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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to leave my baby in the garden to sleep?

676 replies

SashaFierce99 · 14/02/2016 23:44

With three older siblings, it's difficult for baby to nap uninterrupted at the weekend/in holidays. She's just over a year old so still needs at least one long or two short naps per day. When her siblings are off we tend to walk/scoot/skate/bike to the park before her nap and she falls asleep in the pushchair on the way home. I then leave her in the front garden in front of the kitchen window and DCs and I paint/bake/draw in the kitchen so she's in sight at all times.

Today we did the above but there was a knock at the door ten minutes after we arrived home. It was a neighbour advising me that it's too cold and too dangerous to leave her unsupervised outside. I explained that I can see her and she's well wrapped up (full body vest, outfit on top plus jumper, double socks and full snow suit and hat) so she's fine but the neighbour kept saying I should take her inside. I politely declined and said I needed to get back to the other DC. She muttered about how I'll end up 'getting reported to someone'...!

AIBU to leave her outside?

OP posts:
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8
5madthings · 15/02/2016 10:39

Op it's fine, I have done this with the madthings and will do it with Dc6 due at easter, though not when they are tiny babies.

I live in a quiet cul De sac, can park the pram.in my front garden right by front door or kitchen or living rm Window. The front garden is long enough to park two cars so I would see anyone walking up to front door etc. I have a stepped front doorway and the madthings would always wake up if I tried to get pram inside so just had them out front with door or Window open and it means I can do stuff with other kids whilst baby sleeps.

Fwiw I had children's services involvement after I had Ds4 as I had pnp, they visited for a while, very kindly provided taxis to take my primary school age kids to school and they saw Ds4 sleeping in the front garden and weren't bothered.

I can see why if given a report of a baby being left put they would come and check, but once they saw circumstances it would be fine.

PuntasticUsername · 15/02/2016 10:42

You seem to have plenty of time to hang out on this thread and berate other posters for not providing evidence to back up YOUR arguments, though, Felicity Confused

Btw, has anyone yet given any consideration to the very real and serious threat posed by wombles?

ghostyslovesheep · 15/02/2016 10:47

this thread just has EVERYTHING! Rabid foxes, wild dingos living in the UK 'social workers' talking bollox (no they wont turn up and take the baby!) hysteria and some excellent work by Bertrand and co

Right cheered me up

OP I don't think you are doing anything wrong

OneMagnumisneverenough · 15/02/2016 10:47

Cat thing is bunkum.

Babies do sleep better outdoors, well mine did anyway. Obviously OP needs to do their own risk assessment based on the area she lives in and her own garden security. They also sleep better at a slight altitude for some reason.

My now teenagers slept out all the time in all weathers including snow, they had a sheepskin to lie on and were snuggled up in a snowsuit etc. A quick check on their temperature by feeling the back of their neck every 15-20 minutes and they were in view through the window or patio doors. My Child minder did the same and I often had to brush the snow off the pram before bringing it back inside when we got home.

They are mid teens now and are happy to go winter camping too - maybe it brings back memories :)

I live in Scotland and in both city and semi rural areas, the only foxes I have ever seen have been dead on the motorway.

ghostyslovesheep · 15/02/2016 10:48

Oh and I've managed to have babies and cats and no one has died - well the cats have been chased lots but they haven't stolen the babies breath or anything Hmm

Natsku · 15/02/2016 10:49

SIDs rate is very low here in Finland where the babies sleep outside Felicity so I'm not too worried. We have one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.

Toughasoldboots · 15/02/2016 10:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

zeetea · 15/02/2016 10:52

I would leave the buggy out back no problem, I have two double doors from the kitchen leading to the garden so I could keep an eye on what was happening if I needed to potter about.

Before reading this thread I wouldn't have thought twice about a baby sleeping outside though, they're obviously comfy enough to have fallen asleep in the first place Confused

PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/02/2016 10:52

Wombles! Dying.... 😂😂😂

Natsku · 15/02/2016 10:52

Trying to look up health risks to sleeping outside but can't find anything... the Lullaby Trust website said nothing about sleeping outside.

Natsku · 15/02/2016 10:53

Here we run the risk of a wild Moomin stealing your baby to take away and raise in their crazy fashion but its very rare so we try not to worry too much.

Natsku · 15/02/2016 10:54

Or if you live up in Lapland Father Christmas might steal your baby to raise as an elf slave to make presents all year round for those lucky babies that got to sleep safe inside.

ghostyslovesheep · 15/02/2016 10:54

Birds of prey???? Maybe an eagle will sweep down and carry the baby off! Shock

MiniLop · 15/02/2016 10:55

YANBU, I would too if it meant DC got a decent nap- although I would do it in back garden rather than front because we have a small front garden which is right on a fairly busy road.

ghostyslovesheep · 15/02/2016 10:55

or a Yeti?

PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/02/2016 10:56

Dragons? Leprechauns?

ghostyslovesheep · 15/02/2016 10:57

maybe make the baby wear one of these to elude aliens and such?

to leave my baby in the garden to sleep?
DisappointedOne · 15/02/2016 10:57

Does the lullaby trust no longer make metion of optimum temperatures?

Only as a reference to indoor temperatures. A council which referenced the LT actually mentions that people from other cultures might need telling that conditions inside are very different from outside (effectiveness of central heating, double glazing and insulation could see their babies overheat if sleeping indoors). Guidance seems to be light bedding in a room of 16-20 degrees. Outside may be colder but warmer clothing deals with that and obviously the fresh air benefits them (unless your house butts up against a motorway or you live in the coconut to of a coal powered power station!)

Natsku · 15/02/2016 10:57

Good idea ghosty, got to keep those aliens away

DisappointedOne · 15/02/2016 10:57

Coconut to?! Vicinity of!

Natsku · 15/02/2016 10:58

Think baby would be pretty safe if you lived in a coconut - no foxes will get in there!

DisappointedOne · 15/02/2016 10:59

Trying to look up health risks to sleeping outside but can't find anything... the Lullaby Trust website said nothing about sleeping outside

Snap. Perhaps felicity could post some links to this research that she supposedly knows inside out. Hmm

araminem · 15/02/2016 10:59

I'm in Scandinavia. They think I am weird here as my DS doesn't have EVERY nap outside. So it is a cultural thing. It won't do her any harm. Here the recommendation is sleep outside unles temperature is below -10

FelicityFunknickle · 15/02/2016 11:00

Why the need to be rude?
I haven't berated anyone.
Posters stated that sleeping outside was healthier than sleeping inside.
I said it is not.
I was the one who was asked to provide evidence.

zoemaguire · 15/02/2016 11:00

Shit yes, my garden is FULL of yetis. Are they dangerous?