Everything about our rented apartment seems so perfect until our door bell goes “ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong”. I am not exaggerating, it really goes “dingdong-ing” non stop for at least a minute or two if we decide not to answer the door.

Our neighbour downstairs has a serious problem with us. The very first day we arrived in Shanghai and stepped into this home, the two kids were very excited and started checking out the place. In less then 5min, our neighbour was at the door, asking us to lower our volume as we were disturbing them. Well, we were apologetic and got the kids to control themselves (which is an extremely difficult task). I was told that he had earlier paid James a visit too because James was walking about too loudly and had disturbed them. Oh man, maybe he thought we had an elephant kept in the house.

So that was the beginning of the daily complaints. He probably gotten tired of coming up to report to us after a few days and get the management office to dial us or had the security guards to visit us instead. Soon after, the resident committee member paid us a visit to try to mediate (whats there to mediate, we aren’t the complaining side). We were advised to carpet our place, buy those foam mats and wear slippers at home so as to reduce the noise. We were also advised to minimise the children running at home or bring them to the playground.

We had carpets, mats, rugs and slippers all geared up to reduce the sound. However, that didn’t stop our “friendly” neighbour from complaining again and again whenever didi did a little jog or run in the house. After a while of feeling paiseh for disturbing them, we begin to get irritated and annoyed.

Because of our neighbour’s super high sensitivity and ultra low tolerance level to sound, we became very paranoid of making any sound. We even lost our temper and reprimanded the children when they play around in the house. The kids were the ultimate victim as what they were just behaving like what they should be. Thanks goodness we realised that pretty soon and stopped getting angry with the children.

What the hell is wrong with children playing in the house? And how do I go about controlling the kids? Really, telling a toddler who is less then 2yrs old to stop running is impossible, unless I chop off his legs. So the other day, when our neighbour came visiting again (he was mad and furious), I showed him all the tonnes of (ugly) flooring items in the house. I told him I have done everything as suggested. I told him I have brought the boy to the playground to burn his energy but we can’t stay there all the time.  I also told him I have to cook, do my work, do housework and can’t carry 弟弟 in my arms all the time. I asked him to talk to 弟弟 himself. I also told him we are looking for a new place.

That probably knocked some sense into him as he cooled down after that and realised there isn’t anything else we could do.

I have spoken to many moms, grannies and ayis  and asked if their kids run about at home too. That seems to be the only normal behaviour, but only our household is getting all these crap from downstairs.

He is coming up less nowadays. Not because he has realised he has been redicoulous, but because 弟弟 has grown more sensible. Give 弟弟 a few more months, I am sure he will be like the other big kids and stop stomping around like a baby.

We are still looking for a ground floor unit in this estate, but no luck so far. Hopefully we can find one soon and the children can jump, hop, run, knock and do whatever they like. We just want them to play freely like a normal kid, and isn’t that what childhood is all about!?