Boing, Boing, Boing

life'sgreat

Sun, Jul 03 2011, 6:59 pm

What would you do if, after calling your 'upstairs' neighbor to ask her nicely that her kids refrain from playing/jumping rubber at ALL hours, right over your head, they still do so?

I called and explained that the monotonous boingboing is driving me insane. I can't think, talk, relax with that noise. She said she's sorry and that she'll tell her kids and then, at the end, said, call me if you ever have this problem. Um, yeah, if they'll jump again, I'll have this problem. I stayed quiet for a while again, until one Friday night just after I sat down after licht bentchen, they were at it again, right over my head, in the dining room. I asked my husband to please knock on their door to ask them to stop. They did.

But it's been going on since then almost daily. Does she expect me to call her every single time? What changed from last week to this week? Why would it be ok today if it wasn't ok yesterday?

Am I nuts in expecting neighbors to be mindful of the level of noise if they have neighbors living under them? Is there anything else I can do or say other than being the royal nudge (which I hate)?

Argh!

(I should mention that where I live, the homes are built of wood and every single noise is heard. I know that I grew up knowing that we need to be careful and never bounce balls, nor jump if there were 'downstairs' neighbors. My son knows that he can't bounce balls, nor jump, nor tap his feet etc... because it will bother the neighbor.)

seeker

Sun, Jul 03 2011, 7:46 pm

I feel your pain. I have upstairs people who sound like they're jumping rope some nights after midnight. I have no idea what could be going on and have been too sheepish to ask. I know I shouldn't be shy about this but I just never got around to it, I have a busy life and I'm not getting out of bed at 1am to do it. And we're moving out soon anyway. But still! I thought it was bad when this was going on every time DH and I were intimate (it seriously seemed like it intensified every mikvah night!) then I had a baby who is a light sleeper... AAAARGH! I grew up in an apartment and we were always cautioned to be aware of making noise underfoot!

It's hard to pin down because sometimes I think that's it, I'm going upstairs, and then they're quiet for a few nights.

shatzileh

Sun, Jul 03 2011, 8:11 pm

I doubt the neighbors think you suddenly got over it - I'd assume that the parents are already used to the noise so they don't even realize it's happening, and the kids, well, are kids and aren't always thinking about the downstairs neighbors.
It's horrible and frustrating, but I'd say if it really bothers you, then, yes, keep calling and visiting. Eventually they'll get as sick of the reminders as you are of the noise, and it'll stop Smile

SplitPea

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 1:16 pm

we also lived under some VERY active kids in an apt with NO insulation.

their playroom was over our BEDROOM!! They would be up playing at 3 am sometimes jumping on the hard wood floors! They had no bedtime and would run all ove the house. it drove me crazy. Finally we came to an understanding that during the day and before 10 was fair game but after that the noise would stop or she would make them run around the kitchen etc. Its really hard especially in the winder and young walkers don't know how to do anything but run.

on fast days or when I was sick I also could call up explain the situation and she would try her best... THEN she opened a playgroup in her house! it was horrible... but atleast she did her best to keep it quiet at night its all I could ask for.

amother

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 1:52 pm

I bedavka chose to walk on the lower floor, because I didn't wantt o have the pressure of stopping my kids from being normally active on the cheshbon of a downstairs neighbor. The problem with suburban homes is that the houses are built from planks of wood and slats of 2x4's, and any normal vibration coming from above is heard as a rumble downstairs. As much as you will tell your neighbor, she will think you are oversensitive, because to her it is just an ordinary movement, but when it travels thru the floor it comes out with a bang. I tell my upstairs neighbor that there are just a few movements I absolutely will not tolerate: bouncing ball, zooming tucks, jumping rope, scratching chairs and knogedike kugelech.

That said, I"m in a different spot. As I mentioned, I specifically moved into the lower level, and now the owner builder is considering selling the basement as an apartment. Sorry, if it happens, I AM NOT SHUSHING MY KIDS. Because I was maskim for this apartment ON CONDITION I can let my kids be kids.

suzyq

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 2:11 pm

Unfortunately, when you live downstairs from anyone, a lot of the time the noise is magnified and even normal stuff can be horrible for the downstairs neighbor. In my last apartment, our upstairs neighbors would just walk across their apartment and the noise was incredibly loud, to the point that I had to wear ear plugs to go to sleep. And they really were only walking like normal! And they were friends of ours, so they felt bad about it - but what can they do? Apartment buildings especially are not built with good insulation and sometimes there's really nothing to be done.

life'sgreat

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 3:35 pm

suzyq wrote:

Normal noise is normal noise. A big kid jumping rubber is NOT normal noise IMO. Sorry, but if you live in an apartment knowing you have neighbors living a floor below, there should be certain rules, such as no bouncing balls, no jumping rope or rubber.

bearyspecial

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 6:00 pm

U have to be sensitive but the downstairs neighbor can't b hyper sensitive on their upstairs neighbors cheshbon either! I live on 2 floors & let me tell u- when my kids r upstairs & I'm downstairs it sounds terrible & I think who knows what they're doing! I run upstairs & check up on them & see them playing very calmly! If u have a couple of kids & 1 falls the next spills something & the third is excited & gives a little screech-u hear major noise from downstairs when they're just being kids!
If it really bothers u, u have the option of being the downstairs witch so that ur the deterrent & all the mother needs to say to them is "u need to b quiet or mrs --- is gonna come up"!!!

life'sgreat

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 8:56 pm

bearyspecial wrote:

(I wish you'd use proper words, it would make it easier to read your post.)

Again, hyper sensitive is if I'd call up all the time, or even be angry all the time over the ruckus that six kids create, which I'm not. There's typical banging, running, playing, screaming and I hear all of it. That's ok. Kids are kids and I understand that. But as I said, doing activities that create a LOT of monotonous noise is just not in the same category. Kids can play outdoors at least in the spring/summer/fall and if they choose to play ball or rope etc.., then they should jolly well play outdoors. I have a son and there are activities that are barred indoors. He knows his balls are for the outdoors only. Ditto to any kind of jumping. Running, if he's doing it for more than a minute is also not ok in my book. I'm not the witch, as I don't call them up all the time. But I think a little bit of awareness is warranted.