Couple's Neighbor Calls The Cops Because Their Toddlers Were 'Screaming' & Jumping On A Trampoline—'They Should Be On Their Devices'
Expecting kids to be seen and not heard isn't reasonable — especially in their own backyard.
Brand X Pictures | Photo Images | Canva Pro "Children should be seen and not heard" is bizarre and very outdated advice that seems to be making a bit of a comeback lately, at least judging from many people's reactions to kids.
But for one couple on TikTok, this unreasonable expectation has resulted in far more than the usual hot takes and snide comments about hating kids. It's escalated in a way that has left them and many online mystified. Imagine having neighbors who actually called the cops because your kids were being too loud while happily playing in their own backyard?!
The couple's neighbors called the cops on their kids for playing on a trampoline in the backyard.
TikTokers and YouTubers The Kaskie Family frequently share interesting moments from their lives as parents to five girls, and recently they shared a glimpse into how that goes when it comes to their difficult next-door neighbors.
"Who in the world would call the police because kids are having fun on a trampoline?" the Kaskies asked in onscreen text on their video, which showed a police officer coming to their house following up on a report of "kids screaming."
"Our neighbors have called the cops on us a few times," Mr. Kaskie told the bewildered police officer. "Sorry, you're out here for this."
The incident followed more than two years of harassment from their neighbors.
Because hating kids seems to REALLY be having a cultural moment right now (and I say that as someone who's not particularly fond of them myself but nonetheless mystified by the vitriol they inspire nowadays), the Kaskies got pushback from people who believe children should never be heard "screaming."
That's absurd on its face — kids are kids, not 35-year-old librarians. But to underline the point of what the Kaskies' neighbors consider screaming, they posted a video of their kids playing on the trampoline another day. And well, the "screaming" in question was just kids laughing and playing on a trampoline.
Nevertheless, the Kaskies said in another video responding to the controversy that they have endured pretty consistent harassment from this same neighbor—and notably no others.
"We tried to be nice for about two years," Mr. Kaskie said. "We told the kids to come inside. Until one day, [the neighbor] decided to flip our kids off and say, 'shut the F up' with the full word." That, he said, was "game over," and now they're done placating the lady next door.
"Kids are gonna be kids, and that's that," Mr. Kaskie said. "So go ahead and move if you don't like it." Many commenters firmly agreed. "Your family deserves to enjoy your home," one wrote. "Two years you’ve been dealing with this?" another wrote. "Bless you guys you’re so patient."
The couple got a text from their neighbor's husband that made it clear not even he supports his wife's attitude toward the kids.
After neighbors saw the cops come to their house, many in a community Facebook group reached out with concerns. After the Kaskies explained the situation, they received an outpouring of supportive comments.
Presumably, some of this blowback got back to the people next door, because the Kaskies subsequently shared a text message from the woman's husband that is pretty revealing. In it, he said that his wife was having a "panic attack" and that the "high-pitched screams" set her off.
He asked Mr. Kaskie if he could just tell his kids to tone it down, then added, "Beautiful family by the way, you're great neighbors." This struck many viewers as not only an attempt to smooth things over but also an acknowledgment that he's as frustrated by his wife as the Kaskies are.
In any case, Mr. Kaskie simply replied that the kids were just having fun and that there would be things like birthday parties "for the next 12 years." People applauded him for standing his ground, especially since helping his neighbor manage her mental health issues was not his responsibility.
The bottom line is that nobody has to like kids. But they are entitled to, like, exist outside of the house. They're allowed to play and be children. People today feel far too comfortable demanding they never be inconvenienced by a child ever, in any context, under any circumstances.
But unfortunately, we live in a society that includes kids. And if you have that much of a problem sharing space with them, you should move to a 50+ community or the middle of nowhere. Nobody owes it to you to disappear their children for your comfort.
Kids are people too, and every one of us was one once — and we were not quiet about it, either. And if we were, it was because our parents managed us with threats and fear, if not outright abuse.
Kids are messy and noisy because they're kids. And people really need to figure out how to get over it.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.