to leave my baby in the garden to sleep?

[SashaFierce99]

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?

It was standard practice in the past over here too. Not sure why/when it fell out of favour to do so (late '70s/early '80s???).

Would be interested to know how old OP's neighbour is, making such a comment. Presumably too young to remember that it was normal to do so in yesteryear.

'Out back' would seem a more logical place to leave a baby sleeping outdoors though, IMHO.

Hmmm, I do think it is safer as their cot could spontaneously combust whilst they are sleeping in it.

We live on a farm so no danger from people passing by or foxes (they've all relocated to urban centers!) and DS has spent many happy hours sleeping outside.

Always left my 2 sleeping in all sort of weathers, always wrap them warm but I used our back garden. They sleep much better and get fresh air too.

I'm wondering how many of you who feel there's no issue with temperature would take a blanket and hat and go out for a nap this afternoon....

Being Danish I can tell you that all children sleep outside in their prams wrapped up warm until the temperature drops well below frozen - this is even if they live in 5th floor flats and their parents are not watching through a window. It is well acknowledged that this improves childrens' general health. People do to cover the pram with a 'net' of sorts to stop flies and wasps in summer, but also to prevent cats etc. from jumping up and smothering the baby.
I have left all my children (3) outside in prams here in the UK, and once got a knock at the door from a friendly community police officer, but she never talked of reporting us. She could see that the pram was straight in front of my front window in the small front garden and that there was never a danger that we wouldn't have observed and been able to prevent in time.
You will be the best person to assess whether the front garden is the best place for your DD - Your neighbour probably thought she/he was being helpful, and in such a helpful neighbourhood I would guess it is totally safe 😋

I always left my sleeping baby in the pram. I left the pram at whatever door I came in- front or back. I did used a net but more for insects in summer. We lived in a quiet street that led no where and I knew all the neighbours. He was always appropriately dressed and covered and I could easily hear if he woke up or stirred. Mid wife and Health visitor thought it was great that he wasn't cooped up. Many of my friends did the same. He is a teenager now who loves camping and often doesn't bother with the tent!

singsong errr because what do mum's do when they walk into town with their babies in the same, cold temps? The baby is still in the pram, whether asleep or not. They have the correct amount of layers on, socks, mittens, hat blankets, probably pram cover/cosy toes muff etc. No problem. If we were well wrapped up there is no reason why we couldn't go out for a nap either.

This is two Seperate issues, the cold and baby outside in a non secure place. I cant see the issue of leaving a sleeping baby, well wrapped up outside to sleep, but I wouldn't be happy leaving my baby outside the front where anyone can get to them. If there is no where secure outside, bring the baby inside with you, you would never forgive yourself if something happened.

I wouldn't do it no and it isn't even so much to do with it being cold. I appreciate years ago that's what people did with babies but the world isn't as nice a place now. Only takes a second for you to be distracted. I also myself wouldn't go and lie outside in the cold and go to sleep, so wouldn't expect my baby to.

Why is it madness singsung?

Here we have a safe back garden, a well wrapped up baby and a mum keeping an eagle eye on him. State kindergartens do it too. It's all about being sensible and having some common sense. I wouldn't leave him outdoors outside a cafe in the uk, or in a garden on a main road/that wasn't secure, but in winter he gets put out the back when we get back from our walk until he wakes. In summer he will too, in the shade, while I potter in the garden.

I don't leave my baby to cry - I don't jump at every grizzle but I don't ever ignore crying. I see him waking and go get him. Usually before he really is awake and always before he's yelling. Exactly the same as if he was in the hallway. If you walk round our village in the day you'll see a pram outside many doors.

Yes maryann I agree.

Common sense says I do this because I have a secure place for him to be put. If I didn't, I wouldn't.

I also take heed of the weather. Not just temperature but wind/humidity/blowing snow.

As a little one 40-ish years ago) I was left to sleep in the back garden until scratched by a cat. After that I was left on front path near open front door. It was very close to the pavement and only a low wall there.
However, there was a big bay window and I was 'assigned' one of the family dogs (rough collies ... For when sheep dogs need more style!).

Fast forward a visit from GP to see one of my older brothers (measles) and he looked in the pram to say hello to me.

The plate glass window did little to stop my guard dog. GP was restrained by the dog (minimal damage to arm) and other dogs came running.

Worked then but wouldn't work now.

Windows are double glazed, we don't have a dog and DS has had chest infections which we have found get take longer to recover if out in cold too much, the same problem we had with DD.

OP, YANBU but NDN might have reasons to worry (history of family health issues made more difficult by cold air, snatched baby, animal interference, etc... You just never know) ... so I would suggest a friendly cup of tea (when kids are out/occupied) and chat through differences of opinion.
Better for both to be more informed.

We were discussing this last night. Finnish guest was explaining they 'breed them hardy' in Finland. The cut off point for outdoor play is (or was when he was at school) minus 25. Any warmer and they had to play out for at least 15 mins. He said about the no bad weather just bad clothing thing. I used to flap a bit at DD eating packed. lunch outside when it was 4 degrees at first school so am clearly not at all hardy.

There's a difference being wrapped up snugly in a pram to sitting on a random seat with a blanket and hat, you're much more exposed to the elements with the later. The pram provides shelter and is its own little microclimate which babies get every time they go for a walk on a cold day. And I don't see the logic or any link between sleeping outside and leaving a baby to cry

I agree with Maryann about the two issues.

YANBU. Talk about overreaction. I would tell any visiting social worker to that no wonder real child abuse goes unnoticed if she has time to visit me about this. Especially if she "told me not to do it again". Wow.

It's interesting, because on-trend childcare now is the forest school approach where children spend as much time as possible outside.

I'm wondering how many of you who feel there's no issue with temperature would take a blanket and hat and go out for a nap this afternoon

If I had an adult-sized pram and someone to push me around til I fell asleep I'd be out there for a nap for sure - bliss!

SugarPlumFairy Yup we breed them hardy here, outside play every day unless its about -30, two hours in the morning and up to 3 hours in the afternoon at DD's daycare and in the schools for 15 minutes after every lesson. I get cold long before DD does when we're out in winter.

I agree bigred, to me that's the scariest thing about this thread.

I suspect that a lot of people still associate a child sleeping outside in a pram with what was done in the 1960 when children were left at the bottom of the garden 'for a nap' crying or not.

Hence a very negative connotation, unlike what happens in other countries.

I'm finding the fact that people on here are putting theirs and their DC's continued good health entirely down to one parenting decision made to have babies sleeping outside, is quite bonkers. Like good luck and genetics have no part to play.

As for this stopping in the 70's/80's I can't say for certain as I was quite young myself but I think there was some news stories about babies being taken from prams left outside shops. Those were the days when people would walk round shops with a dog on a lead and fag on the go, but leave their babies outside.

If I had an adult-sized pram and someone to push me around til I fell asleep I'd be out there for a nap for sure - bliss!

Just reading that sentence has made me feel really sleepy!

Any volunteers to push me around for an morning nap? Anyone?

Well if a social worker called round to me in those circumstances I'd tell them where to go, hardly evidence of failing to provide good enough parenting and more evidence of social workers needing to get a grip. All my 4 slept outside at various times, unless you are a mum who runs to pick up at the slightest whimper (your choice) it is self soothing for them too to watch the world/clouds/trees. You could always get a cat net if you are worried. Only worry would be if there lots of dodgy passing traffic out front and you not in sight.

My mum used to leave me in the garden when I was a baby. Nothing ever happened, I think most people did it back then.

People are just afraid of everything nowdays.

I'm wondering how many of you who feel there's no issue with temperature would take a blanket and hat and go out for a nap this afternoon

With a blanket? Heck no! But in an insulated pram wrapped in layers of wool, down and fur? Heck yes! Swedish prams are beds on wheels. We have only had two days this winter we thought were too cold to be out, and both were windy as well.

3wisewomen very good point. People don't leave babies to cry here (Sweden.) they're quite a hippy bunch when it comes to child rearing - so maybe that's why they don't see the negative connotations?

Singsong it's madness to allow a baby to sleep in it's pram outside, whilst supervised?

Riiiiight, because that is the craziest thing in this thread...