couples

They took their baby on holiday, and then someone slipped this under their door

Are there some places you shouldn’t take kids on holidays? The person who wrote this letter certainly thinks so…

It was their first getaway since become parents. A young mother and father embarked on a ski trip with their baby girl and prepared for a fun and relaxing stay. Their little girl had some trouble sleeping at night. Like babies do. Normally she slept quite well.

Then, two nights into the trip this letter was angrily shoved under their door:

It reads:

Thank you for bringing a screaming baby to a ski resort and wake up everyone near your room, several times during the night. These walls are not sound proof and the screams seemed to be right next to us.

Babies don’t ski, no reason to bring them to a ski resort, they should stay at home with family or nannies. I never brought my babies to a place like this, I was considerate of others, not selfish. I stayed at home when I could not get help. We need more people who think of others and less selfish ones.

Your baby screams ruined our sleep on Sat and Sunday (the worst). We planned this trip a year ago, to ski hard all day and sleep at night so we could ski all day, thanks to you, that was not the case. Hope you think of others around on your next trip.

Thanks!

Unfortunately for the angry ski bunnies, the couple in question are the relatives of blogger Dad On The Run who has responded with equal vitriol at the couple’s audacity to complain about his sister and brother-in-law’s right to bring their baby on their ski trip.  He turns the tables on them and calls them selfish and cowardly.

He writes:

In your haste to pass judgment on others and whitewash your own memory of what parenting is like, you have forgotten to check yourself for the very inconsideration and selfishness you abhor. You decided to lash out at others who were unaware of your plight or discomfort, at least until you left a cowardly letter after the fact, at which point any opportunity they might have had to try to alleviate your unfortunate situation had passed.

Perhaps, if you had yelled back or pounded on the headboard, then the thinness of the walls would have been more evident to the struggling parents. Then again, such an act of directness would have identified you as the petty selfish person you are. Personally, I think you knew that, which is why instead, you decided to lay your opinion out anonymously and with no consideration of what was happening within the room or who the people are you were addressing. You knew all you needed to know: “Someone is doing something I don’t like! I should cry about it.” Sound familiar? The baby was cutting teeth, what is your excuse?

He then goes on to explain that his brother-in-law was in Colorado for a work conference. He works as a brain surgeon and “helps more people before you get out of bed and have your morning coffee than you have likely helped in your entire life.” Apparently he decided to take his wife and child with him so they could be together and give his wife the opportunity to get out of the house for the first time since becoming a mum.

My niece usually sleeps pretty well, and is not known for screaming in the middle of the night. If she were constantly having this issue both parents would be in a mental institution and you wouldn’t have been disturbed. Newsflash: a night in the room with a screaming toddler is even harder than being next door and not something parents willingly plan for on holiday. From the far side of the wall, one cannot see the parents scrambling, attempting to feed the baby, rock the baby, shush the baby, walk around, rack their brains for a way to make the crying stop for their sake, for their neighbor’s sake and not least of all for the helpless child’s sake.

He then ends his response with this note of encouragement to his sister:

P.S. Lil’ sis. Keep doing what you are doing. Your child is a part of this world and just as much entitled to it as the next person. Those who wish to have a child-free experience have plenty of adults-only options for vacation accommodations. Love you.

Read more at dadontherun.com or on his Facebook page.

Who do you think is right? The couple who brought their baby along to a ski trip or the couple kept awake by that baby's night time crying? Should babies go on holidays, or be left at home for the sanity of other guests?