Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

pop across the road whilst baby is sleeping?

169 replies

mrsbuckett · 01/05/2012 19:31

I HAVE NOT DONE THIS.However.DS School is literally across the road. Often, at pick up time baby is fast asleep.Snoring away.I feel bad to wake her up.

Would you dash across the road?

OP posts:
NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 01/05/2012 19:46

No.

Can you stand at your front gate and watch your son cross the road to you instead?

tinkerbel72 · 01/05/2012 19:46

If the school is literally across the road, you can see your house , its in baby monitor range and you absolutely refuse to get drawn into chats or hanging about- then I can't see the difference with being out in the garden while your baby sleeps indoors. I am not saying I would do it- I don't know how I'd actually feel if it came to it- but I genuinely can't see the difference. As some one said- the baby would be more at risk if you tripped and fell in the house- at least outside at school there would be

tinkerbel72 · 01/05/2012 19:46

People around to alert

LadyWidmerpool · 01/05/2012 19:47

If something happened you would never, ever forgive yourself, don't do it.

'Never wake a sleeping baby' is fine if you never go out or do anything.

NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 01/05/2012 19:48

Obviously depending on his age of course.

Would someone walk him off the grounds for you? Since it's just across the road it's not going to out of their way is it?

LynetteScavo · 01/05/2012 19:48

No, make friends with another parent, and ask them to bring your DS home if your baby is asleep.

WheresMrMonkey · 01/05/2012 19:50

No- could baby maybe have that nap of the day in the pram? So it's easy to just wheel them out without too much disturbing?

Birdsgottafly · 01/05/2012 19:50

If your child tells a teacher that you do this, they will be obliged to contact SS.

SS will set up a time when it is school pick up and what you are doing is classed as a Child Protection issue.

Depends on whether you think that it is worth it.

HazleNutt · 01/05/2012 19:50

of course I would. Just across the road - the end of my back yard is further away than that and I don't think anybody would object to hanging out the washing while the baby is asleep, would you? Or don't you ever leave the room when the baby is asleep?

TodaysAGoodDay · 01/05/2012 19:50

Yes.
I've done it.
He survived 5 minutes without me. Shock

Birdsgottafly · 01/05/2012 19:52

Also, have you asked your DP (if you have one, if this is ok). Just so that he is prepared if your plan goes wrong ,he will be part of the SS assessment.

HopeForTheBest · 01/05/2012 19:56

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on request of its author.

tinkerbel72 · 01/05/2012 19:57

Birdsgottafly- I didn't realise that the school were obliged to report to SS if a parent nips across the road to collect a child in that situation. I would not do it in that case. I don't understand the logic though- when you could be further away while hanging out your washing

SunshineOutdoors · 01/05/2012 19:57

I wouldn't do it. Can't put my finger on why, but similar reason to why I wouldn't go to my next door neighbour's house with the baby monitor even though it's a semi and I could technically be closer to her in some rooms in that house than some rooms in mine. It's leaving a baby home alone and that just seems wrong. The garden feels different because you are still at home. I can't explain the logic behind this but it feels right to me.

Noqontrol · 01/05/2012 20:02

No I wouldn't do it. I'd be worried if something happened and I couldn't get back. Although I guess the same principle applies to the garden and I do hang the washing out. So maybe i'm being illogical. But then again ssd wouldn't get you for hanging the washing out, but they would if you had actually left the property.

startail · 01/05/2012 20:05

I would, it's probably almost as far to the top of our garden as across your road.

I've certainly been for a breath of fresh air along the lane or down to the post box.

But it has to be a very tiny baby, DD1 learnt to climb out of her cot very young.

breathedeeply · 01/05/2012 20:06

Of course you can leave the baby asleep (in a cot that he can't get out of) while you pick up a child from the school across the road. It is not an SS issue. They wouldn't take it seriously.
My next door neighbour once popped round to borrow something while her 6 mth old was asleep. She then realised that she'd locked herself out, and ended up getting the Police to break in. No one thought she was negligent. The baby was fine.
I often notice parents leaving sleeping babies and toddlers strapped into car seats while they run into school to collect their child. I've done it myself. My child's teacher has done it FFS.
I really can't see what harm will come to your baby if you spend 5 mins collecting your child from the school opposite when he's asleep. What's the difference between spending those 5 mins putting the washing out, cleaning the car, putting out the bins, or gardening?
This is a daft thread populated by neurotics!

TheSockPuppet · 01/05/2012 20:06

No I wouldn't do it.

Noqontrol · 01/05/2012 20:11

SSD would take it seriously if it was reported breathdeeply.

Softlysoftly · 01/05/2012 20:13

Depends what you mean by across the road. If you can stand at your front door and literally look at the schools front door then I would consider it but only if I don't have to into the school I just need to see DS at their front door walk over and walk back. Any further or having to go into the school I wouldn't. Just wouldn't do it.

justabigdisco · 01/05/2012 20:14

I would do it.

axure · 01/05/2012 20:18

When my DS was a tot about 4 months I left him asleep in the carrytot whilst I fetched shopping in from the car, don't know how but in literally 2 mins he'd managed to tip the thing over and he was stuck in the harness on his side. I felt awful for leaving him and shuddered to think what could have happened. However had I left him in the car whilst I took the shopping in someone might have snatched him, so it's a case of weighing up the risk. No I wouldn't dash across the road, but appreciate your dilemma about not wanting to wake baby.

breathedeeply · 01/05/2012 20:20

If a formal referral was made then SS would need to follow procedure (this might involve a home visit - sometimes not). They would then close the case (unless you told them anything else concerning). I I work looking at complaints about SS (can't be more specific). Trust me, they do not get vexed about this sort of thing (middle class mum leaves well-cared for sleeping baby in cot while she crosses road to collect thriving older child). In any case, no one would 'report' it.

mummmsy · 01/05/2012 20:25

emm, well if you lived in a massive house (apol if you do already!) and had lots of grounds, etc this would still technically be in your own property iyswim? why is it any different to because you're straying into the boundary of another property? i have no car parking at front of my house and have to walk to the car at night to get stuff, leaving baby in house...no biggy really. road that car is parked on is about length of a long driveway

what about baby monitor as pp have suggested?

SkinnyVanillaLatte · 01/05/2012 20:27

Why is this all down to what SS would and wouldn't do?It would be outside my comfort zone to leave a baby alone,whatever SS might think about it.
There's no such thing as being over- protective where a baby is concerned IMO,and I really wouldn't class it as 'neurotic' to take a differing view to your breathedeeply.

Why take even the tiniest chance?