A mother is facing a hefty fine for simply being unable to quiet her rambunctious 19-month-old child. Anyone who has ever raised a toddler understands the chaos they can bring—sleep deprivation, mealtime struggles, and seemingly endless meltdowns are just part of the deal. And for one Australian mother, the challenge of managing her toddler’s noise level has escalated to an alarming threat of a $550 penalty unless she can silence her little one.
In a recent Facebook post, Amelia Johnson shared her frustrations about a letter she received from her apartment complex’s management, known as the “strata.” The 33-year-old mother feels “intimidated” as her strata company threatens to take legal action if she doesn’t keep her 19-month-old son quiet. The letter detailed complaints from fellow residents about “shouting and screaming” resonating from her unit at all hours.
The message read: “It has come to our attention that excessive noise from your child shouting and screaming is emanating from your apartment during early morning and late night hours regularly. This is disturbing other residents, and you are in breach of the strata scheme by-laws.” The letter further demanded that she “immediately and into the future” minimize noise levels for the sake of her neighbors.
The idea of silencing a 19-month-old “immediately” is laughable. If Amelia could figure out how to make that happen, she’d be a millionaire living far from the prying ears of those who think it’s possible to quiet a toddler without resorting to drastic measures. Kids don’t come with an off switch, and any parent can attest to the challenges of managing noise.
As if managing a toddler wasn’t enough, Amelia is also expecting her second child in just over a month. Many parents can relate to the unique challenges of juggling pregnancy while caring for a young child. “We try to be considerate; we’re aware that we live in a city with neighbors,” she explained to News.AU. “We keep the windows shut, but what more can we do? He’s a toddler, and that’s just how they are. There are older kids in the building too.”
Yes, noisy toddlers can be frustrating. But so can that elderly neighbor who blasts their favorite game show every morning or the dog that barks incessantly down the hall. Living in an apartment means navigating these realities, and expecting a mother to control a toddler’s natural behavior is simply unfair. Stressing out a pregnant woman because her toddler is loud is an excessive reaction. Not being able to silence a 19-month-old doesn’t make her a bad parent, nor should it warrant a fine or legal threats.
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In summary, the challenges of parenting a toddler are universal, and while noise can be bothersome, the expectations placed on parents should be realistic.
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