Child screaming doing my head in - vent!

This has been going on for several weeks now and I am almost at the end of my tether

I work from home, and every day at about 3pm this small child (I would say in the 2-3 range, no good at estimating ages) comes home with her mum and starts up this nasty, bad tempered, tantrumy screaming at the top of her vocal range and volume. It can go on for up to an hour every day, and it's always outside, right by our fence (near their backdoor) and by my office. In these temps its impossible keeping the windows shut, and I've been turning my stereo on to try to block it out a bit, but that is no longer working...

I feel for the mum as she is calm with it and this kid sounds a right handful BUT its doing my head right in...I would swap this for the noise of weaning lambs in a flash, given the choice [xx(].

Is it just me, or is the sound of children screaming one of the biggest blood pressure raising horrors of all time???

And before anyone bites my head off, this is every day not every now and then, if you haven't noticed from my comments above [}].

Tried earplugs???

Sounds like one very tired child to me, pain in the bum though everyday. I can understand why it's driving you mad.

I feel for you Tigger. I wonder what would happen if you went and hung yourself over the fence for a nosey at about the same time. You never know they might get the message, and take it else where.

I would be concerned about this happening everyday.

I must admit when it first happened I was concerned, but as I say, it's not a hurt/neglected sort of a cry, it's a 'gimme what I want NOW and no I am not going to behave because it's all about ME' one

I have never heard the mum raise her voice to it at all, she is very patient. You never know the circumstances, it could be a special needs kid, or just a spoilt little rotter. I just want some peace!

Had great idea! Is there a small hole in the fence big enough to push sweets through! Tell said kiddywinkle that if they shut up you'll give 'em a sweet!

Ummm...'have a sweetie little girl' might end up with the mum calling the cops on ME! [}]

Anyway, I doubt she'd hear the offer over her own voice - I suppose I could try and lob it into her open mouth - what I need is a pack of giant gobstoppers!

quote:Originally posted by tigger

Ummm...'have a sweetie little girl' might end up with the mum calling the cops on ME! [}]

Cyanide. [}]

Isla [:0].... all the best things come in small packages [}]
Like strychnine and cyanide []

See if there is a hole in the fence, if there isn't, drill one, just big enough to fit the hose through.

Maybe the mum needs to raise her voice. They say there is no drama without an audience but this kid obviously doesn't need an audience to perform. What a little toad!

Kinda makes you wonder what she is actually screaming for, I mean what is it she wants? Tv? lollies? a sleep? Hells bells, if she's carrying on like that it'd drive anyone up the wall.

If you're on speaking terms with the mother, maybe a chat in her ear? failing that could you get yourself high enough over the fence to growl at the said kid, something like "Will you be QUIET!" Make it shorty sharp and snappy and disappear again. Maybe you could shock her out of her tantrum, special needs or not.

It's a bit unfair that the mum is sticking her outside to annoy the neighbours. Maybe she's retreated to the other side of the house to get away from it.

I know what you mean about the heat. I have done not a jot today. Tried to find a cool place inside to lie down, failed. Last night Bria threw up followed shortly after by Tree yacking up all over the bed, bad enough I was having trouble getting to sleep but all this happened when I was just FINALLY difting off.

Hope the little madam gets over her habit soon.

Yakut

classical music, LOUD, open window!
as soon as the kid start - turn it on!

Have a chat with the mum about it.
It can be a mum that will be angry and tell you that just because you don't have any and also scream that people that can't have kids,,bla bla,,sometimes you get a real nasty chock attack when you talk with a parent about their kids!!

It could also be a mum that tells that he kid is at his/hers worst age or maybe special needs.

But you have at least told that you get disturbed and maybe they can park the kid indoor during its' tantrums?
or on the other side of the house?

I have kids, love kids (at least my own ones), but hate screaming monsters and parents that does nothing to stop it.

if the wind is from a certain direction I can hear some noisy kids, but their mum is worst! what a language their mum has! OOOooh

Its tired and hungry, sounds perfectly normal to me, the pleasures of neighbours i am afraid! if it was 3 am i would be a little more narky!!!!

Aww be nice to the poor we mite...buy her a nice shiny necklace for xmas (those electronic dog collars take sequins quite well with a good glue gun:D)...totalcontrol hehehhehe

I think the mother should put it back on afternoon naps. Its obviously not coping and its very unfair to make the neighbours suffer because their child can't be controlled.

I'm sure that any cops that came along would be very sympathetic to anyone suffering from 'child screaming torture'. In a way, I can fully understand how a person can reach the end of their tolerance and just belt a child. The mother needs help from someone who can offer coping strategies for children throwing tantrums. She should seek help now, while the child is young enough to retrain. Imagine how bad its going to get when its even older? You'll want to shift Tigger!

Couldn't you ask if the child could have her 'time out' in her own bedroom? With the windows shut? It really isn't on for you to have to put up with it every day. I like the water hose idea though. A sprinkler set up near the boundary, timed to go on at the same time each day, could retrain the child to go somewhere else and scream.

I leaning towards Inger's comment, its obvious the child isn't getting enough sleep times and should have been put into bed earlier...

tough love is what is needed, however "nice" mum may appear to be. Or take the sugar out of the child's diet, one or the other... or even both.[^]

I'm with most of the respondents here and that is talking to your neighbour about how this is affecting you. That is not meant to be accusatory - just that you are aware and being affected by the child's screaming and is there anything you can do to help or understand why the child is so unhappy.

Maybe, if Mum is working she needs to look at the childcare arrangements she has made for the little one (2 - 3 - so vulnerable). Is "baby" being given nap time etc? If not, I can imagine the sheer exhaustion this little mite is living with and I don't ask you to be sympathetic given how it is affecting you - but I do think you need to front the issue with your neighbour. Maybe she is doing housework when she should be wrapping it up in her arms and giving baby a cuddle. We don't know because there are so many potential scenarios as to what may be happening.