Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pram left overnight in the garden!

282 replies

dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 08:24

Definetly not "end of the world" stuff, but I got quite angry about this.
We have a double buggy that doesn't fit through our front door so needs to be built up outside every time we want to go out, not an issue. Monday mornings are nursery run mornings, I need to get the 7:20am bus. DW always at work. We're both females.
She was sorting jobs out last night while I got the baby settled for sleep. She came upstairs and told me she had built the pram up and just left it in the garden! We have never done that before and I don't like the idea of it. She said it wasn't going to rain so didn't see the issue. Problem is we saw a rat in the garden last week and after speaking with the neighbours turns out that 3 doors down have a rat problem.
I didn't shout at her but I did irritably tell her to go and get the pram in the house because I didn't want rats touching it and she said I was being absolutely ridiculous.
So..
YABU - Leaving the pram outside (weather approving) clearly saves time.
YANBU - Rats carry diseases and its not safe to leave it out.
And would you leave a pram outside at all regardless of the rats?

OP posts:
Original poster
dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:53

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Why are you so bothered about whether I drive or not or whether this displeases my partner 🤔 I'm not the most objective no, but pretty sure I know her better than you do? If she wanted me to learn to drive we would discuss it 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Fupoffyagrasshole · 30/06/2025 09:52

mines outside all the time - it gets left out all day at nursery too in the buggy park, in the garden etc - ive left laundry out over night - paddlng pool and slide, toy house - i dont care about animals going on stuff tbh - everything is washable hahaha

RenovationNightmare · 30/06/2025 09:51

I'm confused. What exactly do you mean by 'built up', sorry if it's a silly question as I only have one child, so only have experience of one pram - bugaboo fox - are you just talking about the metal frame/wheels without the basket and bassenett or are you talking about all elements.
I must admit I've never left my frame outside, I'd probably end up wiping it down If I were you, but then I'm a first time mum so have a PFB and may be over the top!

thischarmimgwoman · 30/06/2025 09:50

Just get a cover / tarp for it? Save faffing in a morning and save space in yr house? Or one of those plastic sheds? They’re a bit expensive though I think.

MorningMN · 30/06/2025 09:50

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:49

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Don't need to 🤷🏻‍♀️ we enjoy using public transport as a family or driving if need be. Not an issue. MNetters are obsessed with people driving 😅

OP posts:
limescale · 30/06/2025 09:49

dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:40

It's a double pram system. Both chairs have to be removed separately before you can fold the frame.

They have and we're also going to call too.
I'm not too worried about our stuff or our health. But I didn't want to put my 3 month old baby is something the rats had potentially crawled all over.

Show quote history

Oh that sounds like a PITA! I have 10 years between my kids so I avoided needing a double pram (though that age gap bring other challenges!).

The council will be on it quickly. I've had to call them out twice (live near a river, I like to feed the garden birds, I had a garden compost bin = rat heaven) and they take it seriously.

I also wouldn't want my very new baby anywhere near rats...I don't think you're being unreasonable.

Original poster
dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:48

Stef3 · 30/06/2025 09:42

I hear you. My husband and I usually have a great marriage but I get quite cross recently with anything to do with hygiene and safety - esp safe sleeping for me. We also have a newborn. Usually very calm - it’s definitely hormonal and sleep-deprivation (and a testing toddler atm!)

Show quote history

Same! I am very conscious about germs lately! We are great at discussing things after a disagreement but we are so sleep deprived and exhausted at the moment! Our 2yo is bipolar I'm sure, and the baby hates sleep 😅

OP posts:
pinkpony88 · 30/06/2025 09:48

dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 08:29

I didn't think the rats would enjoy my sons slide but it did 😅

Show quote history

🤣🤣🤣

DandelionSmoke · 30/06/2025 09:48

We left a tent up in our back garden the other day for the kids and the next morning there was a big watermark of piss from next door's cat on the side of it.

TheGoddessFrigg · 30/06/2025 09:46

Ironically, my crackhead neighbours stole my Amazon parcel of rat poisin. I only hope they used it, since the infestation is coming from their house

ExpressCheckout · 30/06/2025 09:46

Depends if it was in the front or the rear of the house.
Front of house = a bit common
Back of house = OK

Makingpeace · 30/06/2025 09:45

gottakeeponmoving · 30/06/2025 08:29

You need to throw foxes, cats and slugs into the mix. Foxes and cats will piss all over it. And slugs .. 😱

Yep this is what would happen in our front garden. Our front garden smells of fox piss and we cannot for love nor money deter them. It's horrid!

Plus, the buggy would be gone within a few hours anyway so I guess that solves the animal problem. Just opens up a different kind of problem.

Coconutter24 · 30/06/2025 09:45

dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 08:41

For context my DW drives and never normally deals with the pram. I don't drive (don't want to) so I use the pram every day. She never normally even touches it, I build it up every day in the back garden as it fits through the side gate. I don't mind building it up, not a big deal to me at all it's quite a user friendly pram.

So your wife tried to make your morning a bit easier and you got irritable with her because you didn’t agree with leaving the pram out?

MorningMN · 30/06/2025 09:44

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Sprinklesandsprinkles · 30/06/2025 09:44

My main worry with the rats would be them chewing the straps or material

MorningMN · 30/06/2025 09:44

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:43

Pluvia · 30/06/2025 09:40

She did something to try and make things easier for you in the morning. You told her off for it.

It would take you five seconds to run an antibacterial wipe or a piece of kitchen paper with antibacterial spray over the seats in the morning.

What's this really about, OP? This is like the tiniest minor blip in a relationship. What's really eating you to make you want to kvetch about her?

And learn to drive. It's a basic life skill.

This is about rats 😅 nothing more or less haha. Just wondered peoples opinions on the rat/pram situation.

I don't need to drive but thank you, I have legs to walk and public transport is economically better surely 😊

OP posts:
MorningMN · 30/06/2025 09:42

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Stef3 · 30/06/2025 09:42

dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:32

Think it's just my post partum hormones being honest 😅 baby is only 13 weeks

Show quote history

I hear you. My husband and I usually have a great marriage but I get quite cross recently with anything to do with hygiene and safety - esp safe sleeping for me. We also have a newborn. Usually very calm - it’s definitely hormonal and sleep-deprivation (and a testing toddler atm!)

Original poster
dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:40

limescale · 30/06/2025 09:39

What do you mean "building a pram"?
Surely it's not too difficult to collapse?

I suppose if I knew there was an actual rat infestation a few doors down I would be a bit more cautious. Have they called pest control at the council, it's a massive health hazard.

I live rurally, there are all manner of living beasts around. My bike lives on the porch and it's never occurred to me to worry about what might have touched it.

It's a double pram system. Both chairs have to be removed separately before you can fold the frame.

They have and we're also going to call too.
I'm not too worried about our stuff or our health. But I didn't want to put my 3 month old baby is something the rats had potentially crawled all over.

OP posts:
Pluvia · 30/06/2025 09:40

She did something to try and make things easier for you in the morning. You told her off for it.

It would take you five seconds to run an antibacterial wipe or a piece of kitchen paper with antibacterial spray over the seats in the morning.

What's this really about, OP? This is like the tiniest minor blip in a relationship. What's really eating you to make you want to kvetch about her?

And learn to drive. It's a basic life skill.

limescale · 30/06/2025 09:39

What do you mean "building a pram"?
Surely it's not too difficult to collapse?

I suppose if I knew there was an actual rat infestation a few doors down I would be a bit more cautious. Have they called pest control at the council, it's a massive health hazard.

I live rurally, there are all manner of living beasts around. My bike lives on the porch and it's never occurred to me to worry about what might have touched it.

Original poster
dontcomeatme · 30/06/2025 09:39

BubblesMacgee · 30/06/2025 09:38

We got an outside garden store for ours as very little room in the house and saved a fair amount of time - fairly critter proof and had a cover over it as well inside the store. Could that be an option for you both?

I don't mind building it up every time. Its not normally a job she does so 99% of the time it's my responsibility anyway.

OP posts:
BubblesMacgee · 30/06/2025 09:38

We got an outside garden store for ours as very little room in the house and saved a fair amount of time - fairly critter proof and had a cover over it as well inside the store. Could that be an option for you both?