To want a little calm?

[babybouncer]

I went to stay with my parents over christmas. I live about an hour's drive away, my brother lives about 20 minutes from them and on one night we all stayed over. He has 2 girls aged 3 and 5 who run and shout almost non-stop and think shouting your name or hitting you are the only ways tp communicate. I have a 6 month old boy who they adore, and fight over who gets to hold him/stroke him/pat him etc. Unfortunately DS found this all too much and was very unsettled, not least because their idea of a gentle pat is most people's idea of a wallop. My Mum kept commenting that the baby was 'boring' and 'joking' that we never let him play, and just put him to sleep all the time (granted, he is a fan of sleep - who would complain about that!?) and DH and i constantly had to come up with ways to distract the girls away, while their parents ignored the whole thing. AIBU to think that they should have helped us more? At one point we heard DS start crying in his cot and went upstairs to find my niece coming out of our bedroom.

Personally, I'd ask them to control grand/children or else you'd have to go home as it's unsettling for a baby.

I tried something along those lines, but was told that it was good for a baby to be around noise and he'd have to get used to it because I come from a loud family.

Could you have a quiet word with your folks and explain he needs a little calm and you may have to not go next year if its going to be a problem?

if it is only once a year, is it really a big deal?

i mean that nicely - i know it is a PITA when your LO is unsettled but unless it is a daily occurence then it is just the way things are over the holidays

Babybouncer - YANBU but it is just once a year (hopefully) and come next year your DS will be a more robust toddler who will be destroying all of his cousins toys/games and annoying the hell out of them. If it is more common, you could explain to your mum/brother that the baby is getting overstimulated which isnt good for him at such a young age - yes he will need to, and will eventually, get used to being around noise but not all at once in one go! Personally, when I know its going to be noisy and hectic somewhere I'm staying with a small child/baby, I take a sling or a pushchair and take the little one out for a nice long walk when we both want a bit of peace and quiet - may be worth thinking about for next time...