things that bump in the night

For two years now I've delt with the pitter-patter of feet and 3 am wake up calls from crying and tantrums, otherwise known as the upstairs neighbors.The hardwood floors in our apartment are beautiful but seem to be paper thin. We've learned to remove our shoes once we get home and to be cautious when moving around early in the morning or late at night, however the neighbors upstairs have not been so polite. Yes I understand there is only so much you can do to keep a child from making noise and that I may feel different once I have children of my own but here's what it breaks down to: I pay way too much money in rent to listen to your child throw itself on the floor and scream bloody murder because she isn't getting her way. We've tried to bang on the ceiling slightly when it gets out of control, we've spoken to our landlord and talked to the mother but to no avail, the running, screaming, tantruming continues. The phenomenon of how this thirty pound child can make this much noise blows me away every time I see her. The building I live in is of young professionals ages 23-32. We all have friends over and are sometimes noisy but also making sure those around us have notice and openly welcome kind reminders to keep the music level appropriate. The only excuse I get from the upstairs neighbor is "but I have a child" with a hand to her chest as if she's explaining that my twenty-something brain can't possibly grasp this great sacrifice she has made. I usually smile and politely excuse myself from the awkward elevator rides or laundry room confessions. I'm hoping for normal, barely there neighbors in the future and dare I say it, no children.