Tag

neighbours

Browsing

I got a note on my door this morning… and you can read it at the bottom of the page. Here is my response, because “no name”.

Dear Neighbour that left a note on my door,

I feel your pain. I too have to work from home. I work between 8 to 12 hours a day, sometimes 14. Every single day. I also take care of 2 toddlers under the age of 4. Both of these are full-time jobs. I barely sleep.

Let’s just say it, China screwed the world. We would love to go back to what we did before. We loved sending the kids to preschool and they loved going there. We loved going on holiday or to go away for a weekend. We loved to go shopping as a family. We loved not being cooped up. We loved not being prisoners in our own home with two toddlers that are frustrated and full of energy.

Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, that a kind gesture or word to a parent that carries a load far greater than you, might be the cool thing to do? You might think it’s ok to leave a note telling me how to raise my children, get in line, because the government, journalists and every Tom, Dick & Harry also does.

Here’s the deal, if you sponsor a live-in nanny your problems will be solved. (By nanny I mean qualified teacher.) I don’t want to employ a nanny that has to come in with a taxi on a daily basis – because, Corona-time… 100% capacity in taxis… risk.

I don’t know what to tell you. I know that if you live in a complex like ours, you will hear your neighbours. When I was young and without children I also felt frustrated when babies screamed or kids ran around playing like hooligans, but I never marched up to a parent and demanded that they keep their children quiet. It was not my place.

Regards
Your neighbour that is just as sick and tired of everything

The actual letter that was taped to my door.

Jip, it got disinfected 🙂 This is the actual note.

You don’t know how lucky you were to have left the front of my door in one piece this morning…

On a beautiful summer’s morning in Johannesburg, before 7, I heard a knock on my front door. It was my downstairs neighbour, a young guy who lives with his young girlfriend. I had been sitting in the living room with the kids playing since 6. They were playing with a packet of wipes, laughing and running around. 

I had to wrap myself in a kids blanket to answer the door, I was still in pajamas. I haven’t even had a chance to wash my face.

He was upset. “Your kids wake me up early every day”, he said. “They are too noisy early in the morning. The other day your baby was screaming for hours”. He then asked if I couldn’t keep them quiet… and maybe take them to the upstairs of my house to minimize the noise that reaches his ears…

I stayed calm and just said that unfortunately dude, they’re kids and no I can’t take them to my upstairs bedroom with no safety features. They are kids, they just need to outgrow their teething and threenager temper tantrums.

He stormed off.

Just under the surface I was fuming. I was young once and other people’s kids crying or screaming irritated me – but I would never ever have dared to knock on someone’s door to complain. My mother had raised me better than that. she raised me with empathy and understanding for parents that may actually suffer more than my amazing self.

My dear neighbour, as I had mentioned before you were lucky to leave my front door in one piece… and I’m not joking. I haven’t slept in 3 years and I have a legendary temper. You think being woken and having to listen to my kids is bad, try being trapped in the house 24/7 with them while you run a business and are responsible for the livelihood of employees… 

You are so lucky that I didn’t rip your pipsqueak entitled @ss to shreds and used your tiny little brain as a ball. You were so lucky that there was a locked steel gate protecting you. Next time you think you can knock on my door and complain about my kids that cost half a mil each, you will regret it. 

Love, your neighbour who is a mom, businesswoman and fire breathing dragon with ninja skills – and who hasn’t slept in 3 years… By the way, I hope that wherever you move, you live nextdoor to lively kids and that one day your own kids are the worst.