New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Quiet hours

post #1 of 8
6/16/10 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 
I have just moved to Germany with my 3.5 year old and...he is LOUD. Like singing/shouting very loudly on a quiet tram, running and yelling in our apartment during 'quiet hours'...I am not used to living in an apartment so have no sense of how loud kids can be without the neighbours revolting. I guess it depends on the neighbours and the thinkness of the walls but I just wondered if anyone could give me some idea of what is 'normal'? I don't want to shush my kid (not that that works!) if I don't have to...but this feels like a very quiet country!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 8
6/16/10 at 4:53pm
When we lived in Germany, I used to get a lot of disapproving stares when my kids were loud in the tram.

If you are living in an apartment I would definitely discourage running and yelling during quiet hours, especially if you have downstairs neighbors. Also, if your child is barefoot or in thick, soft-soled slippers (and you too) that is best. Our upstairs neighbors had no children, but just their normal walking could sound like elephants on parade.
Obviously it depends on the neighbors, as you said. Some noise - normal voices, normal footsteps - is unavoidable and acceptable, but loud yelling, running, stomping, ball-bouncing, loud music/TV and vacuuming are not ok during quiet time. If you find your ds can't be quiet at those times then it's best to go outside or put on a video if you allow him to watch.!
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 8
6/17/10 at 5:09am
ITA with Plaid Leopard.

I stressed about this a LOT when we first moved here last summer. I have to say, though our house has no established *quiet hours*, it is a practically silent house all the time! I felt really like we were the only ones making noise! But as time went on, especially in the winter months when the kids just didn't get much outdoor time, I relaxed quite a bit about the noise. I still don't let them scream (yes, there have been screaming temper tantrums!), stomp, hit the walls, etc., but if they are wrestling and giggling wildly in their room, I just let them do it.

And some people really like to have kids in the house and to see/hear them! I hope that your neighbors turn out to be nice and that they enjoy your DS.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 8
6/19/10 at 9:29am
Thread Starter 
Eeeek - it's gonna be a loooong year. Thanks for the info
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 8
7/14/10 at 11:53am
i have 2 girls- 1 and 3 years old at the time we came- and it was our first time living in an apartment building. and-- it was terrible! we had a total lunatic living under us who banged on the ceiling or our door (which i stopped answering) with even the smallest/shortest noises, and wrote countless (hilarious) letters about how we were ruining his life. it was so bad that i started to feel a little crazy- like he could hear everything we were doing.

so, when my husband got a job and we looked for a new place to live i was feeling very nervous about the kids. but, we found amazing landlord/lady who adore them (even when they are a little loud.) i told them about our troubles before we moved in and they told us that they had two kids as well, that they hoped they make a little noise b/c they miss it, and that if the other renters complained, they would find it the problem of the renters, not of our kids! we have now lived here for almost a year and i still feel like we are a little noisy (our old lady neighbor, who though she is very nice to the kids, has also asked 3 or 4 times which one cries so much,) but i also know that i can't worry too much.

and, overall i find that germans are more child-friendly than americans. i would be curious to hear what others think about this?

it might also be helpful to say that my kids chilled out a lot after being here for 6 months or so. the first half year was really hard for both of them. i am sure that the neighbor stress added to it, but mostly i think it was just the move.

so-- i, obviously, agree with the other poster who said that it just depends on your neighbors. good luck!
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 8
7/15/10 at 6:20pm
what exactly do you call "quiet hours" ....?
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 8
9/27/10 at 8:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by IsaFrench View Post
what exactly do you call "quiet hours" ....?
'Ruhezeit' - Time during midday (like from 11am-3pm - but every place is a little different) where you're not supposed to make a lot of noise (loud housework/home improvements like banging nails into walls or whatever, loud TV/music, dogs shouldn't be allowed to bark too much, etc... - treat it like your neighbours are trying to take a nap).

That also includes 'after 10pm' in most places. Specific houses have specific rules (in mine, you're supposed to refrain from running the bath after 10pm, but since my neighbours are often quite noisy after 10pm in the stairway, I don't give a second thought to taking a bath when I feel like it - I'm also not a noisy bath-taker).


But normal child noise isn't supposed to be a big issue. I just try to keep my children quiet in the hallway/stairway, and don't allow running with shoes on, stomping, jumping, banging on or throwing things - but those are the rules in my apartment, period, regardless if it's 'Ruhezeit' or not (MY rules, I mean - shoes are taken off when we come in the door).

Most of the country understands that 'Children are noisy'.
Just talk with your landlord/lady if you're unsure.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 8
10/20/10 at 6:08pm
thank you for enlighting me ... I had no idea that midday was also included ...
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Germany