To think that social services wouldn't give a shit about this

[NameChangeThread]

DS has napped in the pram outside since birth. Always wrapped up and dressed appropriately and either a rain cover or net over the pram depending on weather. Garden has 6ft fences and a bolted gate. Window is always cracked open so I can hear him cry, in summer the back door is wide open and I'm sat out with him anyway. I check on him regularly. And I am fully aware that this is a very 'old fashioned' thing to do, however I like DC to get plenty of fresh air and sunlight, and he naps a lot better outside.

A neighbour from the next street (her back garden is opposite to mine) has just come and knocked on my door and said how dangerous it is to leave a baby outside by themselves. I said I am completely okay with leaving him outside to nap and I have no worries that he could be hurt in any way so she doesn't need to worry. She told me I 'had to do something about it' or she would 'report me'. I told her that I doubted SS would be bothered about this, and she said they definitely would as it is child neglect and abuse?

I honestly cannot think of any rational (or likely) situation which could happen that would cause him any harm by doing this. If anything it is beneficial to him (and me). Because he gets a decent nap, sunlight and plenty of fresh air and I get a bit of peace and quite, and just enough time to regain my sanity!! I cannot be the only person who still does this surely? I know it happens a lot in other countries but it can't have just stopped happening in the UK?

And re foxes - they are about during day. We have 2 that come through playground and right up to the windows and look into the classrooms.

They scarper as soon as the kids start to go out! They come up to the adults though

i think it sounds nice

This is commonplace in Sweden where I live - DS napped outdoors down to -15 quite happily at nursery.

BUT - they are always within sight of someone. At nursery it’s big windows and a member of staff with a sound monitor watching. The main thing is that you have a line of sight on them.

I’m not sure I’d have left ds outside without watching at our place once he was 18m - they can get out of the straps (oh yes they can...) and we do have wild animals where we are. Plus an exposed hand can freeze in minutes if they take gloves off.
I tended to do it with going for a walk, coming home and parking him on the patio and sitting with a cuppa on the other side of the glass doors to watch.

People do leave babies out here but they don’t wander off and rely on hearing. If you’re confident the garden is secure and you’ve got a baby monitor on him then I don’t see how it’s an issue.

NameChange This sounds fine to me. Very unlikely a child abductor could get in, and if you keep an eye on the baby anyway, and can hear him cry, I just cannot see a problem at all. The only thing I would be careful of is if cats come over the fence and maybe jump into the pram- but as you said, you are close by and keping watch. I think SS would not bat an eyelid tbh.

They would t give a flying fuck!

" If you lived at the top of a high rise block of flats"

Why let that stop you?!

www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/news/a33058/hanging-baby-cages/

I even left mine outside when it was snowing!

Same here, rain cover on and no problem!

OP, I highly doubt SS will be worried about this. And I feel ya with the busybody neighbours - elderly woman across the road from me told me off for going for a walk with my baby when it was -10 (which I was told by the midwives in the hospital was ok to take him out) saying her grandson doesn't go out if it's colder than -5, poor mite wouldn't be out most of the winter where I live! We're told here to put our babies outside to nap, it's good for them and they sleep better so it's good for us too (bit more of a break). I use voice activated walkie talkies as a baby monitor so I can be sure to hear him if he cries.

Nice to hear that some nurseries are putting babies outside to sleep, lovely :)

Some people are weird about this

I remember when my DD (now 3) was a newborn I took her for a walk with my mum and MIL. She was sound asleep when we got back to I left her pram outside the (open) French doors and suggested we sit at the kitchen table for a cup of tea. Kitchen table is literally right beside the French door and we could see into the pram.

They were both horrified I’d suggested such a thing! I felt like a daft clueless new mum. But to this day I cannot understand what the problem was.

My middle child slept better outside in a buggy, so I always did this with him.

If he's safe and not left to cry, then I can't see anything wrong with it.

my dds first nursery had an open fronted pram shed, with a row of wonderful old coach built prams where the tinies all had their naps. They slept like tops.

A well loved baby with good routine and outdoor naps in a Pram won’t get SW swinging by

Oh, and yanbu, the social services would not give a shit about this.

I wouldn't do it but I admit I'm a borderline neurotic OTT mum who needs to see my child (at that age) at all times. I couldn't relax.
But if you are satisfied your child is safe and feel ok with it, nosey neighbour needs to butt out.( It looks like baby is well watched over anyway- by her.... 😁😁)xx

Liz70 fantastic link,never seen that before.how funny. And the jolly commentary

I used to go walking for miles with baby so they got lots of fresh air and a good nap. I think culturally it's not the in thing anymore

I walked all mine for miles in pram and it did the trick they all slept well

Yes, but fresh air might carry germs or there might be a baby snatcher doing the rounds or a chimney sweep might kidnap him and make him into his apprentice

The neighbour sounds daft. Fresh air is good for nippers and I did the same with mine [smie]

You're right OP they wouldn't care.

Carry on doing what obviously works for you and DS.

As a cm I did this and my ofsted inspector was fine with it. My own 6 kids often slept outside. It’s loveky.

All usual precautions. Tell your neighbour if she abuses you again you will contact the police.

That should shut the silly cow up.

I can't see that SS will care about it.

I don't know if they have to follow up every complaint made to them though, or if she's the type to exaggerate when she speaks to them and say you leave him outside for hours at a time time or leave him crying for ages.

I'm old, our babies were put out in the front even when they were awake. They loved watching the people going past etc, they were securely strapped in. You could look down the street and see prams in nearly every front garden with a small baby sitting up enjoying themselves. In all my life, I'm over 70 have I ever heard of a baby either being sat on by a cat or fox or whipped off by a stranger in any off the places I have lived.

I'm old, our babies were put out in the front even when they were awake.

Not just that, but we'd leave 'em outside the shops too!

My babies are always left in the garden when asleep. They're now both toddlers and I still do it. They also play in the garden by themselves too. The world has gone mad lately. It's perfectly fine!

My DC was napping outside under what sounds like the same circumstances when the health visitor visited a couple of times and also when social services visited after a malicious child protection complaint and neither had any concerns.

I don't see a problem but can't do it in my garden. The fox and her cubs like to take a stroll at 2 in the afternoon.
She has no problem jumping the 6 ft fence.