, they will say "it's v COMMON!" "they are still young, why u so gek gao?" fyi, their kids ard all in pri sch. and i think a few are older than pri 3! and sometimes they even ask me "what makes u think that is my kids doing all these? did u see with both of ur eyes?" when i told them i DID saw everything with my own eyes and they will start saying that i shdnt be so bothered abt what a KID do..

but that was the past.. aft many times of 'scoldings' the kids are somehow afriad of me. they told my mum "aunty, tt jiejie in ur hse v fierce" and my mum told them "becos ur v naughty! shout somemore jiejie come out liao"

i told my hubby, now i hav a baby at hm, if their kids ever come to my corner and scream ard, i will definitely go out and tell them to KEEP QUIET, if they dont listen, i will still go and find the adults!

 

[meiteoh]

Yeah, they do run up and down the damn corridor and have to stop in front of my apartment unit to scream at whoever they ran from. BAH.

The kids - triplets - are with their mum at these times or a family friend, I suspect. Every time I look at her, she looks so dead tired and the kids, omigod, hyper. I have tried going "SHUSH" so many times (while being hidden away - yes, I'm that chicken) when they cross my place but it doesn't work. AIYO.

My hubby thinks it's typically Asian - to have or allow children to shout, and scream on the top of their voices. Me? I really don't want to start a fight between neighbours...and from a mum to a mum, I can understand sometimes that it's tough trying to control your kids but hai, I buay tahan wei!

diymummy, I wish we were rich enough to be staying in a condo. :/

 

[apollo]

Yeah, they do run up and down the damn corridor and have to stop in front of my apartment unit to scream at whoever they ran from. BAH.

The kids - triplets - are with their mum at these times or a family friend, I suspect. Every time I look at her, she looks so dead tired and the kids, omigod, hyper. I have tried going "SHUSH" so many times (while being hidden away - yes, I'm that chicken) when they cross my place but it doesn't work. AIYO.

My hubby thinks it's typically Asian - to have or allow children to shout, and scream on the top of their voices. Me? I really dont't want to start a fight between neighbours...and from a mum to a mum, I can understand sometimes that it's tough trying to control your kids but hai, I buay tahan wei!

diymummy, I wish we were rich enough to be staying in a condo. :/

of cos, better not to start any unnecessary quarrel. but if their kids' noise level has really affect Eva, and u. Maybe u can go out and tell the kids (in front of the mothers please) : "shhhh, baby is slping, can lower the volume? thks" rmb if u talk to kids, MUST be in front of their parents, in a nice tone. if not the kids might go back and tell their parents u 'scold' them.. haha...

 

[autumn82]

of cos, better not to start any unnecessary quarrel. but if their kids' noise level has really affect Eva, and you. Maybe you can go out and tell the kids (in front of the mothers please) : "shhhh, baby is sleeping, can lower the volume? thks" rmb if you talk to kids, MUST be in front of their parents, in a nice tone. if not the kids might go back and tell their parents you 'scold' them.. haha...

How true!!! :tlaugh:

I think you can speak to their parents instead coz it is disturbing Eva. I know it is common corridor but show some consideration... If the parents don't listen, I think you can seek the RC for help. Not good for babies to get disturb daily in that manner..

 

[stonston]

Actually it's very common in HDB. Most ppl will retort you "who ask you buy corridor unit".

You should tell the parents nicely first. Explain to them that your baby is often frightened by their noise.

If that doesn't work, then approach your RC or CMC for help. But before you do that, you need to get evidence of the ruckus they are making (and it has to be regular). You know their timing, take a camera & wait for them. Film them for at least 5 days (preferably consecutive). If the noise is really loud enough & delibrate, you can lodge a police complaint (of cos this is the last resort).

 

[Ottermum]

hi meiteoh...

the kid staying above my unit used to play marbles WHENEVER HE FELT LIKE IT...he can throw, roll, n do whatever you can think of with his marbles...

my hubby went up n told his Grandpa before...at 8am on a Sunday morning little prince up there playing marbles again...n his doting Grandpa just glared at my hubby!!!!!!!

finally 1 evening i couldn't take it anymore...cos it was irritably disturbing n my son just fallen asleep a while ago n that rascal started his games again, i stormed up....walked over to their unit...upon reaching i controlled my anger, smiled n pressed the doorbell...

thank goodness it was not the ah gong nor the ah ma who dote on the little devil who opened the door...it was the father of the kid!

So i smiled, in an uneasy manner n asked whether he can do something about his son's marbles?? Apparently the old couple takes care of his son n he doesn't know what he does during the day...in fact at that point he doesn't even know he's playing marbles in the room!!!

Then i told him "Sorry i know it's difficult to stop kids from playing the toys they like but, you see, i have an infant at home n he can't sleep at all if your son continues to play like that."

So finally it stops...

Few days later i saw that kid...happened to share the lift with his Grandma n him...

wah piang throughout the journey in that lift he screamed at top of his lungs, hopped around n kept pressing the Alarm button....

his Grandma just smiled n said "see he's so active n cute!" T_T"'

try to let the mum know...in a nice way...i believe she has kids she'd understand your misery too...like you understand hers...

if that doesn't help, tell the kids next time "you guys so noisy again i'll call the police"

that sure freaks them out...

 

[CanCanMum]

i dun think its normal

possible to tell the parents off??? Or tell the kids off (but i find it wonx work)

i think its perfectly ok (normally if it doesnt work i will ask hubby to go tell - at least he be the baddie )

coz personally i oso hate kids who run about and making so much noise coz i oso stay corridor unit......

 

[meiteoh]

Thanks folks!

I'm so not used to apartment style living - have stayed in a house in KL and in Switzerland, there were not many kids in my apartment building (and they weren't this noisy). I was thinking of seeing how the next few days go and if it really gets crappy again, I'll probably just ask them nicely to keep quiet or get hubby to be the baddie!

Hm...next time, when I rent/buy a place (am renting this unit at the mo), first thing I'll ask if whether there are any kids staying around.

 

[Ting]

hi meiteoh, i think u can just let their parents know.
for my mum, when my neighbours kids run along the corridor n screaming n shouting, making tons of noise when pin is napping, my mum will tell them that mei mei is slping, dun run arnd, if not u will wake her up.
then they will stop.
if they still continue, my mum will tell my neighbour instead.

 

[snowbear]

My unit's at the lift lobby, so when my neighbours need to take the lift, they'd sure have to pass my apt. I also have problem with noisy kids and have told them off a couple of times even before alicia was born. They are better now and also coz they know I've got a cute little baby at home, they dun make so much noise compared to the past. They do however still shout loudly at 5+pm sometimes on their way downstairs to play. I've given up telling them off so I just shut my door and make sure alicia's tucked into bed snugly in the air-conditioned room. I know it doesn't really make sense to turn on the air-con in the room when the hall's cooler but since it allows alicia to get her nap, tt's more impt to me. Anyway, when my mil's around the house, i think she's noisier than my neighbours. haha.. and for some strange reason, there are strange pp who make loud noises every day and sometimes really startlingly loud. So yeah, now alicia naps in air-con room every day just so that she can get her beauty sleep.

 

[shopaholic]

Oh dear, sorry to hear about your experience. I stay in a corner unit, and my neighbours are all adults, no young kids. Believe I'm the only one with young children, but I always tell my elder 2 not to shout when passing by others' units. I do agree that parents shd exercise control over their kids' behaviour and it's part of social living that we be considerate towards our neighbours.