How dare they?

[astralweaks]

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/16/a-letter-to-our-neighbours-with-a-baby

The above is in today’s Guardian. Thoughts?
I think the author and his partner have shown remarkable restraint and been far too polite.

How do you suggest we educate newborns about etiquette?

Parents were supposed to know instinctively, apparently

You'd think that people who are mature enough to have a baby could have an inkling that a screaming baby is not a soothing sound... Do they really need explained to them?

My 5 year old knows that a baby is noisy

Bollykecks
don't you think it's the parents who need to be educated...

I think parents are probably incredibly busy trying to stop the baby crying to wonder about how the miserable bastards next door feel.

Nobody likes the sound of a crying baby. Unfortunately theres not much you can do about it.

If its so important for your quality of life that you never ever get woken up then realistically you need to live somewhere where it cant happen. Its your problem not anyone elses and i say that as someone with an enourmous aversion to noise.

I cant stand more than one noise at once ie if the tv is on and ds starts playing with a noisy toy i cant bare it but i would leave the room or turn the tv off not berate everyone else for just living.

my neighbour complains to me about the noise,
I've added rugs/ bought a new washing machine/ duvets on the floor/ make everyone past 7pm walk with soft feet, low voices I mean any noise makes me panic!
Then the other day they come up again. I said I've done everything I can, I can't do anymore so you should just report it.
They have grow up dc so know what it's like, it's only dc 20 months that makes noise.
This is the funny part, the man is partly deaf so has the tv up so loud, they double lock the back door (which is so loud) about 20 times a day, they use it as the main door.
They spent weeks cutting down a tree at 7 am every weekend. So much more but not once have I said anything.

She even blames me for walking around my living room late at night.
At one point I absolutely hate my home. Now I think if you can't for one moment understand that I am also trying to live in my home peaceful then you can just piss off.

Just because some people suck it up doesn't mean everybody else should.

I am always amazed that some people like the writer are so nice as putting up with a nightmare neighbour but never retaliate to show them how pleasant "normal" noise is to live with...

Jesus if you buy a newish attached house what do you expect.
I've just bought an inexpensive 300 year old cottage with walls 2 feet thick. It's terraced but I don't think I would hear a pneumatic drill through it which is why I bought it - I hate neighbour noise.
If you can't stand the noise of kids then do something about it, move into another room or get the house properly insulated.

Sorry but "normal noise" ie a baby should just be sucked up.

A crying baby is hardly a nightmare neighbour.

The author sounds like a huge twat. He deserves every waking minute he got.

A crying baby is hardly a nightmare neighbour.

it's not the baby, it's the parents and you know it.

Shame the writer was too nice and didn't start making "normal" noise too.

No wonder there are so many threads from posters on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of their neighbours from hell when you see some of the comments on here.

I have babies and prior to this lived next door to babies - everyone hates baby crying noises. When my youngest (DS1) cries, I get so flustered cos I'm racing round to find something that stops the noise.

However, they can't make him stop as the writer of the letter doesn't like the noise. If the walls are that thin, they probably don't like being able to hear you drill your partner like a faulty shelf but they've not written to a newspaper about it

sandra its the baby making the noise. Its the baby creating the issue.

I would love to know your technique for stopping a baby crying immediately?

Ds has night terrors where he literally screams for up to 20 minutes. Id love a suggestion on what to do about that?

"Neighbours from hell" is strong. Some of us actually have had awful neighbours

Are some posters thinking THEY are the horrible neighbours in the article? Is that why they are reacting so strongly?

JusticeForSandra
Parents were supposed to know instinctively, apparently
You'd think that people who are mature enough to have a baby could have an inkling that a screaming baby is not a soothing sound... Do they really need explained to them?

To know instinctively that the noise was significantly audible the other side of the wall. Obviously.

Id rather be the "horrible" neighbour than such an intolerant arse.

Ask them to babysit

What are the parents supposed to do? Yes it might be annoying but it is part of life and people living near each other. Babies cry we were all babies once. Moving the baby to another room may not be an option, why doesnt the author move bedrooms if its so bad. I would rather hear a baby through the wall than argumnents and loud music.
The author should think himself lucky he doesn't have to deal with the baby and can just go back to sleep.

I hope all the entitled and rude parents on here will soon enjoy their own little darling being kept awake by other people's noise... It's usually quieter in the winter, but hopefully when the warm weather comes back, it might become more interesting.

"normal" noise being a part of life after all

Whats your problem sandra?

Fwiw my child could sleep through an earthquake so im sure we'll be fine.

I note that you have 0 advice on how to stop babies being noisy though.

I didn't leave MY babies screaming next to the neighbour's bedroom, but you know, common sense and manners - there's always an excuse that it's too much hard work to considerate others.

He should have spoken to the parents, but at the same time the parents should know their child is potentially disturbing the neighbours. I live in a terrace and have a baby. I’m acutely aware of the impact my baby may have on the neighbours. I make sure he’s not in a room next to the neighbours bedrooms when he’s screaming at night.

@JusticeforSandra

I would happily move my baby to the other bedroom when he cries but that disturbs the other neighbours. Every room is attached to a neighbouring wall. It's a terraced house.

My final option is to leave the baby in the shed I believe

Iv never left my baby crying anywhere^ but that doesnt actually stop the noise.

We moved from our semi to a detached house when I was pregnant. I didn't want to give our neighbours that hassle and I also didn't want to have to run straight to my child the second they made a whimper.