To let my toddler sit in the window with me while it's thunder and lightning outside?

[Whothefuckfarted]

Was sat at the living room window with my toddler watching the pouring rain bouncing off the road outside and listening to the thunder overhead. Saw a flash of lightning too.

My DH had a right go at me, said to take her away from the window in case she got struck by lightning through it.

I thought it was a silly thing to say. I got a bit pissed off... she was enjoying watching the rain..

He said it's dangerous, and to ask mumsnet their opinion

AIBU?

When my parents' house got struck by lightning, it went through the computer modem. So actually your DH was BVU in telling you to mumsnet about this - you could all have been killed, you crazy fools.

he's going about it the best way to make her terrified of storms. silly sausage.

Pillock, when I was younger and lived in an area with more lightening than Scotland i used to love going in the garage during a storm and watching it with the garage door open. All sorts of metal bits in there that could have got me. Thankfully my parents weren't neurotic about storms.

My grandma used to make us go and sit in the cellar, so, though he is overreacting, he's still got space between him and fruit loop

his level of scientific ignorance should make him very, very embarrassed and ashamed.

Well, I grew up in an isolated house on top of a hill with a metal roof in a land of summer thunderstorms so I can tell you all about what it'll go for.

TV aerial? Check.
Modem? Check.
TV? Check.
Huge pine tree outside? Check (my mother hated it but she's have preferred it if it hadn't taken out the spare room as it fell).
Kettle? Check.
Phone? Check.
Computer? Check, twice.

Pane of glass in any of our two or three dozen windows with metal frames, many of them huge? NOT ONE. The only windows we ever lost were to that bloody tree, or once to hail.

My mum does still scurry around unplugging things during a storm, but she still lives in that house so she's allowed. And she merrily uses her iPad during roaring storms.

We open the garage door, and sit inside on deck chairs and watch the rain. That or kneel on the couch that's against the living room window and lean on the back to watch storms roll across the fields behind the house.
None of my kids are afraid of thunder and lightening probably cause we watch with enthusiasm.

jassy Great answer. Thanks

I kind of miss big thunderstorms! Though I've just realised it's stories like this that make DH think I grew up in approximately the 1950s or something.

He's a bit controlling, isn't he?

My late MIL used to get very anxious because I didn't turn all the mirrors to face the wall and hide all cutlery whenever there was a thunderstorm I thought that she was a fruitloop, though lovely in many other ways

My kids grew up unafraid of thunder and lightening - unlike MIL......

ektorp

He's just overprotective of his PFB daughter.

I've always believed the same as your dh because of that very story of the girl at the window in the metro ! I also take all the plugs out of the sockets, avoid running any water, sitting on the loo (because imagine if you were struck by lightning on the loo!) i dont use the phone as it can travel down phone lines and I turn everything off like tv etc
I think I might be a little ott!

are you going to show him this?

ektorp

"He's a bit controlling, isn't he?"

Ha ha, classic mumsnet!

On a more serious note I always thought you open the windows so if the lightning comes in, it can get back out. Disclaimer: I'm a) terrified of lightning and b) shit at science.

That's how I got my dd to stop being scared of storms.

If lightning was to strike your house (which is pretty rare anyway) it is far more likely to hit the roof, chimney or ariel than a window therefore she's probably safer at the window where the roof is less likely to collapse.

My grandma turns all the mirrors round and opens all doors and windows in a storm then goes to bed, I have no idea why as leaving your doors wide open at night sounds more dangerous to me the lightning ever has but people have some stupid beliefs about lightning.

I won't go near a window in a storm, nobody can have a shower or bath and nobody can use the phone. :)

Watch our or your DH will turn your DD into a right little nimby pants!

our out

When I was little, me and DSis would stand with dad at the kitchen window whenever there was a storm. Neither of us are afraid of thunder or lightning, unlike some of my friends whose parents would make them hide or some such.

I used to live in a country with almost daily thunder and lightening storms at certain time of the year. I loved them them. Sometimes it seemed as though there was constant lightening.
We would sit under the porch and watch for ages.
We would unplug expensive electrical items despite having surge protectors on everything. We still got through a few modems

Does he not mind if you get struck then?

I agree with your husband . I thought of that same new article when i read this thread and national geographical advice on lightning staying away from windows is one such advice, so I'm not barking mad lol

i don't urge my kids away from the windows they usually leave at 2 mins they are distracted plus not a good idea to instil the fear. But I can understand why your husband was being protective. my husband however thinks its fine, obviously he is not the intelligent one in this relationship ;)

(Obviously I might lightning not lightening )