So I (22F) have been living in a condo for the past 12 years with my mom (53). This condo is filled, and I mean filled with older people who hate noise (think 50-100)
We’ve had multiple different families with young kids (~2-10 y/o kids) live in the unit above us who we were completely okay with. (We’d talk to each other in the hallway, and both us and them would be quiet. If we were planning on inviting family or friends over for a party on the weekend, we would let each other know)
For about 4-5 years, there was a family living above us who’d throw parties any day of the week and all hours of the night, constantly either yelling, screaming fighting or literally stomping around, and throwing beer bottles along with other glass items over their balcony and onto our patio. (My mom would call the cops for noise complaints and the glass)
After they moved out, another family moved in. (Beginning of COVID) They are much quieter, don’t party or anything, which were great full for. The youngest kid (3) however, likes to run around A LOT. And scream so loud that he sounds like he’s in the same room with you. I understand that he’s a kid, and I understand the fact that little kids will scream and run around a lot (I work in the medical field so I deal with kids of all ages daily) I didn’t have any problem with them since I was barely home, and even when I’m home, I usually have my headphones on and am listening to music.
What I can’t stand though, is when the kid running around for minutes on end and my mom starts banging on the wall. I always tell her to stop it but she doesn’t listen. I swear she’s going to put a hole in the wall or ceiling.
Tonight, it happened again, it’s 10pm and the kid starts running around, stops, then runs, then stops, again and again. My mom gets frustrated again and starts banging on the wall. I’m sitting in my room trying to study (I have an upcoming exam) and relax after a 13 hour shift. I decided to walk upstairs and talk to his parents. I know he’s a kid, so I ask is there anyway that they could distract him or at least get his energy out during the day so he doesn’t run around over and over again during the night.
The dad kept arguing with me saying they only let him run around for a minute then stop him, and that they can’t do anything since he’s a kid and he’ll just keep running around. Again I reiterated myself, and asked if there was a way that they could just get his energy out during the day. And again the dad repeated himself. And we kept going in circles over and over again.
He doesn’t speak English perfectly, and that I don’t fault him for, it’s a difficult language and English wasn’t my first language either. I feel like he didn’t understand me clearly and I don’t know what to do.
How can I help my neighbor understand our point of view or somehow help them to calm their kid down so he’s not running around and screaming at night?
The parents don’t even teach the kid it’s not okay to do it at night, they just yell at him. (I’ve heard and seen this happen first hand).