My Neighbors Are Always Shouting At Their Children, Is Their Anything I Can Do?

[Lanta98]

I live down a street where all the houses are next to each other in blocks. My next door neighbors moved in about 2-3 years ago and since they moved in, all they do is shout at their 3 children! We just brushed it off at first and thought it was normal, but over the years it has got terribly worse! and she has had another child which is now a year old and she shouts at her like an adult. She does with all the children. The woman mostly but the man also sometimes. for example. Last summer the baby girl who wasn't even a year old fell off the bench in the garden and hit a concrete floor. She was just left their crying and the mother shouted at her and told her to get up? and that she was a silly girl? she didn't even help her until like 2 minutes later? also the other day one boy shouted at her and said "I hate you!" she shouted back and said "I hate you too!" also the baby has just learned to say "mummy" instead of the mother saying "yes darling" or "what is it?" instead she shouts "WHAAT?"! but the baby doesn't answer back, how can she? she keeps saying mummy over and over and she keeps saying "what" back until she gets annoyed and then she screams at her and she starts to cry. surely this isnn't right, everyday she screams at her children even down the road when im walking to school. we hear her everyday and sometimes its really bad and we have to turn the telly up because she's so loud. she wakes us up at 5 in the morning every morning shouting at her children for whatever reason. This happens EVERYDAY and i feel so sorry for her kids. I've met her kids over thhe fence and they are lovely! aqnd they are treated like that everyday. I have never ever had a day where atleast one of her children has been crying and never had a day wherre i have eveer heard heer children laugh. we was consideriing ringing child services. we are worried she might lash out at one of kids one day, any suggestions on what we should do?

[Buenchico]

If approached properly (by a concerned professional) the parents might actually welcome some parenting advice:
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/help-and-advice/worried-about-a-child/are-you-worried-hub_wdh72939.html

[boxtops]

Sounds like the mother is at the end of her tether - but some families are like this. Is there a dad? you don't mention him.

[boxtops]

good link, chris

[Old_Geezer]

There have always been good and bad parents. I'm unqualified to say what constitutes abuse but you could check the council phone lines to see if you can report your concerns on one. The problem is the kids will see this as normal and may grow to treat their own offspring the same way. It's a sad world.

[Baldric]

Think he got a mention here boxy


///The woman mostly but the man also sometimes.///

[Lanta98]

Yeah there is a man, I did mention him, he works for the council that owns the houses. We did report them to the council so because he lives there it mighht of been discarded, i dont know, But this is not everyday family spit spat, this is ever single day ALL DAY!

[sherrardk]

I can understand your feelings. Our neighbours were like that and I have posted on here about them. Sometimes I would feel sick with all the shouting and screaming. They have moved now but I still wonder if I should have done something.

[bednobs]

i think if you have any concerns about children, unequivocally you should do something about it. the nspcc website allows you to do it

[missprim]

As previously mentioned, some families are like this and the kids don't know any better BUT if I ever saw the woman hitting any of the children then I would be on the phone to Social services straight away.

[Lanta98]

i think we'll think about it i mean it not nice having your children taken off of you, but also its not faiir on the children. They're shouting and screaming now as i type this, it happens every night.

[TWR]

It would only take a Chat with her, she may be deaf ( Have you thought about that) she may not know that she is that loud.

[Lanta98]

believe me she is not deaf. We have tried talking to her though...my mum said morning to her a few times and she just grunted or gave my mum a dirty look, never said anything back. Really rude so my mum has juust given up now. The man says morning though and talks to you, he even offered to fix my bike one day

[grasscarp]

If you dont like what you are hearing dont hesitate to contact the NSPCC. I once sent them an email at about 5 in the morning with my concerns at noise of children screaming next door. Then I got a call from the police at about 6.30 and they had called at the house. I dont think there was anything serious and now I although there is still sometimes shouting I havent felt the need to do anything since. Just think that if you dont do anything nobody will. It is not good for the children and is worrying you. Nothing to lose in raising your concerns.

[NOX]

I must admit when I was a kid it was my parents that were abusive and they were quite quiet about it. The woman who lived two doors away you could hear all hours of the day and night yelling the odds and effing and blinding, but it was her house I used to go to and be treated well (she yelled at me too)- some people have that style to them, doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad parents, just loud uncouth ones, but keep your eye on things for anything that might be more serious.

[TWR]

Be very careful with this Lanta as there could be repercussions, take the advice of Grass, If you don't like what you are hearing don't hesitate to contact the NSPCC.

[Eve]

How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?

If you're young, have you spoke about this with your parents at all?

[Canary42]

You say her kids are "lovely" so obviously this style of parenting is working.

[Lanta98]

Jenna - I am 18, yes obviously i have spoken about it with my mother, she's the one that hates all of this, why would i say 'we' instead of 'i' in my question if i wasn't talking about someone else aswell.

Canary - No her style of parenting is not working..i meant lovely as in they said to me "hello!" they're only 5-6 years of age..whenever i see them playing though in the garden, their mother always shouts at them for whatever pointless reason she can have. Look if you want to come live in my house for a couple of days or maybe even an hour, YOU WILL SE WHERE IM COMING FROM OKAY?!

[NOX]

Agressive little beastie aren't you? People are trying to help you, have some manners.

[Eve]

I meant no offence, just some of the way you write and the 98 in your username could have meant you were a lot younger. Advising an adult and advising someone who is a child/teenager can be quite different so I just wanted to check.