AIBU to still use the baby monitor?

[MoiraRoseIsMyQueen]

DS is 4, and we have a video monitor which we use while we’re downstairs in the evening, as we wouldn’t be able to hear him if he shouts us. I didn’t think anything of it until a family member remarked that we were ‘still’ using it, and now I’m wondering when is a usual time to no longer have a monitor?!

I'd say use it for as long as you want to. Why not? It isn't causing any harm?

We've not used ours since DS was about 2.5. He'd either shout loudly - our living room is under his bedroom - or come and get us.

@newmummy21 well that’s what I thought, but she sort of implied it was weird to be watching him all the time. He’s our only, and I suddenly thought maybe we were being odd by still having a monitor!

[quote MoiraRoseIsMyQueen]@newmummy21 well that’s what I thought, but she sort of implied it was weird to be watching him all the time. He’s our only, and I suddenly thought maybe we were being odd by still having a monitor![/quote]

It might be "weird" when he turns 16 😂 But for a 4 year old I personally don't see an issue at all. Maybe your family member should keep her opinions on your parenting to herself 🤷‍♀️

I'm still using ours for our 4yo for the same reason. Can't hear him when downstairs.

In fact we just bought a new one as the parent unit broke on our first one.

Ok good - I had a wobble! But you’re right, obvs, and I’ll give you one guess how many children this family member has

I’m partially deaf and used the baby monitor a bit like a walkie talkie until my youngest was about 5.
It’s not up to anyone else but you, I can’t see it’s causing anyone any harm at all.

I've never had a video monitor but we found a sound monitor very useful when my DFIL was in his last stages of life. So useful aged 78

@user1497787065

We don't use ours at night as we can hear the toddler from our room, but do in the evening. I expect it depends a lot on how your house/flat is laid out.

Mine is nearly 5 and we still use a video monitor, mainly for in the night as she wiggles a lot and might fall out of bed (just taken away the bed guard)
Plus when we're downstairs it save us all shouting to each other

I only stopped using ours quite recently and mine are 6 and 8! Tall house, kids at the top. Also I didn’t want DD1 coming down to find us as once she was fully awake it was hard to get her back to sleep.

We use alexa for the adults in our house, which always strikes me as just a grown up baby monitor. Can't see the problem myself. If it works it works.

Nope not weird. I had the same wobble about 3 years in.
We still use ours for our 5 year old and we have another for our almost 10 month old.

Honestly whatever works for you is fine OP. Not weird at all. Used ours untill it broke of it's own accord, think youngest was about 5.

Never used a video and think we stopped using the sound one at about two. Kids were very capable of finding us if they needed to, and at four should be able to go to the toilet or whatever. They were two floors above but we could still hear them if they shouted.

Our DCs are 4 and 7 and the monitor still gets used occasionally. E.g. if we're out in the back garden after they've gone to bed, as there's no way I'd hear if they got up or needed us, and we used it when DC(7) had covid and we moved him into the spare room.

They serve a purpose, do whatever works for you, OP.

Can he not just come and get you if needs you? Seems a bit odd, not like a baby where you need to respond quickly and feed overnight etc.

DS is 2.5 and we don't use ours much anymore, he'll just shout or come and find us. He had a chest infection recently and we had it on to keep an eye on him then. DM uses it when she babysits in the evening as she says her hearing is poor and our walls are too thick!

If you need it, keep using it. My DS is nearly 10 and autistic and would just shout if he woke or cry from a nightmare, so I still use a monitor. It gives me reassurance that I will definitely hear if he is distressed. Everyone has a different setup, don't feel judged by yours.

We have a double one (two to four cameras but we have two) and my older two share a room (5 and 7) and the younger one has his own (3). We have them set to both rooms as when they were younger. Helps if one calls out. But we are Canadian and it's super common here and the house is huge so wouldn't hear them call out without one if we were downstairs at night and something went wrong.

Haven't used a baby monitor with my 3 year old for a long time. If he needed something in the night he could get up and find me (which he's very comfortable doing...)

I think it's odd but then we have a 2 storey home and if my 3 year old cried I would hear him. I wouldn't have the TV or music on that loud that I wouldn't be able to and in any case he would come and get me.

My cousin used a monitor until my niece turned 8, she was an only child too. Maybe I'm a bit more relaxed and have a house that is not well sound proofed. I can imagine it would be useful in a very big home, or one that has stone walls for example.

We live in a townhouse and when we moved here we actually bought a cheap one to start using again as DS (5) at the time has a bedroom at the top and I was worried I wouldn’t hear him when he was in bed and we were downstairs. We stopped after a year or so but I’m sure we’ll use it for a similar length of time with DD for the same reason

I think I would hear him in the evening if we were downstairs and he shouted us, but I feel like I would be constantly on alert thinking, was that him?! Also, by the time he’d shouted enough, or come down to get us, he would be wide awake. I’d much rather pop up and tuck him in/find his drink/soothe after a bad dream immediately after I hear him on the monitor I think.