Neighbour asked me to be quiet

[DBML]

Good afternoon!

My husband and I work full time. My son is 15 and never plays loud games or music. We bought him earphones many years ago so as not to disturb us, let alone neighbours. We are a quiet family; no parties; no late TV; no pets; nothing.

Anyway, next door (SAHM) have a two and a half year old and I understand how difficult that is, but I am getting a little pissed off. We hear the baby crying, sometimes screaming with a little tantrum and ignore...all very normal, no harm done.

But, I put the vacuum on on a Saturday to Hoover around and I get a text asking me if I can turn it off as they are trying to put the baby down for a nap and he won’t go.

Today, I’ve just almost finished my big clean of the week (as I said, I work full time) the vacuum is on at 1.30pm for less than a minute when I get the text.

‘Hey hun - were trying to get ** off to sleep. Can you do the vacuuming some other time?’

I want to say ‘actually, no I can’t. I’m doing my housework now’.

Would I be unreasonable to just start the vacuum up now and finish the job?

@oakleaffy

They can take a one way trip to Suck it up City with that sense of entitlement.

Dying laughing.

@DBML you sound super reasonable and your hoovering is completely fine.

I live in a narrow Victorian terrace and my NDN has a cleaner. When I was training my son into a sleeping routine, that cleaner woke my son from his lunchtime nap by banging the hoover loudly against the skirting board (a surprisingly loud noise travelling through to his room).

I was pissed off because it meant he woke and wouldn’t go down again and I didn’t get a break in the middle of the day. I also thought the cleaner was a bit too vigorous in her hoovering! But it was around the same time you’re talking about (around 1330) - middle of the day and normal household noise. Not much I can do without looking like an unhinged, sleep-deprived tit. What can you do really?

Ignore the precious (thankfully) minority who think you owe it to your neighbour because their precious little Tarquin can’t go the fuck to sleep. That’s not even taking into account the fact that it’s lunchtime and the kid is too old for naps. What is wrong with people?!
Besides, the vacuum cleaner is white noise so you are aiding his sleep. People pay for apps that do that shit.

Ignore, if questioned, you didn't see it until after vacuuming (its noisy of course so why would you hear a notification?)

Bit late to the party but just wanted to say, I have a 2.5 yo who is the worst sleeper in the world, but I'd never expect my neighbours or anyone else to stop their housework just so she can sleep! YADNBU, and if you have replied/or going to reply, please don't start with "sorry..." it just makes their entitlement worse. If they don't like neighbourly noise they should move to the middle of a field!

I think 130 pm is a perfectly reasonable time to hoover. I draw the line at before 8am at the weekend though.

Hoovering shouldnt take more than 5 - 10 mins above the baby's room and them waiting 5 - 10 mins to put baby down won't hugely disrupt the routine.

I would lay down the law here, you have one anothers numbers so you're pretty friendly, explain that she needs to stop telling you what to do in your own home , you're not throwing mad parties at 2 am in the morning you're cleaning in the afternoon! tell her to do one! put your foot down!

Ridiculous. My friend had the right idea. The minute she got home from hospital she put on music at a decent level , hovered, ran the washing machine and made lots of noise so baby got used to noise and slept through it . It worked most of the time and if it didn't she knew something was wrong with baby. I have lived In very overcrowded noisey places. Those babies all got along with it, till teething or tummy pain , earache, fell over etc had them crying. Why do people to assume they need quite all the time😬