Crying babies, barking dogs and shouting people - all at once.
I'm in a semi-detached house.
To one side, the unattached house, is a 1yr old and two dogs. When they first arrived, the dogs were incessant barkers, but this was cured by a local girl who walks dogs for a licing, and helped train teh dogs, and owner to be calmer. The dogs only now bark a little when leaving the house, or returning, or when a visitor arrives, but only for a few moments. Sorted. The baby cries a little, like babies do, but is generally a happy thing. Her mother really wanted a child, planned it, and really loves it.
On the other side, to which we are attached, is a loud family. The mother shouts a lot, a little less now than when they first moved in, as the children have got older. There are two girls, about 17-18 & 15, and a boy, around 13. Father of the boy moved out a short time ago. Then there's the dog. A strange tiny thing, arrived early 2020 lockdown and never trained. It barks at everything, and sometimes nothing. It is allowed to bark until it gets tired of barking, never told to be quiet. The bark is quite sharp, and very annoying.
Now, added to that mix, about 3 weeks ago, older daughter arrived with a baby. I'm guessing probably not planned like the one the other side of me. Not having a good role model, I was not expecting great things. Although, luckily, the babay has been reasonably quiet. Yesterday evening however, we got an episode, that I'm expecting to repeat often. Baby cries, as they do. As baby cries go, this is one of the most piercing, what luck. I don't do babies, I've spent my life avoiding them, noisy smelly little creatures, much better after at least 17 years, prefereably more than that. I've seen lots, and the general trend when one is crying seems to be to comfort it somehow, usually with cuddles, talking softly, feeding or changing it. Not next door. Like a noisy party, the young mother competes with the baby's cry by talking soothingly, but very loudly. Unless the baby is deaf, (hopefully not), I'm guessing this is not the best approach. (Parents may confirm or advise) Then added in is the boyfriend, also raising his voice above the general din. (He does not live here, and seems to visit only at weekends. Is this him being a responsible parent?) Baby unsurprisingly continues to cry, seemingly raising its own noise level to compete. Then the girl's mother joins in, also shouting above the overall noise, and for a few moments, the youger sister joins in too. Only the 13yr old boy keeps quiet.
I don't suppose they will assess their performances and consider any improvements.
(Not so sure about the Juke)
