Hello!

17 Comments

A mother of four has been shocked to receive a note from neighbours offering advice on parenting after her kids were making noise in the backyard.

Morgan DeCairos DeBoer from Canada, has four boys under the age of six: Quinn, four, Gabe, two, and Benjamin, nine months. The mum told Global News Canada the boys sometimes “get on each other’s nerves” and fight, but she normally intervenes.

Ms DeCairos DeBoer also doesn’t like keeping her boys indoors all day and lets them play in the backyard, but last Thursday she received a note from one of her neighbours who clearly isn’t happy with the noise.

The mum posted a picture of the note on Facebook.

“This is a friendly request, which I felt is better done through the mail,” the note reads.

“I am one of several neighbours who are frustrated with the frequent screaming and shrieking your children make while playing in your backyard.

“This is very disruptive whether we are outside or inside and interrupts whatever we are doing, be it TV, reading or napping. Having the windows closed does not keep out the sound.”

The advice?

The neighbour offers some advice and suggests Ms DeCairos DeBoer “correct” one of her children when he screams by saying, “Please stop that yelling” or “something like that”.

“Perhaps if you supervised them while they were in the backyard it would help,” the note reads.

“It should be possible to have them play without screaming and in the long run would be helpful to them.”

The note concludes by suggesting the mum take the kids to the park. It’s signed off anonymously by “your neighbours”. It’s not known who exactly wrote the letter.

“To have a neighbour comment, and cowardly hide, on my choice to allow my kids to play in a safe contained area, which is part of the space we pay for, and play how they want and independent from me confuses me,” Ms DeCairos DeBoer said.

“Excuse me for allowing my children time to use their imaginations and problem-solving skills and get some needed vitamin D.”

She added her boys only played outside after school and before dinner, which was about an hour or two and only if the weather permitted it.

note

Recently we shared the story of a Brisbane mum who received a nasty letter from her neighbour complaining about noises being made by her autistic son. Read more here.

Share your comments below

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.
  • When its your own kids you are used to their noise so you dont react to it.
    I must admit that there have been times when I am home and trying to relax and the 3 kids next door are very noisy. Im ok with the nosie of fun playing and the kids in the pool but one of the boys screams and yells over everything. He constantly roars like an animal. It always sets my teeth on edge and I am thankful when they go indoor. They are lovely boys and a very lovely family. I would never say anything as I know that in time this habit of his will hopefully stop.

    Reply

  • It’s probably a normal noise level for young kids in any neighbourhood. If her neighbours are reading, napping and watching tv on a Thursday maybe it’s them that should leave their house for the day and get out and about?

    Reply

  • I’d tell my kids to make more noise. Seriously, unless they are shouting profanities or actually being a nuisance then I’d intervene but otherwise children will be children seriously.

    Reply

  • I would rip it up, kids will be kids.

    Reply

  • I’m sorry kids are loud. Mine don’t usually ‘scream’ unless they’re actually hurt. But my daughter likes to sing off-key at the top of her lungs when she is happy. Where does it stop. Kids should be allowed to be a bit noisy outside. Tell the neighbours to buy ear plugs!

    Reply

  • People have different views on kids just playing, kids continuously screaming, kids fighting and kids being feral. I know someone who’s neighbour actually told them face to face that their kids are too noisy, she was shocked. To be honest I wasn’t, her kids are what I call feral, screaming, fighting, yelling constantly. I wouldn’t want to live next to them, I feel sorry for some people who have to deal with this all day every day. It’s like a barking dog, they can go for hours without anyone yelling at them, it’s grates on my nerves.

    Reply

  • Seriously? Obviously the neighbours are not parents and have never had kids. What a negative take on kids playing and being outside — which is what everyeon is saying children should be doing — off screens and outside to avoid obesity. What a miserable neighbour/neighbourhood. It’s laughable really.

    Reply

  • Most of the kids needs to run, laugh and scream. For 9 months I’ve had 4 foster children now. You should have heard the screaming and even more the fighting from my house. Take last Wednesday: all the kids were kicked and beaten by one of the temporary foster kids outside in the garden, just after diner. My husband asked her to stop, which she ignored. He repeated this, which ignored, while still kicking and beating my daughter. Then my husband took her by her shoulders to walk her inside, on which she started kicking and beating my husband and started shouting at him. Then my husband shouted to her to stop & go inside. All for my neighbours to hear !! You can imagine I often ask my kids to come inside and close the windows so my neighbours won’t get hindered. But I fear and know they do anyway.

    Reply

  • Having kids, I can understand where this mum is coming from – kids are kids and they don’t always get on, plus being outside encourages loud outside voices. And that’s fine! However, we also have neighbours who have screamy kids and honestly I feel that there is a point were the parent HAS to come out and tell them to stop screaming. Not after 5 mins or so but seriously, letting your kids scream outside for log periods of time is inconsiderate for your neighbours and does teach your kids that it’s ok to have the world revolve around them. If my kids are screamy, I let them go for a bit to see if they can work it out of they’re fighting or let them wind down if they are overexcited. But if they carry on too long I do go outside and ask them to stop screaming by saying they could be disturbing the neighbours. It helps them to think of others and self regulate themselves.

    Reply

  • First, I’d put the note in my shredder then I’d think about if my children really were making so much noise that it’s bothering my neighbours. Ms DeCairos DeBoer admits her children get on each others nerves and fight, sounds like they’re getting on the neighbours nerves as well. No one is asking her children not to play in their backyard or not to be children or not to have fun. Some neighbours are elderly, they take naps some have health problems, some people are on shift work, some have problems we’re not privy to. A little bit of consideration goes a long way and as for the cowardly comment, they probably made the letter anonymous as they didn’t want to take the risk on how Ms DeCairos DeBoer would react and look what she did, she posted the note on social media. Enough said.

    Reply

  • I am guessing they don’t have kids themselves or have forgotten kids make noise. I do tell my kids not to scream too much though when outside in our backyard just to be a bit mindful of the neighbors but a little bit of loud noises is perfectly fine. I also don’t like them screaming because if something were really wrong I may ignore them thinking it’s just them being normal. So I guess, it has to have the right balance. The letter is uncalled for.

    Reply

  • What is wrong with her neighbour/s, don’t they have any children. Most children laugh, scream & make noise when playing, & sometimes they argue, but most sreams are from having so much fun. I think her neighbour/s need to get a life.

    Reply

  • Getting something like that would only get me to send the kids out more often. It wont last forever. If you don’t like it then move.

    Reply

  • I can’t believe people forget what it’s like to be a child or what it’s like to parent them. They’re noisy, loud, dirty, inappropriate……it all goes with the territory

    Reply

  • I guess I’d find this annoying sometimes too, though I’d try to ignore it.

    Reply

Post a comment
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your comment and join MoM:

You May Like

Loading…

Looks like this may be blocked by your browser or content filtering.

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join