I'm writing this hoping you will all feel free to leave me a comment with some advice. Our downstairs neighbors are of the small, purse-dog instead of kids variety. They admittedly don't want kids, drive fancy cars, and wear fancy clothes to work. We obviously have nothing in common with them. They've taken to complaining about the noise we make. Apparantly we are giving their dog anxiety attacks and they're getting worse everyday. Now at first we were all nicey nice about it to each other, but its just escalating. Apparantly we sound like we are coming through the ceiling all day long. The second one of my kids does something they aren't supposed to like jump off the furniture, or body slam another person to the ground they are up here lickety split. I'm telling you these people must sprint up the stairs because I'll barely finish telling them to quit it and there she is. She gets madder every day. I keep telling her that we're trying to move as soon as our lease is up but that just makes her madder since thats not until March. I have tried to explain how hard it is to keep 4 kids quiet and that kids are just noisy but she does not get it. Tonight she came up and tried to get me to come down and listen to my family's noise. I admit its not a terrible idea but the kids were all over, I'd just gotten off work and was trying to throw dinner together, and Dave was trying to get ready to go to work. Any fool could see I didn't exactly have the time to come lounge around their fancy apartment watching their big screen and playing their grand piano while I listen to how loud my kids are. Instead she stood in my doorway for 20 minutes while dinner got cold and we argued as nicely as possible. Then she suggested that we move to a 1st floor in the complex, we wouldn't even have to sign a new contract! Well yeah for you lady but look around. Do you see all this crap? Do I look like I have the time? NO! I don't. Nor do I have the desire to greatly inconvenience myself for your dog! I'm sorry we are loud. Go do something for once in your lives besides watch your stupid tv. I told her to give her dog an anxiety pill (nicely I swear) and she basically told me to have my kids walk solemnly around the house all day. Aarrgh!!!!
So here's my dilemna. I refuse to make my children act like monks in their own home. Kids skip and run and 2 year olds jump up and down when they are mad. I understand her dog is her kid and all but what do I do? She complained to the manager who said too bad since we aren't noisy during "quiet hours". I have tried to explain over and over that we are doing our best but there are 4 of them and 2 of us. And quite frankly they are children and I will not make them behave like adults (as if they would listen anyways). And if you want peace and quiet don't live in an apartment. End of story. We have lived under a rock band, a large family, and spouse abusers. Deal with it. I try to keep the jumping to a minimum, but its cold now and we have Hailey. End of story. And if my kids want to play hide and seek at 4 pm they should be able too. And if I want to do an exercise video at 10 am I should be able to. This is my home. Even if I rent it. However, since I know I can be hot headed and stubborn I pose the question. Should I just ignore them and let kids be kids, or do I become nazi mommy and make them tip toe around all day? How do I make the next 4 months livable for all of us without the neighbors slashing my tires?
10 comments:
I think you've done all the right things. Especially if your manager is on your side. Bud and I had the same problem with an older couple when we first got married. The people directly below us kept complaining that we were WAY too loud and running our washer and dryer at all hours of the night. The only problem was we were both gone from 6am to 6pm every day and only did laundry on the weekends. We didn't even have chldren, and they griped all the time about how loud we were. They finally moved.
Sheesh, you do what you can. But you're right, no way you can make 4 kids be silent 24/7. It's impossible and horrible for them. So, the neighbors need to suck it up or move. It's apartment living for pete's sake! WE are so lucky to have an understanding family below us. I am complelely amazed that they've never complained once, cuz I KNOW my boys are loud...so many times I have all 4 (yes 4-kendall included) wrestling on the floor, body slamming, throwing each other around. I cringe and wait for the door knocking or the beating on our floor from the folks down below, but it never happens.
Stick in there, some people are just not reasonable. Oh yeah, did I ever tell you about when I had this problem on my mission? Yeah, the neighbor downstairs complained of our "noise". WE were missionaries gone most of the day and studying or eating or sleeping when at our apt...yeah, she had the manager on our case and everything....i ramble, but really some people!
Well, I can relate to the downstairs neighbors. We live below a couple that has a few children and they just run up and down the hall all day. It used to be pretty frustrating actually. However, it became a lot more tolerable when we got to know our neighbors. They are very nice and we do understand. Oh, they are still loud but I think we've just really learned to deal with it. If I were you...I'd tell that lady to suck it up and I totally get her point of view. If I hated it that much, I'd move! You've got 4 kids, I'd never make my kids walk around on their toes! FORGET IT! Maybe you should invite the couple over for dinner and tell them to bring their dog so your kids and get to know them!! :) Tell her to suck it up liz!!
I think you should just become my neighbor. I don't mind your noisy kids. Maybe you should suggest that you guys switch places for a day...she take your kids for the day and try to make them 'tippy toe' around the house and make no noise, and you should go into her apartment for the day to see what its 'really' like. Haha. I wonder how she'd handle 4 kids :) She'd probably apologize over and over and over for bugging you so much after she spends a full day trying to entertain 4 kids and make them be quiet. Tee hee.
I agree with all of you. Too bad for the rich lady with the dog. I don't know if there is any way to make her understand, but she is just going to have to deal. Or move. When is THEIR lease up? What did they expect when they moved into a bottom floor apartment? I think it's so ridiculous when people get all crazy about noise in an apartment. It's an apartment! Do they honestly think they would live on the first floor and there was no chance that someone would live above them that they could actually HEAR? Too bad for their poor dog child.
I agree with Liz. Trade places with her and ask her to do what she wants you to do...and if she can, have her teach you how...It may stop her from complaining. Anyhow, good luck.
Really if she doesn't like it, why doesn't she move to a different apartment in the complex? Next time she comes up, tell her that you would be happy to switch apartments with her. Maybe that will shut her up. Next time peek out the peephole and don't answer the door. It will really make her mad when she can hear you and you are ignoring her!!
I already told you what to do. We'll get a few of us from the ward and do some late night "visiting teaching" - maybe that will solve the problem. We'll wear ski masks of course to protect the innocent!!
Wow. I do miss the apartment days. Not. When we were in San Diego, they positioned all the people with kids around the others with kids. And I agree....let the kids be kids. It's for such a short time anyway. I think you can put up with Paris Hilton for a little while. If she wants the kids quiet, let her babysit them for the day, supervised of course. Let me know if she comes out of it alive, hopefully with some appreciation for what us crazy parents endure so that this country might have world changers being brought up. That's all. Sorry for the sich you're in.
What a great blog you have here!
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