So, the nightmares next door went home. This is the group text we and
our neighbors down at the end of our street (who might hear the dogs
barking some, but nothing like we experience with it all) just received from Mr. Neighbor:
Dear Neighbors, apologies galore for the excessive dog barking, screaming, clutter, food ALL OVER, kid fighting, Legos on the floor, toys....over the last 3 weeks. We ask forgiveness and please know we are sorry and exhausted.
Neither dh and I have even bothered to respond. It's the same thing every time. How about take care off all that with them and some rules, on the first day they arrive? Their text and apology mean nothing after 3 years of this. They didn't bother to reply to my text where I had to feel like shit and be the complainer (again) of their dogs barking for 4 straight hours. I'm not bothering to reply to their "big apology". Maybe they'll get the hint that we're tired and fed up with it. We are exhausted from it, too. Enough is enough.
That s quite something. They cannot control their own family. Tragic for all concerned especially you all as neighbours, having to put up with it all.
ReplyDeleteThey can't or won't control their visiting family. I'm not feeling much empathy that they are exhausted.
DeleteExactly! My reply would have been "this really means nothing because it's become a regular occurrence." Yeah, if they were truly sorry & felt bad, 1) they would have responded immediately to your text, and 2) they would set boundaries with the visiting family.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, no, this isn't sincere in the least. I'd totally ignore it. And them.
Everything you said is exactly what I said to dh about it. They should have told their son and family on day one that they need to have some boundaries. It's not sincere. As dh said - it's just him wanting to play the victim and get us to feel sorry for what THEY had to go through.
DeleteI have told my kids that apologies mean nothing without changed behavior. That said, while I would dread the arrival of those kids, I'm reluctant, barring blatant neglect, to criticize the parents for kids' behavior. You never know if kids have something else going on. Oh, I'd steer clear, don't get me wrong, but you can't know what's going on with kids. As for the dogs, from you have shared, THAT is beyond the pale. From what you have shared, the owners had/have no idea what sort of attention the type of breed they have needs. (And, oh, yeah, we have a puppy--a yellow Labrador. I told DD that if she was going to get one, now was the time, as the classes she enrolled in were cancelled for this quarter, so she was home. Since I had no more desire to care for a puppy than I did for a small child, I told her it was now or never, and I wouldn't lift a finger. Neighbors still don't know we have her, and it's been 4 weeks! DD said, though, "Man, after this, I DO NOT think I want children.")
ReplyDeleteWho knows about the kids, but regardless the kids need to stay on their own property and not infringe on us and not leave their toys in front our our gate/driveway. And you are right, the apology does not come with any sort of changed behavior and like my dh said, it's only going to keep getting worse every time they visit.
DeleteThat's a crock of crap!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't respond either. Their son must be spoiled rotten to be able to bring his family & dogs, to disrupt the neighborhood. What LOSERS!!
I thought it was a load of crap too. It just comes across to me as completely insincere. At this point an apology doesn't cut it for me anymore. How about they give their spoiled and entitled son some boundaries on how their home and neighborhood should be treated while visiting. Along with the barking dogs and dogs scratching our doors/windows, our front entrance to our home isn't their kids bike and skate park.
DeleteLol, but what goes on inside their house isn't the issue - it is everything outside of it!! It cannot be hard to say hey, please don't ride bikes by the neighbours road etc keep on our side. The dogs as well, but I mean they're animals and the time to train them has passed. But the kids and grandkids could still be trained!
ReplyDeleteexactly - Mrs has mentioned before, she has to "kid proof" her house before they come because they always break stuff. Like you said, that's their problem, but don't also make them OUR problem to deal with.
DeleteI agree with everyone else. That smacks as one of the most insincere non-apologies ever. I'm sorry you have to put up with their inconsiderate behaviour!
ReplyDeleteMr just wanted some sympathy and for us to go "oh, it's ok!". Which of course neighbor down at the end of our street did. Of course she did, she can't see or hear any of it, though probably can hear the dogs barking, but not in your face loud, like it is for us.
DeleteOh, I'd do a group text back so there is not doubt for anyone that this an apology after the fact means nothing if they will allow it the next time.
ReplyDeletethat's what dh was just saying - he feels like he should reply something like that. But neighbor down at end replied back "no problem! send them over here more often, her son had fun playing with the boys". They aren't going to change and each time just gets more and more intrusive and loud, so their apologies every time mean nothing.
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