The Great Debate! Am I Being Unreasonable? I THINK NOT!
RANT PHASE
So, we have had one party in 6 months, (for which we already had a visit from your royal parenthood) and maybe 3 times a month, have loud music on for an hour or two as we enjoy being alive, generally not after 10pm at night, often around 2 in the afternoon on a weekend (we had a visit from your royal parenthood about this, regarding music being played on a friday night at 10pm - apparently this is your 'You' time). We have not been unreasonable as young adults in an apartment designed for individuals with no children, in the CBD area. Our neighbours feel differently, and have ganged up on us. They have babies. Apparently it is an issue of ANY noise at all coming from our apartment. They are and I quote "at the point of tears and hating our homes" THE BABYOCRACY HAS SPOKEN! Screw you, sleep deprived harridan, your children are your concern and we have been extremely mindful of YOUR life choice as it is. ARGH. I WILL NOT BE BULLIED. If you want sleepy suburban life, MOVE AWAY FROM THE CBD!
REASONABLY REASONABLE PHASE
I spoke calmly and gently with OMFG the representative of the Babyocracy, I invited her in to share her concerns. I was urbane, polite and reasonable. She repeated she felt she was being unreasonable, I agreed. Repeatedly. I acknowledged the diversity of the tenants in the building, adjacent/abutting us (three couples, one late middle aged and silent as the grave, two young with children) and that we had been mindful of that. She agreed we had been. Yet continued to repeat herself. I do feel for her, it must be hard having a 7 month old to care for, all that sleep deprivation, worry and suchlike, and I suppose the weird cabin-fever she may experience having her world coalesce around her baby. But really, we are people too and we have a right to enjoy our home, reasonably, which we are doing. We cannot be expected to respond favourably to the demand that we we align our lives entirely to suit the schedule of their Baby. It seems OMFG also felt she had done me a favour by them all not coming to talk at me at once. I agreed that would have been a poor choice if she wanted meaningful conversation on the issue, as I would have reacted with a far more forceful stance if confronted by the entire Babyocracy en masse.
RESOLUTION PHASE
After three visits from OMFG in the last 6 months, perhaps what I will do is try to turn it down a teeny notch as the music we like is very bass-y. Housemates can do as they wish. But if she comes around again, I will launch the MOVE TO THE SUBURBS THEN argument. This is our home too. To be fair it was all very "Gosh I am so sorry to be having to say this! I am being so unreasonable" and me nodding along and smiling so there were no thrown objects or screaming.
We live RIGHT NEXT TO THE CBD, RIGHT NEXT TO THE STADIUMS AND ALONG A MAIN ROAD THIS IS NOT AN AUSTERE LEAFY SUBURBAN OUBLIETTE.
So, we have had one party in 6 months, (for which we already had a visit from your royal parenthood) and maybe 3 times a month, have loud music on for an hour or two as we enjoy being alive, generally not after 10pm at night, often around 2 in the afternoon on a weekend (we had a visit from your royal parenthood about this, regarding music being played on a friday night at 10pm - apparently this is your 'You' time). We have not been unreasonable as young adults in an apartment designed for individuals with no children, in the CBD area. Our neighbours feel differently, and have ganged up on us. They have babies. Apparently it is an issue of ANY noise at all coming from our apartment. They are and I quote "at the point of tears and hating our homes" THE BABYOCRACY HAS SPOKEN! Screw you, sleep deprived harridan, your children are your concern and we have been extremely mindful of YOUR life choice as it is. ARGH. I WILL NOT BE BULLIED. If you want sleepy suburban life, MOVE AWAY FROM THE CBD!
REASONABLY REASONABLE PHASE
I spoke calmly and gently with OMFG the representative of the Babyocracy, I invited her in to share her concerns. I was urbane, polite and reasonable. She repeated she felt she was being unreasonable, I agreed. Repeatedly. I acknowledged the diversity of the tenants in the building, adjacent/abutting us (three couples, one late middle aged and silent as the grave, two young with children) and that we had been mindful of that. She agreed we had been. Yet continued to repeat herself. I do feel for her, it must be hard having a 7 month old to care for, all that sleep deprivation, worry and suchlike, and I suppose the weird cabin-fever she may experience having her world coalesce around her baby. But really, we are people too and we have a right to enjoy our home, reasonably, which we are doing. We cannot be expected to respond favourably to the demand that we we align our lives entirely to suit the schedule of their Baby. It seems OMFG also felt she had done me a favour by them all not coming to talk at me at once. I agreed that would have been a poor choice if she wanted meaningful conversation on the issue, as I would have reacted with a far more forceful stance if confronted by the entire Babyocracy en masse.
RESOLUTION PHASE
After three visits from OMFG in the last 6 months, perhaps what I will do is try to turn it down a teeny notch as the music we like is very bass-y. Housemates can do as they wish. But if she comes around again, I will launch the MOVE TO THE SUBURBS THEN argument. This is our home too. To be fair it was all very "Gosh I am so sorry to be having to say this! I am being so unreasonable" and me nodding along and smiling so there were no thrown objects or screaming.
We live RIGHT NEXT TO THE CBD, RIGHT NEXT TO THE STADIUMS AND ALONG A MAIN ROAD THIS IS NOT AN AUSTERE LEAFY SUBURBAN OUBLIETTE.