To sit in the garden when the toddler is asleep in the house?

[BeatrixPottersAlterEgo]

DD is almost two, and has recently decided to (mostly) sleep well, hurray!

DH suggested, after her bedtime, that we sit on our garden bench for a little while, as it is a lovely evening.

I said no initially, but now I've thought about it, would it do any harm? We can see her ground floor bedroom window, it's less than 30 feet away from where we'd sit facing it. Her bedroom is right next to the back door and we have a monitor. Front door etc would obviously be locked.

It would probably take us no more than 10 seconds longer to reach her from the garden than if we were sitting in the living room. I know I'm probably being silly, but it's the thought of us being outside and her in!

Of course it’s ok! You’ve got all the bases covered. If you lived in a mansion you’d be that far away anyway. Enjoy!!!

What?
Why wouldn’t you? What do you think might happen?

If the weather was anywhere near decent I would be outside like a shot!

Why on earth wouldn't you?

This is definitely ok!

As long as your garden isn’t a massive football pitch (which you’ve said it isn’t) and you can see the back door at all times it’s fine

Are you always this anxious?

I mean this really gently OP but do you have anxiety. I ask because this is something most parents wouldn't think twice about.

Err...why wouldn't you? It's not like your going to the obviously closed in the current situation pub.

you're

This can't be a serious post.

Yes, I do have anxiety, is it showing

It's the real live diagnosed and (at one point) medicated sort and I thought I had it fairly squished but DD's birth set it off again a bit,so I do find it a little tricky to judge risk right now.

I also can't quite believe I'm allowed outside with DH after nearly 2 years of spending every evening tag teaming DD every 40 minutes! I'm like a cow who has been wintered in and isn't sure if she's allowed to step on the grass

Step on that grass and bloody enjoy it 😂 amazing that she is sleeping so well now 😊

The garden actually is pretty big, but the nice flowery bench bit happens to be closest, if the monitor stretches I suppose we could eventually risk the veg patch, but that's actually bringing me out in a cold sweat, so baby steps

It takes a while to get used to toddlers sleeping when you have rubbish sleepers you get so used to not being able to do anything it's odd once they actually sleep.

Enjoy the evenings while the weather is good!

Yes, I'd always make sure front door is locked and all ground floor windows closed but yes, of course this is fine, unless you live in a huge stately home with multiple wings.

Are you serious why would you need to ask anyone this let alone on mn

Absolutely. It's like I've forgotten there's about 4 hours of warmth and daylight (sort of) after she goes to bed, and I could actually go and do something in that time, that doesn't involve being in the living room watching the monitor. The monitor that detaches from its charging port and has a video and a long battery life and everything

I feel a bit daft now

Yes do it enjoy, bring a monitor if you need to reassurance so you don't keep watching unnecessarily and look forward to many nice evenings in the garden.

This can't be a serious post.

Of course it is, this is MN after all.

Every other mother of a toddler has been lounging out in a hammock with a gin every night from 7pm since April, haven't they

Bless you op

This is exactly the type of thing I would worry about. In fact DC are 11 and 8 and I won't sleep with my bedroom door shut incase I can't hear them in the night

I also have real life, diagnosed, medicated anxiety

I would do it with mine in bed upstairs with no monitor. Not sure why you need to be staring at the door at all times either I don’t know anyone irl that would even question this.

I was exactly the same when DD1 started sleeping better. She was such an awful sleeper for the first 2 years, that when she did actually start to sleep I felt like I was in limbo as I'd spent 2 years going back and forth to her bed every half hour til midnight before she finally went off properly. By which time I was dead on my feet. Suddenly I had my evenings back and I remember sitting outside with a glass of wine one night and feeling monumentally guilty! It passed though and it actually did me the world of good. And then I fell pregnant with DS 😂