Mom to Mom

[sydsgma1]

My dd just landed a great telecommute job . She is in the health insurance field and works with doctors and clinics.She is on the phone most of the day. Our next door neighbors have 3 little boys, 6, 4 and 2 who scream all day long outside. Her providers can hear them. 

We are neighborly but but not Friends . She does not want to offend them but they do cause a disturbance for her work environment. Her own child and friends are very quiet inside and out while she is working.

So my question is how to handle this? They have complained about our little dog barking so we have trained her not to . My dgd also does not play basketball after 7 because they said it bothered their kids trying to go to sleep.

ideas??? Thanks 

[ValuSkr]

You could ask the children to play quietly - rather, ask their parents if they could.  But that seems unreasonable, given their ages and the fact that they're playing in their own yard. Perhaps your dd can sound-proof her home office. 

[SFGIANTSGIRL]

This is a tough one.  Kids voices can just be loud in general.  It is summer, they are off from school and running and belng a bit loud outside is pretty normal.  As a parent, mine are now 16 and 11, I remembered trying to encourage them to go out and play, like we dis when we were kids. 

We live in an HOA with a community pool two doors down from us and trust me it gets a bit wild, I have learned to just turn it off in my head.

Deb

[dex]

Since they have requested things from you and you complied I think it would be fine to ask the parents if their children could play a little quieter but kids play is noisy.It is great to hear children happily playing rather than stuck indoors on computers.

i like the idea of soundproofing a room for your daughter.She is working from home so all will not be quiet like an office.I think most people can accept that if they are reasonable.

[Tallgal]

Good Luck.   I don't think you are going to be able to do anything about the 3 little boys being outside and screaming in their own yard. With that being said  I don't understand your neighbors complaining about your dog and playing basketball after 7 pm.   This is how it goes when you live in a neighborhood there will be noise.  

[Sweetbay magnolia]

That's too bad.

When I was a kid, I made noise (and my neighbor's kids still do).  Likely it's a residential zone and really, it sounds like your dd needs to modify her office to block the sound.

Asking children not to play, or to "play quietly" because an unrelated neighbor telecommutes seems a stretch.

I'm sure it is a hassle for you, however.  Hope you find a compromise.

[tansy]

Maybe a white noise machine would mask the kid noise.  I don't think anyone can keep three small boys quiet for very long.  

[haddon9]

It sounds frustrating particularly since they've complained about your dog barking, etc.

You could ask that they be quiet but it's really not going to work since they are young kids and that's what they do.  I also have a family that moved in two years ago who have three young boys and they are very noisy!

Maybe your DD can get a white noise muffling machine of some kind.

[Mominohio]

It is most likely going to take a combination of things to 'fix' this. 

I wouldn't hesitate to talk to the parents, reminding them that you have appeased them on several issues, and you are asking for the same respect in reference to this issue.

But, there will still be noise. So the next thing to attack is your daughter's work space. It should be moved to somewhere inside your home that can be made the most quiet. Basement? Interior room? Room furthest from the noisy neighbors? 

Close windows and storm windows in the room she is working, and place either a space heater in the winter or an air conditioner in the summer, to help block the exterior noise.

I'm assuming she has specific hours to work, but can she make contact with those she needs to by phone, around the usual schedule of the kids outdoors. Like early before they come out, later in the day when the are inside, during their mealtimes when they are quiet for awhile. 

Best of luck with this!

[RainyDayGal]

What is with parents that let their kids scream non-stop?  In our old neighborhood one little girl just did it all the time.  Even her young brother asked her why she did it, her answer was to keep screaming at the top of her lungs.  Hour after hour.  Why aren't parents stopping this?!

That neighborhood was heck to live in.  All the (young) kids were allowed to stay out until midnight making noise and screaming.  Talk about bad parenting.  I just do not get it. It's one thing to hear kids laughing and such, but the constant screaming is beyond unacceptable.

We couldn't move out of there fast enough.