An Open Letter to My Daughter's Friends' Parents

Dear My Middle Daughter's Friends' Parents,

I would like to start off our relationship on the right note, so I'm going to start off by saying, "I'm sorry".  Yes, I need to get that out there first.

My daughter is a very different child than the one who clung to my leg as I attempted to drop her off at preschool at the age of three for her one day/week social interaction with children who were not her siblings.  I forever lamented that she would be my shy (HA), introverted (HAHA), quiet (ARE.YOU.FRIGGIN'.KIDDING.ME) child.  As she approaches her teens, just a short 5+ months away, I have seen the error of my ways.  Wrong...WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.  For those of you who think I can't admit when I am wrong...I.WAS.WRONG.

I bring this up because we have had multiple talks about how loud she can be, typically when she is surrounded by her friends,  but she can also be that way with family.  Last night she had two friends sleepover and I will give them credit for keeping their voices down as we all settled down to sleep.  My issue came at 7am...on this Sunday morning...when their (her...she is very distinctive) squeals reverberated through the house, causing me to get out of bed and quietly pull her aside and remind her that the rest of the family was still sleeping and she needed to dial'er back a notch.  I could hear her clearly a floor and half a house away.  My poor son was in the room right next to her and while he sleeps the sleep of the dead, zombies could not have slept through noise of that decibel.  And within 20 minutes, the noise level had returned, so she was again reminded to be considerate of her family members.  At the third rising, I was grateful that most of the kids were already up preparing for church so I chose not to offer yet another reminder.

However, realization struck.  This child simply cannot modulate her voice any more than she can stop herself from offering that one final "opinion" after I have informed her that a discussion is over.  And because she is incapable of maintaining an appropriate noise level for early Sunday morning in her own house, I am left wondering what is she like at YOUR house?  I thought so.

And I'm sorry. 

Please take note that we ARE aware of this and we are working to correct the situation, but I am not sure if this will be easily fixed.  I would ask that if she is exceedingly loud at your house, you not hesitate to address her directly and ask her to pipe down.  As many times as is necessary.

And if all else fails...duct tape works.

Sincerely,

Your Daughter's Friend's Mother