# screaming kids - really? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525 "2011-09-25T04:03:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/41 "2011-09-25T22:27:15Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > too many people worship at the altar of the brat It’s mostly Gypsies. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/42 "2011-09-25T22:29:59Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > This. They live 100 feet from you. I just don’t understand people who don’t know their neighbors Most of these problems can be resolved easily with a conversation. Unfortunately, that only works with rational adults. There are plenty of rude jerks in the world that even when they are neighbors getting to know them isn’t worth the effort. My advice is to document, document, document, so that when you talk to the police you have plenty of evidence of how inappropriate the noise level is. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/43 "2011-09-25T22:32:06Z")
As I told my apartment manager, if _I_ stood outside and shrieked at the top of _my_ lungs, I’d be arrested and/or evicted. What’s the cut-off age for doing this legally? 18? 13? 8? –This isn’t directed to the poster above me, but rather to those that shrug and say, “that’s kids” and “that’s the price you pay”, etc. Seriously, “that’s the price you pay”?? For what, living? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/44 "2011-09-25T22:38:20Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > My advice is to document, document, document, so that when you talk to the police you have plenty of evidence of how inappropriate the noise level is. If you call the police around here with a complaint about noise during the day, the first thing they will ask is “Have you asked them to stop?” If you haven’t, they won’t bother with you any further. Because ADULTS know that the first thing you’re supposed to do is ask them to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/45 "2011-09-25T22:51:40Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Motorcycle Guy on one side . . . And on the other side… a family with three preteen girls, all set on perma-shriek. It’s a pity there is no practical mthod for… how to phrase it… having adaptive audio camouflage: a way of piping the noise from bike-guy directly to the shriek-girls and the noise from the girls straight back at bike-guy, leaving your house in tranquil silence in between. 🆒 As to the OP… it would be completely wrong, and no douby utterly illegal… but I feel the need to mention that those bouncy things are terribly puncture-prone. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/46 "2011-09-25T23:12:53Z")
Just now there were some kids outside screaming the same thing over and over in a really super horrible whiny voice. I think they were arguing, they weren’t speaking english so I’m not sure what they were saying. After about 15 minutes of the same whiny scream, I got up to look out the window to find out what the hell was going on. As I opened my window, my upstairs neighbour opened his and hollered “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?”. They scattered. ---
**Author:** ![PotLuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@PotLuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PotLuck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/47 "2011-09-25T23:21:51Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I love kids, but hate when they scream. It brings my heart into my throat because I think something is wrong. My mother taught us growing up to never scream because it was a]obnoxious and b]indicated distress. Apparently people don’t train their kids in this manner (anymore - or maybe they never did). I hear kids screaming all the time, drives me nuts. > > Obviously, these neighbors consider the piercing screams of their children musical and delightful. Or else they lock the kids in the bouncer and put in their earplugs, I don’t know. Either way I can’t imagine a way to say ‘your children are annoying me while they play for hours each day’ that will result in them putting a stop to the screaming. Seconded, heartily. It’s a conversation I would dread because unless the parents are deaf and unable to tell time they already know the kids are loudly screaming for hours, and either can’t or won’t do anything about it. It’s sucks, I know. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/48 "2011-09-25T23:30:27Z")
Not to be snarky, but the OP’s neighbor set a bouncy thing 100 feet from their neighbor’s front door, has shrieking kids in it until midnight, and are completely cool with hanging out inside (presumably in the AC house with the windows closed and the TV volume turned up so THEY don’t have to listen to the shrieks), but folks are suggesting the OP go over and talk to them. Seriously, what is the expected outcome? The neighbors will say, “Gee, we’re so sorry, we didn’t realize our shrieking kids at midnight 100 feet from your front door were bothering anyone” and make them shut up? Yeah, right. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/49 "2011-09-25T23:37:43Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Motorcycle Guy on one side, who endlessly revs his bike and rides it up and down and up and down and up and down the street, gunning it as loud as he possibly can. Someday I am going to take a slingshot . . . Yeah. We have one of those across the street–nice guy, do anything for you, but OMFG he spends crazy amounts of time revving and revving and revving and revving his motorcycle, then riding it to the end of the block, then coming back and revving it some more. And he mostly seems to take a notion to do this when I decide to take a nap, but only when I try to nap upstairs in our bedroom with the window overlooking his house. When I nap on the living room couch in the back of the house, there are no motorcycle doings across the street. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/50 "2011-09-25T23:39:27Z")
Next time your dogs are parking, have them back up over a couple of the kids. That will give them something to scream about. Seriously though, I know how you feel. Screaming kids get on my last nerve. Have you tried talking to your neighbor? Put on a happy face and mention that it sure looks like the kids are having fun, but could they please knock it off with the screaming. You don’t need to scream like a serial killer has you in order to have fun. If that doesn’t work, I see a boom box and opera in your future. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/51 "2011-09-26T00:21:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That’s got to be annoying. I’ve always liked the convenience of leaving my car in the driveway and being able to have my dog park it in the garage for me. The dog should be in the street because I’ve always been told to curb my dog. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/52 "2011-09-26T00:57:19Z")
You do realize, of course, that certain dopers kicked in to fund the bouncy castle operation across from your house? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/53 "2011-09-26T01:10:55Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Here’s the only problem with that - you go over and talk to them and they tell you off. > > Now you may not want to go to the police because they will know it was you and it can start a crazy neighbourhood war. I’ll usually ask noisy neighbors twice, if they tell me off the first time, then I don’t bother with the second time. Then I call the cops. If they want to start a neighbor war, fine. I know it’s going to be hard for y’all to believe, but I can be as equally a stubborn asshole as the next guy when I put my mind to it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/54 "2011-09-26T04:15:10Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > How do you enforce that right? Police wont bother for middle-of-the-day kids shrieks.\ My local bylaws: > [@](#): > > Overview of noise regulations > Noise can include, but is not limited to, yelling, shouting, loud music, horns, power tools and air conditioners. > You have the right not to be disturbed by noise. The downside is that it isn’t the police we’re supposed to call, but bylaw services. I’m guessing that if you put in a complaint about the noise every day for weeks, the police will eventually get involved. Definitely look up your local noise bylaws, and use the system that is in place if there is one; if not, talk to them yourself and then take revenge on them after they disregard your requests. A loud sound system blasting classical music might be effective. I’d also be inclined to mow my lawn and weed-whip it for as long as the kids are out there. I might even do some herbicide application, after letting the parents know that I’m doing it and they might want to keep their kids in. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/55 "2011-09-26T04:26:08Z")
I seem to remember a neighborhood (somewhere on the news) where a couple of girls were doing something similar on a trampoline or swimming pool. The complaining parties videotaped them and went through the usual channels, if I remember the main family complaining ended up leaving. I’m sorry this is NOT “one of those noises children make”. Screaming bloody murder isn’t necessary. Happy shouts, talking, yelling, cheers etc. yeah, we have to put up with it…for a reasonable amount of time. Every night til all hours and all weekend? That’s unreasonable and rude. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/56 "2011-09-26T04:30:51Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > The downside is that it isn’t the police we’re supposed to call, but bylaw services. That was one thing I found far less effective in Canada than in the U.S. In Ottawa, when I called the police with noise complaints at midnight, they told me to call bylaw services. Nobody ever answered the phone after hours. Nobody ever called me back. Fortunately, at one point, one of the partying drunks started screeching like they were dying, and I was able to call the cops and with a straight face say, “It sounds like somebody’s being killed over there.” Cops showed up, and I never heard any noise from them again. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/57 "2011-09-26T05:38:18Z")
> [@Carnacki](#): > > Wait, the kids are screaming in the bouncy house until midnight? The “decibel level” noise ordinances, if they exist, are probably impossible to prosecute. But the ones restricted the time of loud noise are more likely to get cops involved. Cops routinely break up loud parties late at night, at least in the cities I’ve lived in. Plus there may be safety concerns about kids bouncing around at midnight – is the bouncy house lit up? I second the recommendation to call the cops, especially the next time they’re screaming at midnight. This time around the kids quit at about 10 pm, but I noticed when I went to bed around midnight that the bounce house was still up. Were they going to run the air pump all night? Nope, the adults were going to have a jump about half an hour after I went to bed, and not quietly… :mad: > [@Maastricht](#): > > How old are the kids? Not good at guessing ages, and there is a range. Four to ten years maybe? > [@](#): > > I wonder if I’m guilty of this. When I’m out with my three-year-old, he will often shriek with delight at something or practice his T-rex roar in the middle of a store. I myself am not bothered by it; I guess it is one of those things you filter out as a parent. As long as it is happy noise, instead of pain or trouble noise, it isn’t noise, that is how the parent brain filter works. Such shrieking is like a little green OK light on a terminal: “kid’s still alive, kid is still in place, kid is having fun. No action necessary”. > > So I do always ask him tot tone it down, but not in my I-mean-business-voice. At least you are asking him to tone it down - I’m not seeing any of that across the street, if for no other reason than the adults are all in the house. But, whatever happened to “I don’t want to hear a scream like that unless you are bleeding”? It seems like kids these days are spending an awful lot of time crying wolf. > [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > Have you strolled over to their house and politely asked the parents to keep the noise down, particularly past a certain time at night? If so, what was their reaction? There are a lot of issues here. One, the adults are all drinking so I’m not sure how well it would turn out. Two, we have a lot of trouble with them parking up the curb in front of our house, so when we need to use it I have to go over and (NICELY!) ask them to move their SUVs and they always seem to be put out by it. One time they even tried to fall back on the “don’t speak English” thing - yeah, that doesn’t work when I speak enough Spanish to get my point across. Third, other neighbors have already spoken to them, and to the family next door to them who are also rather noisy as well as letting their toddlers run in the street, and the results haven’t been noticeable. They apparently simply have no concern for the comforts of others. We were gone all day today and when we came home, not only were two of their SUVs parked in front of our house, one of them appeared to have been parked drunk, and it’s butt was overlapping our driveway by quite a bit. So, they have other asshole tendencies besides screaming children, it just seems that screaming children have become acceptable and “that’s what kids do” kind of thing, which I just don’t get. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/58 "2011-09-26T05:59:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If the retired guy down the block is complaining about every damned noise he ever hears that may explain why the police have stopped responding to his complaints. It’s not that they aren’t enforcing noise bylaws; it’s that they’re sick of responding to his cries of wolf. He isn’t that bad - he’s mostly hair trigger about how long motor homes/travel trailers/boats are parked on the street, and as far as I can tell the police come out every time he complains on that one. But those are day time calls, and I think we have a separate part of the police dept for that. At night and the regular police - one time I called because someone had run a red light and all but obliterated a car in front of me, and the dispatcher wouldn’t send a cop until I told her the driver was bleeding. > [@](#): > > Continuous loud noise isn’t acceptable no matter the source. Kids make noise and I’m fine with that, but if the screaming is actually non stop for hours on end - I don’t know how that is physically possible, but whatever - I think they are taking turns. This time around there appeared to be 8-10 kids. > [@Mewl\_Dear](#): > > I put my speakers in the window and crank Zappa. I was thinking Garth… 😃 However, I have had to have words with a couple of teenager/early 20’s regarding sitting in their cars with the bass cranked up to window shattering, I’d hate to let them think it is now OK to go back to that. > [@Apollyon](#): > > As to the OP… it would be completely wrong, and no douby utterly illegal… but I feel the need to mention that those bouncy things are terribly puncture-prone. 🙂 I so did consider that last night! 🆒 > [@Frank](#): > > ``` > Here's the only problem with that - you go over and talk to them and they tell you off. > > ``` > > Now you may not want to go to the police because they will know it was you and it can start a crazy neighbourhood war. > I’ll usually ask noisy neighbors twice, if they tell me off the first time, then I don’t bother with the second time. Then I call the cops. > > If they want to start a neighbor war, fine. I know it’s going to be hard for y’all to believe, but I can be as equally a stubborn asshole as the next guy when I put my mind to it. It’s not like I couldn’t make this stop if I wanted to play dirty, but due to the way people tend to react when told their special snowflakes are being a problem (see next post), I was more wondering if it really is now considered part of having kids to allow them to scream blue murder for “fun”. > [@Muffin](#): > > You do realize, of course, that certain dopers kicked in to fund the bouncy castle operation across from your house? Yeah, and looks like you and the rest of the reactionaries in the Pit are not as right about these things as you think you are. Apparently, there are still parents in this world that don’t think the world is here to cater to their kids. Imagine that. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/59 "2011-09-26T08:30:04Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > How old are the kids? > > I wonder if I’m guilty of this. When I’m out with my three-year-old, he will often shriek with delight at something or practice his T-rex roar in the middle of a store. I myself am not bothered by it; I guess it is one of those things you filter out as a parent. As long as it is happy noise, instead of pain or trouble noise, it isn’t noise, that is how the parent brain filter works. Such shrieking is like a little green OK light on a terminal: “kid’s still alive, kid is still in place, kid is having fun. No action necessary”. > > So I do always ask him tot tone it down, but not in my I-mean-business-voice. Talking about being attuned to your kids different sounds, ('s okay; I’m cranky; Help me! I’m hurt!) one time in the grocery store I heard a kid cry who sounded exactly like one of my children and I (blush) felt my breasts try to “let down my milk” in response. (It kind of feels like turning on a water spigot. And if I was really being true to my background—we pronounce it “spikot.”) Anyway, kids are kids and they make noise unless they’re being abused or groomed to become future politicians. If people can’t stand the sound they can live in gated communities where only the dogs are allowed to fart. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525/60 "2011-09-26T08:35:10Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > [W]e have a lot of trouble with them parking up the curb in front of our house, so when we need to use it I have to go over and (NICELY!) ask them to move their SUVs and they always seem to be put out by it. Wait… it’s a public street and they’re legally parked? I’d be put off by it, too. (Notwithstanding the drunk-parking you also mentioned.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screaming-kids-really/597525.md?page=4)