To take my dog toileting in the park while 2yo DS is in bed?

[MeerkatMerkin]

My neighbour just suggested I do and she'd keep an ear/eye out for him (she has my mobile number). His room is on the back and she is always in her garden so would hear him if he cried. The park is a 10 second walk from my house - I can see my house from the park (it's across a road at the end of my road iykwim, my house is towards the end of my road). It's a small city park with a playground and highly populated with summer revellers at this time of year. The dog won't toilet in the garden, normally DH takes her out but he's away with work and will be all next month.

Obviously I pick up after the dog and as soon as the dog has been I'd be straight back. Thoughts?

[curlew]

"Neighbour has a DD (13) so she is quite aware of the responsibility, said DD has also offered to watch DS. They are nice people. Idk. Should I just avoid?"

13 year old sits in your living room for 10 minutes.

Sorted.

[fluffyraggies]

See - for a one off, yes, but this dog is going to need a shit every day - not just the warm, sunny ones when the neighbour is happy to float about under the child's window for a while.

Surely OP you need to find a solution other than this.

I can imagine making the offer myself - ''oh i'll listen for your DS while you pop to the park''. Then finding myself expected to stand there every evening till the the child is old enough to go with the OP, or the dog changes it's shitting pattern

[RobotBananas]

The child would be alone in the house though. If I go into the garden I'm still on the propert - that's all I meant.

[BreadNameBread]

Give the nieghbours DD a quid to sit in the house each night.

Then there is no dilemma and everyone is happy and safe [smle]

[curlew]

So it is just magical thinking then- mother in garden, child in house= child safe. Neighbour 5 feet further away in next garden, child in house-= child bound to be stolen by pigeons.

[SummersHere]

I wouldn't do it OP. Mainly because my child almost choked to death in his sleep once and may well have done had I not been a trained first aider, and most certainly would have done had I not been in earshot.
It's not something you'd hear out in the garden and for that reason I use a monitor if I'm going to be sitting outside.
If that makes me paranoid/overprotective then so be it.

[RobotBananas]

Heh, no that's not what I meant. If its not actually illegal (!) Then its a moot point, but I was thinking that from a legal perspective, someone in another garden wouldn't count as being in the property and looking after him.

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

I honestly don't know how my DCs made it through childhood.
I have never done a risk assessment including being stung by a wasp, washing machine exploding, child getting up to run a bath/fry an egg, being hot by a speeding car, before sitting in my garden or leaving them alone for 5 minutes.

This is one of those times that I am glad I hadn't heard of mumsnet, or any bloody parenting forum when dd was born.

[LimitedEditionLady]

Its not a right or wrong really its how comfortable and assured you feel ive been near to someone who left theur child few minutes and something happened.

[LimitedEditionLady]

Thing is we dont have to read this or listen to anyone else

[MeerkatMerkin]

I don't think I will do it, just for peace of mind. The dog might sense my anxiety and get stage fright, I could be gone hours if that happened!

[aliasjoey]

I had a similar situation when DD was about 3.

Me: I am taking the dog out, I will be 20 minutes. Do NOT wake up your Daddy who has been ill with flu and needs to sleep. Unless it's an emergency.

DD: what kind of emergency?

Me: An emergency is blood or fire. Let him sleep.

DD: Or a burglar?

Me: Or a burglar. Do NOT wake up Daddy. Bye!



DD: Daddy, can I have a biscuit?

[maja00]

Child asleep in safe room they cannot leave
Neighbour in earshot, knows you are nipping out, has access to house
You'll be 10 minutes

I can't see the risk personally.

[Emilythornesbff]

So you don't have a garden. (sorry, missed the detail)
And your neighbour has a key and is happy to stand in her own garden every evening while you walk your dog so she can listen out for your child?
Every evening?
I wouldn't do it.
Can't someone sit with him and then you can have a longer stress free walk/ run?

[Edendance]

Can't you pop the dog in the garden? He might go if given the chance, and if he doesn't then he clearly doesn't need it that badly...?! I wouldn't leave your little one alone in the house, no.

[5madthings]

I think it sounds fine, talking the 13yr olkd up on the offer to babysit sounds a great idea, do that :)

[whois]

BINGO

It will probably be fine. I would probably do the same in your situation. I am not an anxious person and quite lax about things tho compared to most MN doomsday posters.

[MeerkatMerkin]

Eden the dog won't go in the garden. It's a tiny concrete yard. I have tried making her go out there before but she just won't! Quite considerate I suppose as if she did it would stink and DS plays out there in his paddling pool etc.

I have decided against in anyway as per my last post so don't worry! :)

[YummyYummyYum]

I would not do it. When I was a child there was a couple with a baby boy and the grandmother living together. The couple worked full time and the grandmother took care of the baby. They were new neighbours. Once the grandmother left the baby in the house and went to buy some pasta in the shop almost next to her house. No one knows how but there was a fire and the grandmother just kept shouting: my baby, my baby. Because they were new neighbours everyone thought she meant her son and the fact the house was being destroyed by the fire. She couldn't say more. Only after the firemen arrived and found the body of the baby boy, people realised she meant her grandson.

[curlew]

yummy- presumably there wasn't an alert neighbour in the next garden listening out?

[RobotBananas]

ugh, this thread is idiotic.

Of course you don't leave a 2yo unattended in the house, only on MN would you hear otherwise.

[TeamSouthfields]

Why cant u take the dog out while ur son is still awake?

[IWillGetThere]

Train your dog to go in the yard. When you bag up his poo from the park, leave it in the yard and your dog should get that is his place to poo. Once he gets used to it you can bag it up as he does it so your yard is clean.

[MeerkatMerkin]

I will say it again - I have not and will not be leaving him, I will take DS with me when I take the dog for a shit.

My neighbour just offered as we were chatting over the (low!) fence, I mentioned DS had just passed out on the sofa and I wanted to move him into bed but couldn't as had to plonk him in the pushchair to take dog to park. She very kindly offered to keep an ear out for him as she knows my husband is away with work a lot over the summer and appreciates it can be a pain to wake a sleeping child as they (especially in this heat!) don't always want to go back to sleep!

I appreciate all the comments but tbf I wouldn't feel right leaving him, he's my pfb and I have anxiety anyway. I declined last night when she asked and if she mentions it again I'll just say I'd rather take him - no issue!

[ravenAK]

I think it's fine.

But I would go with bunging the 13yo a quid to sit in the house each evening. Then in a couple of years, you'll have a babysitter all trained up so you can actually go out for the evening.