On Jul 18, 2:41 am, Irrational Number <nos...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> My next-door neighbor railed into me this
> morning. My 5-year-old Pillbug is autistic
> and screeches a lot. I honestly had no idea
> it was this bad, though - I've learned to
> block out the sounds of his tantrums... So,
> that's my fault.
>
No, its not your fault. Its just the way the world is.
> Anyway, apparently, neighbor's wife is now
> getting migraines, which she had not gotten
> in decades.
Hmm. Maybe she should see a doctor about that. I got migraines from
my teens until One was born, but haven't had one in years. I didn't
think that noise was a known migraine trigger. Anyone else know?
Pillbug's noises wake up the
> neighbors across the street, including their
> baby, something about Pillbug setting off the
> baby monitor. Across the street, they sleep
> with the windows open because they have no AC
> and the bedrooms face the street, which is the
> same for us. It's been nice at night, so we
> sleep with our windows open, too. Pillbug's
> screeches wake up their four kids.
>
If their kids have such extreme sound sensitivity -- you're across the
street, for heaven's sake -- then they need to do something about it
themselves. Maybe they could buy a fan or a white noise machine.
That said, if Pillbug really is *that* loud for extended periods after
a reasonable hour -- 10 pm? -- then it might be a good idea to close
your windows for the brief period of time that he is loud. I'm
guessing that he's quiet -- as in sleeping -- most of the night.
> One time, Pillbug crossed the street on his
> own. DH was there and scared to death, but
> that was the only time in Pillbug's 5 years
> on this planet.
>
That must have been very scary for you. But, again, these are things
that kids do.
> My neighbor wants us to keep the windows closed
> and try to keep the kids out of the front yard.
> He is threatening to go to CPS - he has a friend
> at CPS who told him calling was the right thing
> to do.
So, let me get this straight. He wants to claim that your permitting
your child to play outside in your own yard is *abuse*?
>
> Neighbor also hates our choice of Chinese
> nannies. He has a child psychologist friend
> who thinks I'm insane for trying to maintain a
> bilingual environment when my autistic child cannot
> even speak.
>
I'm finding it a little weird that you neighbor is discussing your
child care choices with a child psychologist. I assume that you've
decided that this person provides excellent and loving care for your
child, and that whatever downsides there are to the situation are more
than balanced out by the benefits.
> So, now I have to find the other neighbors, make
> nice, hope we can come to a reasonable accommodation
> (I most certainly will not keep my kids indoors
> 24 hours a day!), and hope no one calls CPS...
>
Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'd be thrilled with a noisy
neighbor. Still, in the real world, we have to accept that dogs bark,
babies cry, and some kids shreik. We can't muzzle them, and we're
sure not going to send them away to create quiet for the neighbors;
all we can do is our best to handle problems as they arise. I cannot
fathom this being a CPS issue. (I cannot even see an investigation of
a complaint that your child is loud; while they have to investigate
all legiimate claims, I cannot imagine that they don't have discretion
to close files that complain that Suzy looks bad in green, but her
parents make her wear green dresses every day, or complaints that the
healthy, well cared-for child across the steet plays too loudly in his
own yard.) The worst I see is a police officer asking you to keep
your windows closed at night when your child is unusually loud.
Good luck.
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