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AIBU?

or completely paranoid in keeping baby's window shut at night?

113 replies

Alphabetsy · 28/04/2011 20:49

House in safe and quiet area. 1 year old's room overlooks back garden with flat roof below it. Garden backs onto woodland with an alley to wood next to it. I know the chances are miniscule but can't help worrying someone could climb in and take or hurt baby without us hearing (we have baby monitor but don't always wake up unless proper crying) DC thinks I'm BU and bonkers to keep windows shut in nice weather!

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megapixels · 28/04/2011 21:55

You don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with if it's not harming your baby! Is there a smaller window on top that you can open, that is too small for anyone to get through? If not use a device to keep the window open slightly and not more, as others have suggested.

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hellymelly · 28/04/2011 21:55

I also keep windows shut because of wasps (I have sting allergy).they may go to bed the same time as us,but they get up bloomin' early! But like you I would keep a child's window closed in case of intruders,but also in case they got out of it somehow.I co-sleep with my two,so not an issue yet,but I understand your feelings and I would maybe get the locks suggested here if you need a bit of air.

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onadietcokebreak · 28/04/2011 21:59

I assume you are worried about foxes and people breaking in. I would feel the same.

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Greenshadow · 28/04/2011 22:03

I am the least paranoid person I know, but one thing I do not do is leave windows open at night.

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GrownUpNow · 28/04/2011 22:06

Nothing worse than a wasp wake up. I am at the other side of the room before my eyes are open.

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LoopyLoopsNincompoop · 28/04/2011 22:07

I won't leave DD's open and she's on the 4th floor! But that is because the birds will wake her up far too early.

Tbh. I think YANBU. It's your prerogative to be precious. DCs are precious.

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hormonesnomore · 28/04/2011 22:17

Thanks hogsback. They do wake up before me though. Hornets?

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sprinkles77 · 28/04/2011 22:29

YANBU!!!!!! I'm in a similar situation. I think probably you and I have the two loveliest babies in the world, and most people would want to steal them! Also I have a very agile cat that loves to sleep in the cot and could get in through the window. I always lock the car doors too when I'm driving him around cos I worry someone might try to grab him when stopped at the lights! DH thinks I'm a bit paranoid, but it can't do any harm. I would feel awful if something happened and I could have prevented it. I have a fan in DS's room for when it's hot.

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keresley · 28/04/2011 22:30

I was in the house on my own a few years ago and a burgular climbed in my upstairs bathroom window. So I never leave my children's windows open at night and fear that this could happen again. It was bad enough having to confront the burgular on my own but the thought of one getting to one of my children ........ (shudders).

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hellymelly · 28/04/2011 22:32

Gor blimey keresley,what did you do? Did the burglar run?

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bonkers20 · 28/04/2011 22:33

wannaBe Spiders! Arggggg. And Heffalumps of course.

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sprinkles77 · 28/04/2011 22:35

Oh, and as for wildlife....we have had birds and squirrels come in through windows (and I live in built up area). I don't want the bird shitting itself all over the house, particularly in DS's room (one flew into my grandma's flat and shat all over the walls). And squirrels are meant to be a bit bitey.

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sprinkles77 · 28/04/2011 22:36

Spiders are fine. they eat the flies. oh but birds eat the spiders. and the cat eats the birds. there's a song about this, isn't there?

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domesticslattern · 28/04/2011 22:37

Have you considered one of those foldable window grilles? We put one on DD's window, so she can't escape and so no one can get in. It can be folded back if found unsightly. With a flat roof underneath YANBU.

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keresley · 28/04/2011 22:39

No- he knew I was in on my own and had been probably staking out the house for a week or so (so the police reckon anyway). I was on the phone at the bottom of the stairs to my mum when he blatantly walked down the stairs towards me. I couldn't run out of the front door as there were 2 more members of the gang out the front blocking it! I just followed him around talking really calmly to him. He got pissed off after a while and tried to attack me with a metal pole - I ran out of the house and managed to get away.

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Mandy2003 · 28/04/2011 22:53

This sort of alarm can be placed at any point on a window and is motion activated.

This

We had an old style one which made a dog barking sound too which we took on caravan holidays as added security.

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BaronessVonEvenstar · 28/04/2011 23:29

I shut my windows incase someone tries to get in and take my DC.....the fact that DS1 is almost 13 and we live on the 2nd floor doesn't stop me

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Dragonwoman · 28/04/2011 23:41

I think you're right to close the window. I grew up in a bungalow & there's no way I would have ever slept with the windows open! Child stealers may be rare, but burglars are not, even in rural areas!

Don't you window-open sleepers get bitten to death by mozzies in the summer though? I do if the window is open at night!

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WhiteBumOfTheMountain · 29/04/2011 01:39

I dont understand why people are scoffinng at animals getting in. Foxes regularly get in through windows at night!

YANBU I always close my kids windows at night. Yanbu at all.

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ninedragons · 29/04/2011 02:07

I wouldn't, probably more because of rats than anything else.

We have steel mesh screens on the lower half of the window. They're fantastic - no insects, burglars can't kick them in or cut them open, toddlers can't topple out the window. They look like normal flyscreens. They were fairly expensive (my Dad had them installed as a Christmas present) but we have windows that we don't close at all from spring until late autumn.

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LoopyLiz88 · 29/04/2011 02:28

YADNBU A fox could get in an open window

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Morloth · 29/04/2011 02:52

LOL, I do the same thing, which makes even less sense because I leave all of the other windows in the house wide open.

We have screens here so no need to worry about critters, but I still close the boy's bedroom window every night before going to bed.

It doesn't have to make sense, if it makes you feel better and isn't hurting baby then do what you think is best.

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hormonesnomore · 30/04/2011 19:33

sprinkles

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magaddict · 30/04/2011 19:38

Your baby, your window - do what you think is best!

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Choufleur · 30/04/2011 19:40

I'm glad I'm not a lot of you. I don't think my heart would cope with the stress of mad, burgling people; wild, baby attacking animals; and random people snatching children from moving cars.

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