Nobody likes noisy neighbors but is it okay to call the cops because they won’t stop bringing their screaming toddler outside?
A netizen recently asked, “Am I a jerk for calling the cops on a toddler?”. We need you to find out!
Backstory
The Original Poster (OP) and her husband live in a detached home in a densely populated city. Although the homes are detached, they are very close together (less than a foot apart) walk-up style homes.
Their bedroom is in the back of the house and has a balcony overlooking their small yard. Because of the proximity of the houses, their balcony is right next to their neighbor’s similar balcony and is also overlooking their small yard.
Their Neighbors
“We’ve lived here for about three years and have never had noise issues with neighbors, because everyone is sensitive to the proximity of the houses.
This includes a bunch of college-age guys who used to live in the house prior to the current renters, who would often have bonfires and listen to music but were always respectful of sleeping hours.”, says OP.
A Few Months Ago
A young family with a kid who’s about 2 years old moved in a few months ago. OP and her husband met the parents and they seemed really nice. As soon as they moved in though, they started taking their screaming toddler outside to play every morning as soon as he woke.
What’s Been Happening Lately?
Since then, OP and her husband have been woken up every single morning, including weekends, between 6:30-7:30 a.m. to a screaming toddler right outside their bedroom door. They haven’t said anything and have tried getting a loud noise maker and insulating the exterior door with soundproof insulation, but the kid’s shrieks are still impossible to sleep through.
“I am pregnant and am having a hard time sleeping and am generally exhausted all the time, so this is driving me crazy.”, says OP
Fast Forward To This Morning
This morning, OP and her husband were woken up at about 6:30. OP decided to poke her head out the door and politely asked her neighbor (the kid’s mom) if she would mind waiting until a little later to start playtime outside.
OP explained that she was pregnant, the location of their bedroom, and that they had tried other noise reduction options with no success.
The Neighbors Flipped Out
The mom flipped out on OP. She told OP that she was insane for complaining about a toddler, that OP was going to be a bad mom for not giving grace to people with kids, and that OP needed to get used to it.
The woman was generally yelling at OP in front of her kid. She also said she was going to start bringing the kid outside even earlier now. Her husband came out and also started yelling at OP, to the point where OP couldn’t hear them because they were yelling at the same time.
“I told them it was nothing against their kid, but that I needed to be able to sleep.”, says OP.
What Did OP Decide To Do Next?
When OP realized they were incapable of having a civil conversation, she told them she was going to have to put in a noise complaint. They told OP she was the jerk for calling the police on a two-year-old.
OP Asked Mom
OP called her mom and she agrees it’s rude to call the police on young parents, but OP feels like she’s going insane without sleep.
“I also worry that when my baby is born in a few months, my newborn will be woken up by their screaming toddler. The police came and the neighbors didn’t answer their door, so the cops told me there was nothing they could do but to call back if it kept happening. Am I a jerk?”, asks OP.
Some More Context
OP later edited the post and added the following information:
“The noise ordinance expires at 8 am on weekdays and later on the weekends, so they are in violation. The ordinance applies to noise above the conversational level, which the shrieking certainly is.
I also initially called my city’s non-emergency number with the intention of entering a complaint there, and was transferred to the police – I didn’t call the police.”
You’re Not The Jerk At All
“You aren’t calling the cops on a toddler, you are calling them on the parents who are breaking noise ordinance regulations. Not the jerk.”
It’s The Consequence Of Their Choices
“Not the jerk. You have tried to mitigate the impact of the noise and to reason with your neighbors about the noise, and they will not act reasonably.
At that point, escalation to the authorities to enforce quality of life ordinances may be harsh, but it is the consequence of their choices.”
A Decent Person Would’ve Realized
“Not the jerk. A decently nice neighbor would have realized the toddler was disturbing someone’s sleep and apologized then stopped the early hour outside.
I’m with you on getting that last hour or so of sleep in the morning. That’s the difference for me between feeling good that day or just getting through the day.”
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