Am I Being Petty? - Royal Oak,MI

Well I feel bad for you. First I think anytime after 9 am on a week day is reasonable.
Could you put up a fence of some sort? Men are a bit more laid back then women. Does he have a wife?
Its ok to say no sometimes and not feel bad and not come up with a big reason. The kid comes over and says can I play play ..you can say politely ..not today dear and leave it at that.
My next door neighbors occasionally play their music too loud. We each have two acres and my feeling if I can't watch tv because their music is too loud then its inconsiderate. I have never said anthing to them about their music because I dont think they would care about doing anything to change.
Hang in there.

I suggest that you are being overly sensitive in part because you don't know these neighbors. It's easy to focus our daily frustrations on someone we don't know because we don't have our view of them balanced by being able to think of them as people just like us.

I suggest that you take the time to get to know them before trying to talk about what they're doing. If you already say hi when you see them outside, take the time to stop and ask how their day is going. Make any positive comments that you can such as your yard really looks nice. I see you working to make it nice. If their kids are close in age to your kids, perhaps suggest a play date with them in your back yard. State specific times to start and finish unless you're comfortable with your kids and their kids hanging out together.

I get irritated when someone parks in "my" space on the street but then I remind myself that it is a public street and find somewhere else to park. My irritation goes away. Eventually, I was able to then park in "someone else's" spot when no other was available and I had things to take into the house. Otherwise, I've sometimes parked down the block, reminding myself that walking is good for me. In other words, I deal with my feelings so that I can stop projecting my frustration onto the neighbor.

I also suggest that your neighbor doesn't know that these things are upsetting you and unless you talk with them in a calm, non-judgmental and friendly way you can't "blame" them. Your judgment of what they're doing is what is causing your frustration and irritation. I suggest working on looking at what other people are doing as that is just the way it is without labeling them inconsiderate.

It also helps to try to put yourself in their shoes so that you can get closer to understanding why they're doing it. From your description it seems to me that they have good reasons to do what they're doing. Mowing early in summer's hot weather makes sense to me. Not parking in front of his yard makes sense. If the car were parked in front of where he's mowing his car may get splattered with grass or he can't edge on the street side.

My neighbor sometimes mows a strip into our yard and sometimes we do the same. It's difficult to see where the property line lies. And our houses are close together. They mow all of the grass in between our two houses. When our "flower bed" on that side of the house was over run with weed they talked with me about it. I hired a boy to clean out the beds.

Being in a neighborhood requires co-operation and compromise. When a person make judgments based on their needs without consideration for the neighbor's needs they are setting themselves up for frustration that leads to anger. Nothing gets resolved. I suggest you're in that space now and if you can find your way out to focusing on how you can live peaceably with your neighbor while taking care of your needs and their needs thru conversation and compromise you'll be much happier. The blame game never works!

I've lived in my neighborhood for 30 years. Most of my neighbors have lived here for many years but yet I don't know them really well nor do I socialize with them. When my daughter was a kid, she did play with neighborhood kids and I found this very helpful. I did get to know the mothers better and we ended up watching each others kids while one of us ran an errand or wanted an hour without kids. Is there a reason you are keeping your kids away from their kids? They sound like responsible parents.

As to the father never asking if it was OK, I suggest he is thinking that you would tell him if it's not. That is what I expect. I think it's counterproductive to relaxed living to always be concerned if I or my child is offending someone. I expect them to tell me if we are. If they give me "dirty" looks and the situation is working for me, I sigh and say, that's their problem and continue what I'm doing.

We are not on this planet to make other people happy. We are only responsible for our own happiness. This responsibility does require that we be honest with other people in a kind way. Compromise and good feelings are the focus in my day. When I'm friends with someone I'm more focused on being a part of their happiness than I am with a total stranger.

Later: After reading more of your responses, I was reminded that many years ago, I worked graveyard and in the summer the people in a house behind mine had kids who played in the back yard. I walked around the block and told them I worked graveyard, usually didn't' get to bed until around noon and could their children play outside in the morning instead of the afternoon. I suggested that if they weren't yelling playing outside wasn't a problem. It was just the extra loud noises that were intermittent that woke me. No problem! The children continued to play outside on some afternoons but they were much quieter and it was OK. I didn't know these people at all. I was diplomatic and so were they.

I think you're being over sensitive. Noise at 8 am isn't in violation of any noise ordinances in any city and people have the right to let their children play, do yardwork and play music during daytime hours. If this was all going on at 10 pm, you might have a reason to complain, but it's not. You have your playdates in the afternoon, which might disturb some children's naptimes, but your neighbors would be out of line to ask you to keep your children inside in the afternoons, just as it's not right for you to ask your neighbors to keep their children inside in the morning. As for street parking, it's a public street and you have no say in who parks in front of your house when. If it's blocking your driveway, then you can say something, but if not, you're just going to have to get over it. Nothing you've described makes your neighbors sound like bad neighbors at all.

glad i'm not your neighbor!!!! unless you work second or third shift 8:50 am it late. and who cares who parks in front of your house!!! this all seems pretty petty to me!!!!!!

I hear you on a few of the things. It bugs me to no end when our neighbor's visitors always park in front of our house, especially since our neighbor is on the corner and has plenty of parking, or when HE parks in front of our mailboxes. We also haven't said anything. As for the yardwork, 8:50 on a weekday is actually considerate, as I would figure that most people would be up and out of the house by then. If it is a continuing problem, you may want to ask if it is possible to not have noise until 9:30, or another set time. Same if the music is constant, but if they are out enjoying their yard, there unfortunately isn't much you can do. I think you are doing what you can about their child coming over.
It sounds like you have been internalizing this for a bit and it is all building up. I know because I do the same thing. Some things though, you just need to let go.

Yep, sorry. I also vote petty.
8:00 AM is a perfect reasonable time to be outside and doing yard work. If you think about it, that is when many contractors will schedule their first appointments and people working office hours are at work as well.
He's and his guest can park anywhere on a public street where parking is legal...sorry, but the road in front of your house doesn't belong to you, even if it's inconvenient for you to walk a few extra feet.

If you want more isolation you will either have to move somewhere without neighbors, or you put up a nice high privacy fence with some heavy vegetation that will help a bit with the noise... maybe triple pane windows.
I don't see anything wrong with what your neighbor is doing.

I'll try not to pile on here but 1. be happy you have a place to live, 2. get ear plugs, 3. consider what in your life is making you truly irritable to the point that this stuff really gets to you. Have you had a physical in the past couple years? Your hormones can really affect your ability to tolerate what would normally just be a minor irritant. After my second baby, everything made me so irritated and downright angry. My doctor found out that my thyroid was nuts and once it was back in a normal range, the irritability went away and I actually laughed at what had previously upset me. Are you letting your anger at someone or something else focus on your neighbor. It's so much easier to be angry at someone you barely know than those who are dear to your heart. I don't think you are necessarily being petty, you sound more overwhelmed than anything to me, so much so that his minor thoughtlessnesses getto you.

No matter how irritating your neighbor is, I don't think anyone has a right to dictate what they do in their own homes. I have neighbors I wish would move, but that's all I can do, wish it. I can only protect my property and space. If the kids walk over on YOUR yard, you have the right to tell them to not do so if it irritates you. If your neighbors friends park on YOUR spot, you have the right to tell them to move it. If you feel he should not be mowing on YOUR side of the fence you have a right to tell him not to do so, however, as far as lifestyles, that's how they choose to be happy. They cannot help the fact that they choose to do their stuff when it conflicts with you. In all fairness, you wouldn't want them coming over and telling you to how to run your life, so again, they might be a pain in the rear, but as long as it is not infringing on your property (it's not an apartment you share), then it's one of those things you have to live with or move.

You are adding up a whole bunch of little, unrelated things that don't amount to much. Seriously, if noise was not before 8 am or after 10 pm, you have little to complain about except that the neighbor did not know that you slept later than 8 am and they play with their kids and like music outside. What in the world is wrong with a 4 year old playing on the side walk, a man not knowing the exact property line or kids looking out the window? If he is taking your packing space, and you need it, ask him if he could park in front of his own house, but the rest of this is really nothing more that living very close to other people. Maybe someone was in his space when he stopped?

I would keep my mouth shut and just be a tolerant neighbor, because you have no idea what he hears, sees or thinks of you either (that woman who won't come outside when I am in the yard, and looks at my kids when they are in the windows maybe?) You might find that he is not inconsiderate until you point out to him what you find irritating. It could be worse if he has a nasty streak, and you might find louder music, more children looking out the window, and earlier lawn care...

M.

I think you need to tell us what your secret is to get your kids to sleep so late. Mine are up by 7am, so 7:15 to fire up a mower is not to early for me or the neighbors. Most us of are doing yardwork by 8am, just like, it seems, everyone else in cyberspace here.

So, what's your sleep secret? :)

You are being too sensitive. Mowing or playing outside after 8 am on a week day is perfectly acceptable. Is it really that big of a deal if he mows over "the line"? You have less to mow. The street and sidewalk are for the public, so you really have no say there. If the music is really, really loud, then just politely ask them to turn it down a notch. Be happy you have a neighbor who "seems like a nice guy". You could have worse.

In my town the law is you can start making noise at 7am. My FIL would be firing up the lawn mower at 6:59am. After that is the leaf blower, then the edger and so on. All of his yard work woul dbe done before 8am. Crazy huh (not to mention before his yardwork at 7, he rides 15 miles on his bike). The only advice I can give you is you need to find out what time people can start making noise in your town. Also we are allowed to park in front of other people's houses, as long as its a curbed part of the street. So even though you may find it annoying, its totally legal in some towns.
I would say the only thing you might actually want to bring up, if you actually feel the need to, is the 4 year old coming over all the time. I honestly don't feel like he is doing this because your family must be doing something that irritates him. Some people just wake up early and start their day, and some people dont think that the music is too loud. So why its annoying and slighly irritating, its kinda just one of those you have to deal with. Good Luck! =)

In all honesty I don't think 9:00 is too early to cut the grass or let your child play outside.

It all seems petty to me. Especially the parking stuff and the kids playing. I think the unwritten rule for mowers and weed whackers is 8 a.m. I'll bet there are plenty of things your family does that irritates them too.

I would feel the same way about the music when it's coming in, but only if it was so loud I couldn't cover it up with my own tv or music. Our house is really tight. So the only thing we can hear from outside would be when people use that deep base in their speakers. That makes me livid because i can barely stand it. I just freak out completely because it shakes my house and rattles my nerves and makes me have a king of panic attack.

I really don't think you have the right to be upset that people are doing yardwork at 8-9am. It's really not early. Many of us in this world get up at 5am and I wouldn't think a thing of being out doing yardwork at 7am if it were me. My husband does the yardwork, so he's usually not out there until a little later. Right now, the neighbor is trying to beat the heat of the day more than likely.

As far as the little boy coming over, I would just tell him politely that you want to spend some time with your children alone or that they can't play right now. It's a pretty normal neighborly thing to do. I have had to put a stop to it because I'm just not that interested in having other peoples children hanging around. That's because I am a daycare provider and I get paid to care for children. I wouldn't care for my neighbors kids for free just because they live there. The thing is, most parents that let the kids run around like that don't actively watch their kids anyway, just as you say. But I've been told in many ways by many people in my day that parents have the right to let their kids play outside by themselves if they wish. You could just tell the guy that you don't want your children getting the idea that it's okay to wander because in your family your children are not allowed to play unsupervised. Tell him that you would appreciate it if their child doesn't come over unless you have previously invited him because you just don't want to be liable for any accidents he might have at your house or on your property.

I understand about the car thing. for some strange reason it seems that my driveway is the community driveway. We are one of the newer families here, even though we've been here 5 years. The rest are old timers that have always just parked wherever is most convenient and sometimes that's seriously in MY driveway, not just in front of the house. I've just had to learn to let it roll of my back. If I need to go someplace they are working someplace outside and quick to move their car. As far as the public street...it's public. Those spaces really don't belong to us.

Mowing the grass over the line...it sounds like he's not exactly certain where the line is or that he wants to keep the weeds low so the weed seeds don't cross to his yard. I'm sure he has his reasons. If he isn't mowing down flowers you have planted, why would it bother you?

I would say you do sound pretty petty about some of these things.

I understand your frustration but think maybe you have been letting little annoyance build up to the point where they don't feel so little to you anymore. And just as you have your complaints, your neighbors could have their set of complaints about you and your family as well. I think the best thing that you can do is decide which of your complaints really have to be addressed and, of those complaints, how best to address them with your neighbor without causing a lot of needless conflict or without being too vague so that he doesn't know what you are talking about. Your neighbors may be legitimately good people but, because you have swept a lot of your irritations under the carpet for so long, they may not be aware that what they are doing is annoying to you.

Hope this helps.

I can see where it is irritating, but I don't think that 8:50am is too early to be mowing the grass. I think anything between the hours of 7 or 8am and 9pm is being considerate. Perhaps if it is really bothering you it would be a good idea to talk to your neighbor about it.

Wow! I don't think that 9 am is too early at all to do yardwork. It gets hot as hell here and if you don't get it done early, you are in trouble. You are complaining that they are mowing part of your yard??? I would be thanking them! One less thing for you to do! It is annoying to have other folks parking in front of your house...but I wouldn't consider it a big enough thing to complain about.

Since you haven't said anything, I think you're asking too much to expect your neighbors to mind-read that you find them irritating. Nothing you are describing sounds like something they should automatically know. 8:15 is early on a weekend, but on a week day, it is not particularly. If something they are doing really bothers you, why don't you sweetly mention it to them? I personally could care less if my neighbors mowed part of my yard (less for my husband to do!) But I could see a problem with the music, so the next time it happened, you could go over and chat with them and then ask if they could turn the music down a bit since you can hear it in your house, even with the windows closed. Since he seems like a nice guy, hopefully he'll comply (if he doesn't, I suppose you could file a noise complaint - it depends how deep you want to go!) It sounds like your neighbors are more oblivious than inconsiderate, and like you expect them to know how your feel because you don't invite them over for coffee. Pick your battles, and then feel free to politely fight them. Good luck.

Wow - you have kids and are still in bed at 8:50?!? What's your secret?

Anyhow, yeah I think you're being a little petty and over-sensitive. I don't think he's mowing too early in the morning. Like others have said, it's super hot and better to do it in the morning.

Have you had a conversation with him yet? That would be a good place to start. I'm going to bet he has no idea just how inconvenienced you have been over this and I highly doubt he is doing this intentionally to annoy you.

You have to decide if it is worth alienating a neighbor over this. If it were me I wouldn't find these violations so egregious to raise a stink over it.

About the yard work, sorry, especially in the summer you have to get out there and do it early, because by the time it comes noon yard work is unbearable, and by the time the day cools off there might not be enough light to get things done.

About the mowing into your lawn, yeah i had a neighbor that used to do that, mine even had to cross the driveway to get a strip of mine mowed, i found it odd, and wondering why he did it ran into some conclusions that i did not like, it seemed like a tacky way of saying "you need to mow your lawn", who knows, but i felt it was too trivial to bring up and perhaps misunderstood.

About the music, I think you can mention it politely and that will be resolved.

As long as the cars arent blocking your driveway or your mailbox, i dont understand why you care.Other than that im sure mentioning that will resolve it too. But its a big no-go im afraid on the yard work, invest in some earplugs.

Well, have you tried talking to him? Maybe he doesn't know that you are still asleep at 8:50. Or that it irritates you that people park in front of your house. A polite knock on their door later in the day to ask nicely for him to stop should be fine.
As far as the music, is it late at night or something? Does it go on for hours, or 30 minutes?
I let my kids in the backyard all the time. Sometimes as early as 8. I don't see anything wrong with it.
Do you even talk to him? You say you have kids and they have kids. Why aren't your kids playing together?
I think that you are being too sensitive. Especially if you haven't even talked to him about it. He can't read your mind. He doesn't know what you consider a "good" neighbor.
Trust me, I have had my share of bad, irritating people living next door, the next floor up, behind us, wherever. I have found that the majority of people don't even realize they are being annoying.

It sounds like you have a pretty good neighbor. The only thing I might agree with, depending on how loud it is, is the volume of the music coming from his outdoor speakers. My neighbor has outdoor speakers, which I can hear, but he doesn't really play his music that loud; it's just that sound carries. It doesn't really bother me, even though I do prefer peace and quiet.

As far as the "early" outdoor play and yard work are concerned, that doesn't really seem all that early to me. Kids are techinally supposed to play outside before 10:00 am as after that is when the sun's rays get more intense. And I guess the same would go for an adult doing yard work, not to mention to avoid the heat we've been having here in the area (I live near you). It takes me at least two hours to do all the yard work, so that would neccesitate beginning at 8:00. It is great that you get to sleep in sometimes, but I don't think you should expect everyone else to hold off on their day to let you sleep until 8:50.

The road is free game for parking, even in front of other people's houses. Do you need to park in that spot? If that is why it bothers you, then I don't see a problem with you nicely asking him if he could move his car when he is finished with the lawn so you can use the spot. I often have neighbor's visitors parking in front of my house. It's a little annoying because it "messes up the pretty view", but I figure their ability to park somewhere convenient trumps my view.

If you have never said anything about him mowing onto your property, you probably shouldn't be too mad at him. Maybe he is confused as to where the property line is. Or maybe he is trying to overlap a little to avoid leaving a stripe of unmowed grass. I had a neighbor with a trash tree who LEFT two lengths of unmowed grass, pretending the trash tree was on my property instead of his so he wouldn't have to clean up the leaves and branches and deal with the roots. (All the neighbors agreed that it was his tree, and he had recently moved in. I told him it was his tree/property, but he pretended to be confused and still left it for me to clean up and mow.) So, it could be worse. I would just nicely remind him of where the property line is, especially if you prefer to mow your grass at a greater height than he does. You could also make sure you always mow that two lengths yourself when you do your lawn.

Personally, I don't think he is doing anything wrong, and you said he is a really nice guy. That's just part of living in a neighborhood as opposed to in an isolated area. If you don't agree, though, it would be better to nicely talk to him about it than to continue growing increasingly irritated at him without giving him a chance to fix the problem. And, in answer to your question, yes, I am sure we all do things that irritate our neighbors. I'm sure I do, though I try not to. Thankfully my neighbors are forgiving enough that they just ignore it and appreciate the kind things I do instead.

Wow, you have kids and you get to sleep past 7 in the morning?! Lucky you! We usually have most outside chores going by pretty early in the morning. Otherwise, it gets too hot, and, who wants to work in the heat?

Have you talked to him? I do not think he is doing it on purpose or to be inconsiderate, they might just get an earlier start to their day. To my 9am and after is perfectible suitable for starting outdoor activity, even 8am (if a company is redoing a roof or hired to do other things like yard work it start around 8am).

My neighbor's house is pretty close to our's, about 14 ft from his side of the house to our bedroom window/our side of the house, in between there is his driveway. Now we talk to our neighbor ALL the time, every time we are both outside, even if it is just a quick hi. He usually starts yard work around 8am (as well as others on the street) but everyone is quiet by 9pm. NOW our previous neighbor was a neighbor from hell when it came to noise at all hours of the night AND day. After talking with her a few times due to after 10pm LOUD noises I called the cops (non-emergency number) and asked what the law was regarding noise (times & decibels) they told me and asked if I had a complaint... I sure did, and I did call the cops numerous times afterwards BUT I always went over and talked to the neighbor first before call the cops. So thankful we have a new neighbor now :)

Anyway check the sound ordinance law, find out the times and appropriate decibels to be heard through out the day. Honestly talk to your neighbor, but if he is not starting before 7am I don't think you have a valued complaint unless you or hubby work night shift. Just talk to the neighbor if it bugs you but be ready for them to complain back if they think you are being petty.

With the street; IT IS PUBLIC PROPERTY... unless he is blocking your driveway or mailbox he can park on a public street where ever he chooses. Maybe there is better shade there, if he is mowing maybe he wants to get the edge and if his car is parked there he can't. With the kids playing on the sidewalk; once again PUBLIC, now if they are in the way of people walking, biking whatever then the child so move but otherwise fine. When my hubby is mowing my daughter is always in the opposite spot (mowing front in back, mowing back in front) as long as the child is not in harms way.

You are being petty. 8:50 am is definitely ok to weedwack. Occasional parking in front of your property is ok too, it's better than parking on the lawn:) Find something else to worry about.

By 8:50am, some people have already been up for hours! If you have a different kind of schedule/job where you can only get sleep at that time, you could ask if they would help you out by doing yard work later, but otherwise, it's about preference. Everyone has a right to thier preferences within city ordinances adn the law. Like another perosn said, they don't have the right to expect you to not have palydates that might interfere with thier kids' naps..but they can ask as a kindness.

Neighbors can be very annoying. It's tough not to be irritated by the things they do, especially when it wakes you up.

If you have never said anything to them before, they probably have no idea that their actions are bothering you. It doesn't sound like they are doing anything to intentionally upset you. A few thoughts:

If you don't like that he mows onto your lawn, ask him nicely to make sure not to cross over the line. Say it's because you want all of your grass the same length, and when he does this, it makes one part shorter than the rest.

For the noise outside, you can ask for 9:00 a.m. on weekends, but I don't think 8 a.m. on weekdays is unreasonable. Most people are up by then for school or work. It IS ok to ask that the younger one not scream so much in the yard.

The music should never be so loud that it's bothering you even with your windows closed. You can always ask for this to be turned down.

As for parking in front of your house... it's annoying, but not worth saying anything unless the cars are actually in the way of something you need to do.

Remember - unless one of you is moving soon, you need to make sure to get along. So when you ask for these things, present it all in an assertive way, without placing blame or making him feel guilty. Make sure he knows that you realize he isn't bothering/waking you on purpose. Give him the chance to mention any way that you could be a better neighbor as well.

K.
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

Here in Austin the sound ordinance is 7am to 10 pm.
On the weekends 8 am to 10:00 pm..

Parking on the street is permissible, since it is owned by the city. No blocking of the driveway or mailboxes. Even the sidewalks are owned by the city so anyone can play, walk run on the sidewalks at any time.

I am not sure exactly what is bothering you except maybe the Over mowing of your yard. Just mention it to him.

You are being overly sensitive. Be thankful this guy keeps his property up! What seems early in the morning to you isn't for him. I think you should just be kind and considerate, as you have been, and not say anything. It's tricky living in a neighborhood. I doubt it's ever occurred to him that any of this bothers you. A lot of men are pretty clueless! He may be ADHD like my SIL who thinks it's crazy when my daughter tells him something he's doing may annoy the neighbors. He just fits in the outside work when he can around his other responsibilities. He also thinks nothing of letting the kids hang out at the neighbors when he's supposed to be watching them. He's a great guy but clueless in so many ways. He does have ADHD and a lot of stuff just kind of goes right over his head. Get busy with your own life and ignore this stuff. Believe me, you could have a lot worse problems with your neighbors! Ask anyone who does!

Hi, I think you are being petty. It sounds like you may need to consider moving to where you have more distance from your neighbors.

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Definitely him doing yard work that early is necessary here in the heat. Many of my neighbors do it much earlier than that!

I would just nicely ask him about not parking in front of your house, unless there is no other place to park, or when he is done with the yardwork.

I just have to say that I was always taught that anything before 7am was rude- after that, most people are up and are trying to get their day started(especially if it's hot outside). and anything loud after 9pm was also rude- most people are trying to relax at the end of the day. I always let my kids play outside and I am not always right outside with them- I do keep an eye on them through the window or open door- but sometimes I need them out from under foot while I get things done inside or I am trying to put the baby down for a nap(which requires nursing at this point)
I would invest in a good pair of earplugs or noise canceling headphone- you will be able to sleep in and you might even get better sleep and not be so annoyed with your neighbor! :)
~C.

Have you asked him if he could wait to have the kids play outside and to do his yardwork until after 9:00 or whatever time you think is reasonable?

Honestly, I'm leaning towards petty on this one. It might just be geography, but being down here in Houston if you don't get outside and do the yardwork or let the kids play before at least 10:00 am, you won't get it done that day because it's too dang hot. We're in a neighborhood where about 75% of the neighbors hire landscapers to do the mowing and they start around 8:00 am on Saturday morning. We hear lawnmowers and weed wackers every Saturday from about 8:00 - 11:00 am and that's just normal down here.

Living in a neighborhood with kids, you're going to hear them. Again, if you want to ask him to wait until after 9:00 or whatever then I think that's fine, but I don't really see his behavior as being rude or inconsiderate.

If he's been mowing two lengths over into your property for a while, he probably just doesn't know where the property line is. Just politely let him know that he's been doing more than his fair share and he can stop at whatever point he's suppose to.

One day when the music is too loud just go over and ask them if they could turn it down a little. Again, they probably just don't know how loud it is at your house.

Now, if you have talked to them about these things and they continue to do it anyway, then they're just being rude :-).

Good luck,
K.

You're still asleep past 6 am????? Lucky!!

I don't think you're being petty, however, 8:50 am is pretty late in the morning to be irritated by the noise. Think of the summer we've had...it's 85 degrees and muggy by 10am, so yardwork is miserable if you wait. My rule of thumb is after 8am and before 8pm for any noise outside. The parking thing I don't really get. We live on a main street so we can't have people park in front of our house anyhow. But if you need that parking spot, I guess you could say something. Or is it that you just don't like people parked in front of your house? I'm not sure you can do anything about that, because it's a public spot.
I guess if it was me, I wouldn't say anything because tension between neighbors can be really uncomfortable. If the noise really bothers you, is there anything you can do to your house? Maybe curtains in your bedroom that would muffle the sound?
I hope you find a solution! Good luck!

I think you have legitimate grievances...but a couple are a little petty. I'll start w/ the petty. The street is public property & although I agree it's annoying if neighbors or neighbors' guests park in front of my house instead of theirs, it's just something I would deal with or ignore. About the early noise outside...my kids (4 and 1 1/2) are usually up by 8am, so I'm awake at that time. Some people are early birds. I think 8am is the line...anything after 8am is okay (though it may really be annoying), before 8am is a no-no & warrants a comment to the neighbor. The mowing...just tell him he is mowing your lawn. You can make a joke & say, "do you realize you always mow 2' of our yard...you can mow it all if you'd like, but I just thought I'd let you know you've actually been mowing our grass all this time & your work would be done sooner if you stopped at your property line." He probably doesn't realize...or else he truly thinks it's his property. I think letting his son play in your yard w/out asking you is very wrong. You are not a babysitter...especially when you're unaware of the child there. You shouldn't have to hide inside, but unless you discuss this w/ him, there may be no other option. Some people are just not very considerate. You just have to choose your battles. Our backyard neighbor had a HUGE party last summer. Musician outside, loud speakers, spotlight (that hit our bedroom window), people playing bags on the bag of our yard. This 40-something single dad was having a frat party in his yard...at least 80 people. He turned the music WAY up at midnight...we had a newborn...I called the police b/c he was disturbing the police. They didn't do much (though I did see them talk to the neighbor). Music was still loud so I called police again...and again. I don't think I'm petty...I let the little nuisances roll off my back...but this was major & I know it bothers other neighbors, they are just too afraid to speak up. Needless to say, he didn't have a party this summer & spends much more time at his girlfriend's place. So, only bring something up to him if it is wrong (not just annoying), and know that word travels & whatever you complain about may be the talk of the neighborhood. The only things I thing are valid complaints are the mowing your lawn & letting his boy play in your yard w/out your okay. Good luck!!