A mum has been branded "unreasonable" after feeling "conflicted" over her neighbour's complaints after her son repeatedly screams and cries when playing games on his PlayStation.
The mum explained her 13-year-old son plays Fortnite on the popular games console on a regular basis, but "screams" or "cries" when he "loses a game or is killed" online. Her neighbour has been keen to make the most of the recent spell of warm weather by relaxing in her garden, but claims this has been ruined by her son’s constant outbursts.
The neighbour then "implied he has ADHD or another form of very hyperactive behaviour" because of his volatile reactions to the game. The mum feels "embarrassed but conflicted" while her husband thinks the neighbour is "out of order".
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Taking to Mumsnet's popular Am I Being Unreasonable (AIBU) thread, the mum sought the opinions of strangers to gauge who was in the right. In a post titled "[AIBU] To not expect my neighbour to knock about hearing my son playing on his PlayStation at 9pm?!", the mum explained the situation and penned: "I can't pretend he isn't loud whilst playing on Fortnite using his headset to school mates but it's always off at 9pm at the latest which I always thought was pretty reasonable for a 13 year old!
"His room isn't joined to another as semi but the neighbour has complained that for the last three weeks (summer holidays…) she has had to listen to him screaming or crying when he loses a game or is killed and is annoyed. This is because she's sitting in the garden and his window has been slightly ajar although I do regularly tell him to stop shouting and if it continues it's then turned off.
"She even complained about how loud he closes the window (as I do tell him to close it if I can hear he's getting very into a game and think the neighbours might be sitting in the garden). She implied he has ADHD or another form of very hyperactive behaviour because of how loud and engrossed he gets - I work with teenagers and feel they can all be very much like this when it comes to these games.
"Husband thinks she's out of order - I feel embarrassed but conflicted. If he had siblings he may well have arguments with them or be louder in the garden etc - this is the only time he is loud so it feels unreasonable. What is your opinion?"
The mum's post was met with more than 250 responses from fellow Mumsnet users keen to share their thoughts. One said: "If he's screaming and crying I'd be annoyed too. This isn't normal teenage noise!"
Another said: "Is he very loud, and is it every night? And he shouts and cries? I'd be irritated too."
A third commented: "Your son needs to rein it in. He needs to learn some self control. He should not be shouting over video games."
Another Mumsnet user said: "It sounds awful. It's her summer, too. Shouting and crying loud enough to disturb someone in her garden is rude. Why would you want him acting/reacting that way over a silly game, anyway? I'd be concerned."
But one said: "It's only for the summer holiday, I'd ignore her." Another agreed and said: "I know exactly the type of shouting you mean - my son used to be the same at that age. He's allowed to play on his games. Ignore the neighbour."
But the majority of commenters believed the mum and her son were both in the wrong, not the neighbour. One Mumsnet user said: "That sounds so horrible and stressful for her and anyone else to listen to. Please make him stop."
Another added: "Nah I think he needs to be told to kick the shouting and crying on the head or not play actually. I wouldn't have that carry on in my home, let alone inflict it on the neighbours. If he's not mature enough to appreciate the above then he's not mature enough to play group video games."
At the time of writing, 70% of Mumsnet users voted the mum was being unreasonable in the situation. In a string of follow up comments, the mum conceded she was being unreasonable and will ensure her son stops playing at 8pm instead of 9pm. She also said she would keep his window was closed as he played online, so any noise wouldn't be able to travel - and if he does scream or shout, it will be turned off so as not to disrupt any of her neighbours.
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