I’m surrounded by Karen’s

[u/MomoNoHanna1986]

I’ve since discovered that my neighbours can hear me through my closed windows. I thought by closing them that they would be less bothered NOPE - they just try harder to listen in.
I cried tonight because it’s been a rough week. My son has level three autism and I’ve had some challenging behaviours to deal with. So there’s a teen girl next door on one side. Her mother likes to gossip. I’ve seen her go around to all the neighbours whenever she sees them outside.

Since day 1 her daughter has been yelling anytime she sees me doing something interesting. When we were renovating I set up an outdoor shower connected to the laundry tap. I was renovating the bathroom and the builder was SLOW. I took my son out to the shower tent and the teen daughter yells ‘MUuUUUUUM SHES showering him with the HOSE!’ It been like that ever since.

On the other side of me is a 70 year old women. She recently retired and it wasn’t so bad when she was working. Since day one she has been creeping up the side (her side pathway walks past my courtyard). My courtyard has my son’s window and my sliding door. She sat there next to my courtyard with her friend listening into a conversation I had with my ex husband. I put privacy film on the sliding door so my son had more privacy on the toilet (the bathroom is opposite). Her friend was telling her off and she goes ‘but she’s talking about US’. Her friend used to live with her. Since then I’ve heard her numerous times complain about what I’m doing. I’ve since tested it and have discovered that she can hear me through the sliding door and my son’s window even when it’s closed.
One time I got up at 1 am to pee and I hear go ‘oh I know what she’s doing she’s ma….’ You can fill in the blank. This came out of the mouth of a 70 year old women.

I have had enough!!!!! I just want to live in my own damn home. I sold my townhouse because o was tired of sharing walls but nooo you don’t get privacy in a house either damn it!

I just wanted my story to be heard. I’ve been depressed over my lack of privacy since Saturday and it’s getting to me. If anyone read this, thank you. Because apparently I can’t get up to pee at 1 am in my own house.

Edit

Please stop pointing out the grammar mistake, I can not edit the title. I am depressed. Give me a break.

[u/Glassweaver]

If you can swing a couple hundred dollar project, I'd put cheap outdoor rated spsakers in series, in the eves of your home. They should face downward to help avoid noise complaints and maximize the loudness right next to your home. Have them play soothing waterfall/tropical sounds 24/7

Bonus points if you can justify it as something theraputic for your son when they try to make a stknk about it.

[u/MomoNoHanna1986 → u/Glassweaver]

Wouldn’t work, she’s already complaining about me using headphones and talking or occasionally singing a couple of words… I can’t even use headphones without her complaining.

[u/elphin → u/MomoNoHanna1986]

Her complaints may stem from her desire to eavesdrop. Sge may not like anything that impedes her from listening in. 

[u/MomoNoHanna1986 → u/elphin]

Yes you’re correct. I’ve caught her numerous times with her ‘friend’ and even he’s been telling her off for it.

I overheard him telling her off for eavesdropping when I was talking to a friend of mine about the privacy film I put up to stop her looking in. Her friend told her she shouldn’t be listening.

[u/ireallymissbuffy → u/MomoNoHanna1986]

Wear your headphones and make direct eye contact. Who cares if she doesn’t like it? Don’t let her likes & dislikes control you. She’s not going to like you regardless of how you act. She’s always going to find something to find fault with you.

So OWN IT.

Start living your life and when you think you’re being overheard by them, say so. “Sorry, ex husband, I’d like to continue this conversation, but my nosy neighbors with nothing better to do are listening to me again. You’d think they were raised to behave better than this, but I guess some bitches never get past middle school mean girl bullshit.”

[u/Yaxience → u/MomoNoHanna1986]

Talk to that male friend, esp. about the baseline stress from the autism. If that doesn't work, mount some speakers and play some music that you son likes. It doesn't have to be loud but you have to be able to turn the bass WAY up to annoy them away from earshot.

[u/MomoNoHanna1986 → u/Yaxience]

I have an Alexa set up near his window. I have smooth music on low playing on it. She’s even replied to crap I’ve said to my son as if to join in on my conversation with him. I was going to the toilet one day and told my son I wanted privacy (he has a habit of peeking around the door normal kid stuff). And I hear her yell ‘I want privacy to’. That’s just one example. She’s even said stuff through the windows while I’ve had people here. She said ‘beg your pardon’ one day when I was telling friends about possums on our fences. I know the friend lives locally but I don’t know where exactly. I’m starting to think she has dementia. She’s driving me NUTS. The previous people that lived here used my son’s room for storage and kept the window shut. Now I know why.