Stop mowing the lawn - it's nap time???

[clh2]

Some people think it's all about them and their children.

For some reason - I'm thinking the woman in OP's post doesn't have children...This just seems to be a first-time mom thing. JMHO...flame away if you must.

 

[HelenePA]

Well I just put my son down for a nap. My neighbor was mowing the grass.. and I was thinking Stop mowing the lawn.. not because he was going to bed but because it was pouring out.. who mows the grass while its raining? Apparently my neighbor!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I guess I will be the dissenting opinion. I don't think she was nuts at all. If your houses are close together and the baby's room is on that side of the house, a shut window isn't going to help much. Some people are light sleepers and some are not. I don't think everyone can be "trained" to sleep through any kind of noise.

My kids are long past the napping stage but it was very frustrating when things your neighbors do prevent people in your own house from sleeping. I remember the days of a neighbor's dog or home improvement project waking my kids from their naps and then dealing with grumpy kids because they didn't get enough sleep. It isn't as though babies can wear ear plugs. And I'd hate the idea of using a white noise machine every day 'just in case'.

It isn't as though the lady reported the OP. She simply asked if she could delay the mowing. Which The OP did for 40 minutes (your babies much have taken short naps!!). I see nothing wrong with a neighbor asking for some consideration. Of course the OP is within her rights to do what she wants. But I think the OP is the rude one here.

I know you are in CA so really how much do you have to mow there?

Here in MO we have to mow ALOT. You would be seen as nuts to ask someone to hold off mowing here.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wow, if this mother thinks the world should stop at nap-time, she had better learn to get over it, or she is going to be the worst one of 'those' parents ever!!!!

No excuse for expecting a neighbor to stop doing ANYTHING during the day.... ever... What if they had a tree service over to have a tree taken out??? What if they were building a new addition to their house??? This woman is not livin' in reality.
Sorry twinsinCA... I know it must have been hard having twins... but IMHO, your thoughts/expectations are way wrong.

I have personally experienced BOTH sides of this issue.

1. My son has some disability issues that meant that he NEEDED his naps... He was like clockwork.... I could tell time by this kid. Yep, it was sometimes hard for me as a parent to accommodate his needs. But I would NEVER expect anybody else to be responsible for my child's issues.

2. Currently, this woman would NOT want to be my neighbor. Same said son is now 11. He has a 'thing' for mowers, tractors, equipment. He would go out and mow, weed-eat, etc... every single day if we let him!!! I'm sure she would just LOVE it!!!!

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I think the woman that asked your son to stop mowing because of her child was absolutely ridiculous. She's the type that is going to expect school, sports teams, and everything else to revolve around her child when he/she gets older.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I think the woman that asked your son to stop mowing because of her child was absolutely ridiculous. She's the type that is going to expect school, sports teams, and everything else to revolve around her child when he/she gets older.

Yep, my thoughts exactly.

 

[clutter]

It isn't as though the lady reported the OP. She simply asked if she could delay the mowing. Which The OP did for 40 minutes (your babies much have taken short naps!!). I see nothing wrong with a neighbor asking for some consideration. Of course the OP is within her rights to do what she wants. But I think the OP is the rude one here.

Actually, the neighbor is totally within her rights to offer to finish the OP's mowing at her baby's convenience!

 

[TwinsinCA]

Let me be clear - **I** have never EVER asked a neighbor to stop mowing their lawn. Ever.

But if someone came to ME and asked to keep the noise down, I would. I have kids. I remember how annoying it was when things woke them up. So as a mom, I would cut her some slack. I would not think she is "nuts", just that she wanted her kid to get some sleep.

I try to be a nice neighbor. That's all.

 

[ols386]

For some reason - I'm thinking the woman in OP's post doesn't have children...This just seems to be a first-time mom thing. JMHO...flame away if you must.

I'm not quite sure what you are saying here?

 

[DebIreland]

Thanks everyone for all the replies.

Well DS got the front done but never got the back garden finished cause it started raining as happens most days here. It really is hard to find the right time to cut the grass here. So I hope the baby feels really guilty now. though I suspect DS is secretly thrilled at not having to do it all!

I do think it was very cheeky of her to ask a second time. As I say, I have 3 kids myself so I know what a challenge parenting can be. When my first child was born we lived in a tiny terraced house and for the first 6 months of his life the house right next door was being gutted and rebuilt (more or less) so we had many months of jack-hammers, bull dozers, drills, dirt, dust etc. When I think back to what we had to put up with I can't help thinking that a bit of lawnmower noise isn't much of a bother really! But even then I never complained cause the neighbour getting the house done was a lovely woman and deserved her freshly renovated home!

TwinsInCA, we delayed an hour, not 40 mins, and the baby was already asleep too. I wasn't about to ask for a detailed baby schedule so we'd know when to resume. Oh was the rolling eyes icon really necessary? You said if your neighbour asked you to quieten down you would do it, well then we have that in common. We did 'quieten down'. We just didn't do it a second time!

Oh there's about 8 feet between the houses but the bedrooms are on the far side so not very close at all, for those who were curious.

Thanks again everyone

 

[disykat]

ols3l86, I had to read her post again and go back and look at yours because I was confused too. I think she quoted you because she was AGREEING with you.

I agree with almost everyone else. Asking someone to stop mowing for a nap is NOT reasonable. In my experience, mowing is one of the least obnoxious things neighbors can do. If she complains about mowing, what does the woman in the OP do when they play loud music, play basketball, ride dirtbikes, set off fireworks, etc.? Those things are much worse and can go on for hours.

 

[Pigeon]

And just who takes these reports????

What, you've never been visited by the Nap Police?

 

[momrek06]

For some reason - I'm thinking the woman in OP's post doesn't have children...This just seems to be a first-time mom thing. JMHO...flame away if you must.

What?

 

[DebIreland]

I've met some of these moms and I always think, "Yes. You are absolutely correct. You are the first person EVER to have a baby. No one else has ever had to deal with this kind of thing."

I know. It drives me mad. I have a friend like that. Her only child is a year old but my other friend and I have teenagers (and younger kids too). The mom of the 1 year old is always saying things like 'oh you don't know how hard it is' and 'you're so lucky to get uninterrupted sleep' etc etc. We're always mystified that she truly believes we ourselves never went through sleepless nights, endless crying etc. Does she think our kids popped out of the womb fully grown and half reared?! LOL

 

[merekc]

I would have said I will stop, but only if you agree to finish my mowing later today.

I can't believe it took until page 3 for someone to say this.

I'd say absolutely, I'd be happy to quit mowing, but this is our only chance to do it. I will quit if you make sure my lawn gets mowed by this evening. Thanks.

The neighbor is absolutely the rude one here (and I'm saying this from the very friendly Midwest). I know we struggle to get our grass mowed because our schedules are very busy, not to mention you don't want to mow it during the heat of the day and have to schedule around rainy days. You mow when you can mow (ETA: within reasonable daytime hours). End of story.

 

[MaumeeMom]

Let me be clear - **I** have never EVER asked a neighbor to stop mowing their lawn. Ever.

But if someone came to ME and asked to keep the noise down, I would. I have kids. I remember how annoying it was when things woke them up. So as a mom, I would cut her some slack. I would not think she is "nuts", just that she wanted her kid to get some sleep.

I try to be a nice neighbor. That's all.

Obviously, they were trying to get the lawn done before the rain and didn't make it due to the hour long break they took to be courteous to the neighbor.

The OP stopped for an hour and I think that was neighborly of her to do; but, it is not about being a nice person. What if the OP went to the neighbor and said, "I have to mow the lawn before it rains, could you delay your baby's nap for over an hour?" It is the same thing - an irrational expectation when living in a city or 'burb.

 

[ols386]

Let me be clear - **I** have never EVER asked a neighbor to stop mowing their lawn. Ever.

But if someone came to ME and asked to keep the noise down, I would. I have kids. I remember how annoying it was when things woke them up. So as a mom, I would cut her some slack. I would not think she is "nuts", just that she wanted her kid to get some sleep.

I try to be a nice neighbor. That's all.

I'm sure you are a nice, considerate neighbor.

But I don't think someone trying to mow their lawn at 11am, makes them a bad neighbor.

 

[binny]

Oy! My stepmother was like that with my two half siblings. They ended up being very light sleepers when they were young and would wake up easily. My mother on the other hand, made sure to vacuum the house while we slept, worked like a charm!

I always did that too, kept music on, did the dishes, whatever needed to be done. I figured if they got used to it now they wouldnt wake up for every little thing later on in life.

It worked my kids can sleep anything now.

 

[DebIreland]

Currently, this woman would NOT want to be my neighbor. Same said son is now 11. He has a 'thing' for mowers, tractors, equipment. He would go out and mow, weed-eat, etc... every single day if we let him!!! I'm sure she would just LOVE it!!!!

LOL! he sounds like a great kid. I think it's great when children enjoy mucking around outside. It's healthy. It's only in the last couple of years that I realised how therapeutic gardening is. I'm not great at it but even doing a little bit of weeding clears my head. As I say, it's therapeutic.

 

[Disney Doll]

I guess I will be the dissenting opinion. I don't think she was nuts at all. If your houses are close together and the baby's room is on that side of the house, a shut window isn't going to help much. Some people are light sleepers and some are not. I don't think everyone can be "trained" to sleep through any kind of noise.

My kids are long past the napping stage but it was very frustrating when things your neighbors do prevent people in your own house from sleeping. I remember the days of a neighbor's dog or home improvement project waking my kids from their naps and then dealing with grumpy kids because they didn't get enough sleep. It isn't as though babies can wear ear plugs. And I'd hate the idea of using a white noise machine every day 'just in case'.

It isn't as though the lady reported the OP. She simply asked if she could delay the mowing. Which The OP did for 40 minutes (your babies much have taken short naps!!). I see nothing wrong with a neighbor asking for some consideration. Of course the OP is within her rights to do what she wants. But I think the OP is the rude one here.

Well,you're wrong. Sorry.
The world does not revolve around a healthy sleeping child. Sick...maybe another story. But a kid taking a nap...yes, the child does need to get used to sleeping through the normal noises in the neighborhood. That's not to say that I'd be having a brass band practicing in my yard, but a lawnmower...sorry, I'd be mowing.

My mother used to vacuum under our cribs when we were kids. And my brother and I are very good sleepers to this day!