'My neighbour asks same six-word question every morning and it's driving me mad'

A woman is becoming more and more irritated with her neighbour after she's taken to asking her the same "annoying" question each morning she's unavailable to chat with her - and she's keen to put a stop to it. Keeping friendly relations among neighbours is a common goal for many people who are eager to live in peace, avoiding any awkward situations or drama at home.

Sometimes though, forming a close bond with a neighbour can have its downsides too, particularly if they're quite demanding of your time. One woman has experienced this first-hand, as her neighbour takes it very personally if she doesn't engage with her each morning.

Despite having a good relationship - including weekly dinners together - the neighbour feels hurt and panicked if their morning "meet ups" don't take place, which is wearing the woman out.

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In a Reddit post tagged as a "vent/rant", the woman explained: "We have a great neighbour who has dogs, and loves our dog. We have weekly dinners together and while she can be somewhat annoying at times overall she is a great person."

She then elaborated on the "annoying" question her neighbour poses to her on mornings that don't go as she would like.

The woman said: "She does have one habit I wish she would stop. We see her most every morning when she walks her dogs and we are having coffee on the front porch.

"If we miss a 'meetup', and don't check in that day, we get a message, 'why are you mad at me?' Sometimes we are processing bills, having personal discussions or dealing with our [own] business.

"At first I wrote it off, but each time we do not meet up, she takes a personal hit from the lack of interaction. I know internally it is her issue."

The woman sought advice on how to gently explain to her neighbour that "not every day is a chat day".

In the comments section, people were eager to share their thoughts. One person suggested: "Ask her why she thought you were mad at her. That should open the awkward dialogue."

Another commented: "It sounds like she could have a fear of rejection or abandonment or possibly over analyse situations. I would answer, 'no of course not, we just had to... today, what makes you think we are mad at you? X'."

A third queried: "Why does she think it's all about her?"

A fourth said: "And this is exactly why I don't like being close with my neighbours. There's always a weird one."

Someone else advised: "I would say, 'I don't understand why you assume I'm mad at you? And to be honest, I do find it annoying that you ask this every time I'm not around at the same time. As I've explained before, I'm busy at times and I do wonder why you think it's about you?'

"Then (if it's something I want to hear about) ask if they'd like to talk about it. Insecurity sucks, and I don't want to increase anyone's issues with it.

"At the same time, I'd find the follow up texts over the top frustrating.

"Your neighbour needs to work this out, and you can set your boundaries as you wish. As it sounds like you're quite close, I wish you luck!"

Another Reddit user said: "You're busy? Your lives don't revolve around her? Seriously think about taking a few steps back here, this isn't normal in any way."

Someone else joked: "I'm still processing that you have a neighbour you have dinner with every week."