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People Are Outraged Over Open Letter To Neighbour With Noisy Baby

People Are Outraged Over Open Letter To Neighbour With Noisy Baby

'The world doesn't stop just because you’ve had a child.'

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara Sheppard

An anonymous open letter to neighbours with a "wailing" newborn baby has gone viral as the author tells them: "To expect others to share your discomfort is deeply selfish."

The letter, published by The Guardian, takes aim at the couple next door who recently had a baby.

"My wife and I are childless through choice, but we have never judged anyone's decision to become parents," states the person.

The letter was published in The Guardian. (
Unsplash)

They explain that living next-door to the family in question gave them some experience of what it would be like to have a child in a lengthy rant.

"You chose to keep your daughter in the master bedroom with you: a single layer of brick was our only protection from months of nightly screaming," they start.

"Her protracted wailing cost us dozens of hours of sleep at a time when our careers were stressful and demanding. It placed an unwelcome strain on our own relationship, and soured our enjoyment of our new home."

It continues: "You never apologised, or even mentioned it. I saw no evidence you ever tried to mitigate the noise for our sake, by moving her to another room, say. I've known enough new parents to know it won't have occurred to you to do so.

The letter takes aim at a couple with a baby. (
Unsplash)

"We do understand parenthood is difficult and frustrating and, above all, exhausting. I'm sure that whatever we endured was orders of magnitude worse for you.

"However, as callous as this may sound, the world doesn't stop just because you've had a child. The people around you have their own lives to cope with, their own problems that they don't inflict on others. To expect them to share your discomfort is deeply selfish."

The letter ends by saying the writer had overheard the neighbour telling another that were expecting a second baby.

"I don't expect you will show any more consideration for us than you did with your first. I just hope this one turns out to be a little quieter," it ends.

The post has since been liked and shared thousands of time on the publication's Facebook page - with thousands more chiming in with comments.

It's unsurprising that most found the letter a little shocking.

"Blows my mind this type of selfishness, what happened to compassion, empathy and understanding... buy a detached house from the proceeds of your highly stressed job if you don't want disturbance," shared one person in the comments.

"Imagine how the parents felt... You could have moved bedroom, you could have used earplugs. You could have developed a relationship with your neighbours who were clearly suffering far more than you. Thank heavens you won't be having children," voiced another.

The letter has since gone viral, amassing thousands of comments. (
Unsplash)

Another explained her experience of having an autistic child and her understanding neighbours.

"I have a 24 year old son who is profoundly autistic. We had a number of very difficult years where he had 'meltdowns' and screamed for hours and hours on end. Living in a terraced cottage, I was always worried about the impact on the neighbours.

Adding: "The neighbours on both sides assured me they never heard a peep. On one side they were 'both deaf' and on the other side I'm pretty sure they were lying. Either way I am grateful to have had such lovely neighbours."

For others, it was less straight-forward.

"All the people judging the letter writer. No one asked to move next to a spawn of Satan," one said.

"I'm pretty sure if one of my kids had cried every night for hours I would have apologised to the neighbours, after all, it's my kid that is keeping people up," echoed another.

Where do you stand on this?

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

Topics: Life News, Sex and Relationships