A Woman’s Frustration Over Loud Music During a Family Getaway
A pregnant woman recently shared her emotional experience on Reddit, detailing how her husband criticized her for turning down loud music during a family vacation. The incident left her feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, especially as their young child struggled to sleep in the midst of the noise.
The woman, who is expecting her second child, described the situation as one that tested her patience and strained her relationship with her husband. She and her 29-year-old husband were visiting her parents’ out-of-state home, where they had brought their 1-year-old son for what was supposed to be a relaxing trip. However, the toddler had difficulty adjusting to the long plane ride, time difference, and unfamiliar surroundings.
During their stay at her parents’ friend’s house, the woman said she tried to be considerate and not make her child an inconvenience to others. But on the second night of the trip, things took a turn when the family gathered for dinner.
At around 8:45 p.m., the woman placed her son in a pack and play in their room, hoping he would fall asleep. After a few minutes, he started fussing, so she went back to soothe him. By 9 p.m., he was quiet, and the room was dark with a sound machine playing.
However, the peace was short-lived. As the family set the table for dinner, someone began clattering silverware loudly, waking the toddler. While rocking him, another issue arose—someone started playing 80s music downstairs. The volume was turned up, and a group of women, including the woman’s mother, began singing and laughing loudly.
The expectant mother texted her husband, asking if the music could be turned down. He responded by saying, “He is going to be fine.” She explained that the toddler wasn’t falling asleep and that she was the one in the room with him. Her husband insisted it wasn’t that loud.
Realizing the speaker was directly beneath their room, the woman waited for the song to end before trying to put her son down again. But the music restarted at full volume, forcing her to go downstairs and ask the guests to turn it down. Some agreed, but others made comments about her ruining the mood.
Frustrated and emotional, the woman gave her husband the monitor and went to the basement to calm down. When her husband joined her 15 to 20 minutes later, he told her she was overreacting, claiming their son had slept through louder noises before.
She reminded him that there’s a difference between sleeping through something and trying to fall asleep with it. He dismissed her concerns and left, leaving her feeling unheard and unsupported.
When she returned upstairs, one of the homeowners apologized for waking the toddler, which she appreciated. However, other guests, many of whom were drunk, made jokes about whispering so they wouldn’t wake the baby. At that point, she decided not to eat and went to bed around 10:15 p.m.
In the comments section of the Reddit post, several users criticized the woman, calling her selfish for turning down the music without asking. One person wrote, “You didn’t even ask, you calmly told them you were turning down music. You were a guest of a guest… You selfishly put a damper on your host’s evening.” Another added, “I think you were kidding yourself that nine adults at a social gathering would be quiet all evening so that one toddler could sleep. Your expectations were unreasonable.”
Despite the backlash, the woman stood by her decision, emphasizing that she was simply trying to create a peaceful environment for her child. The incident highlights the challenges of balancing family dynamics, personal boundaries, and social expectations during vacations.
