# How to deal with loud, dumb, ignorant, and common sense challenged kids? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 19, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276 "2011-08-19T03:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/21 "2011-08-19T15:22:56Z")
I dunno, maybe hang a pinata? ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/22 "2011-08-19T15:23:54Z")
I once bought a house next to a family of loud, dumb, ignorant, and mentally challenged kids? A neighbor advised me before moving in to completely, absolutely and 100% ignore them. Never look in their direction, never respond to their greeting, nothing. At first when I cam home they would call out “Hi mister.” and follow me up onto my porch. It was difficult but I was successful in ignoring them and they quickly failed to notice my existence. There was nothing I could do about the loudness. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/23 "2011-08-19T15:48:45Z")
Have you tried talking to their parents? Or you could truss them up in duct tape and dump then outside their door. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/24 "2011-08-19T16:03:15Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > Have you tried talking to their parents? This would be (and has been) my strategy. We live in a townhome complex and the ‘park’ area backs onto our house. If there is a kid out there screaming or doing something which is not cool (like tearing big branches off the trees or tearing up the grass in big swaths). I go out and put on my mom face and explain that it is ‘not cool’ and to cut that shit out. If they continue, I just go talk to their parents (this sometimes involves investigation but their friends usually give them up) who promptly resolve the situation. (Yes, I am a busybody.) ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/25 "2011-08-19T16:06:47Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I once bought a house next to a family of loud, dumb, ignorant, and mentally challenged kids? A neighbor advised me before moving in to completely, absolutely and 100% ignore them. Never look in their direction, never respond to their greeting, nothing. At first when I cam home they would call out “Hi mister.” and follow me up onto my porch. It was difficult but I was successful in ignoring them and they quickly failed to notice my existence. There was nothing I could do about the loudness. Pretty much this. I’ve got a similar thing on my block and ignoring the little [del]shits[/del] darlings has worked like a charm. Kids, especially obnoxious ones, will test limits to see how much you’ll take before you give in, and how far they can push you past that. It’s just what they do, and trying to change that is like trying to change the order of the planets. If you ignore them, you give them no reason at all to have anything to do with you, and they’ll stop bothering you because you’re no longer worth their investment in time and energy. That said, anything that causes property damage or criminal behavior aside from hanging out needs to be addressed by the apartment complex management and/or the police. But if all they’re doing is hanging out and being loud, there’s probably going to be nothing you can do. Going “outside to bitch them the f\*ck out and put them in their place” isn’t going to work and will probably make things worse. I can promise you that. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/26 "2011-08-19T16:22:40Z")
I had some really good advice written out but realized at the last minute that it only applied to Pacific Islander children. Back to the drawing board! Sorry, I mean El Drawing Boardo. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/27 "2011-08-19T16:40:19Z")
Find the biggest, meanest kid in the bunch, and beat him up. That will establish you as the Alpha, as per prison rules! ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/28 "2011-08-19T18:39:32Z")
> **[Sofia Resident Kept under Arrest for Shooting at Children Playing -...](https://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=131287)** > > The Sofia City Court has decided to keep under arrest a 65-year-old Bulgarian man who shot down an 11-year-old child playing in front of the block of flats he lives in. Aram Michaelyan was detained in early August after shooting at a group of... Don’t do what this guy did. Shooting, right out. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/29 "2011-08-19T18:46:04Z")
Big Box. Big stick. Long String. 24 pack from Taco Bell. Number for INS. Patience. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/30 "2011-08-19T18:58:33Z")
Put a heavy planter on the wall they are throwing the ball against and plant it with something sturdy and thorny. [Bougainvillea](http://www.bgi-usa.com/bougainvillea-resource/care-maintenance-bougainvillea.php)are fast-growing and should cover the wall fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/31 "2011-08-19T19:19:21Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Big Box. Big stick. Long String. 24 pack from Taco Bell. Number for INS. Patience. Problem solved. This is a lot like my Pacific Islander advice, but use Spam instead of Taco Bell. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276/32 "2011-08-19T19:37:58Z")
I’m afraid, **intuitive** , that because of some unfortunate terminology you included in the OP this thread is pretty much off-track and will probably stay that way if left open. You can either message me if you wish to discuss this thread closure, or you can restart the thread with (hopefully) less flamatory verbiage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-deal-with-loud-dumb-ignorant-and-common-sense-challenged-kids/593276.md?page=1)