A post about a couple complaining that the playtime of their neighbor’s toddler upstairs is disrupting their newborn’s sleep has received a storm of backlash on Threads.
The post, shared by @stonexhirst, has garnered over 38,000 views since it was posted on October 12. In it, the mother explains that a couple who recently moved into the apartment directly below her second-floor unit have already knocked on her door twice in four days, asking her son to be quieter when “playing around” as they are “trying to put their newborn to sleep.”
“I understand but I don’t,” she wrote in the post. “Why move into a first floor unit on a 4 story building. I can only do so much to stop my son from being too loud. am I being too much?”
The poster said her 3-year-old son had only been “playing with his friend” during the most-recent complaint. In a later comment, the poster wrote: “It’s raining or else my son would be playing outside … I told them straight up … I have a toddler, and you guys are going to be dealing with this soon, so get used to it, ‘cause I’m not gonna force my son to stay in one spot and be dead silent like a mouse. Am I being extra?”
In follow-up comments, the mom elaborated on her efforts to be considerate. “I said my son is three, so to expect him to be as calm as a newborn child is impossible, so I apologize for any slight noise and that he knows better not to run around, but the walls are hollow … you can only ask so much from a toddler …”
The poster added that their household isn’t loud and they are “barely home,” saying: “If we are playing, it’s building blocks, reading books or things that aren’t loud.”
To help ease the situation, the mom said she suggested noise solutions. “I gave them the recommendation of buying a noise machine or a box fan, so I hope they do,” she wrote in another later comment. “I sent an email to my leasing office just in case this does become an issue. I’ve been telling my son not to run or be crazy, as a baby moved downstairs, and he’s been trying … anything past this, can I really do much?”
Neighbor disputes over noise are not uncommon. A recent Talker Research survey conducted on behalf of Newsweek found that many U.S. adults have experienced intense conflicts with neighbors, including noise complaints, property disputes, and intrusions.
Gregg Ward, executive director at The Center for Respectful Leadership, advised against letting such tensions escalate. “If your neighbor doesn’t behave in ways you want them to, the last thing you should do is get into a tit-for-tat battle with them,” Ward told Newsweek. “Don’t respond to disrespect with more disrespect—it will just make everything worse.”
‘You Have a Right To Live Your Life’
Several users on Threads rallied behind the original poster.
“Parents that need absolute silence to put their child to sleep aren’t doing it right,” wrote @lishyjune. “The real world is not dead silent to cater for the needs of your child. Get them used to noise, and they will be able to sleep properly for the rest of their lives.”
Another user, @lifewithashleywhite, posted: “Tell them to use a sound machine for their baby. It will be life changing. You have a right to live your life in your apartment.”
User @elliepickles commented: “I always think that people like this should just move to the suburbs. If you live in an apartment building, there’s noise. Other people have lives too, and living isn’t silent.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Threads.
Do you have a neighbor-related story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
