to think that it's not safe to leave sleeping toddler alone outside house in pushchair?

[Brumrose]

My mother and me just had a massive fight.

I have a 20 month old toddler and an 8 week old baby. My mother is staying with me at the moment to help me out after the birth, which I'm massively thankful for.

My mother has been taking my toddler son out for a walk and came back to "charge her phone and drink a coffee". She wanted to leave again afterwards, taking him for another walk, so she left him outside in the pushchair sleeping.

I then said:"Can you please not leave him unattended outside the house?" I was sick the whole night, I have had a vomiting bug for the last few days, was settling my crying baby and was still walking around in my underpants in the house. So I couldn't really go to the front door to stay with my son.

My mother then called me" paranoid" and said I watched too many crime shows. This resulted in us having a massive fight and I told my mother if she takes my toddler out, she has responsibility for him.

In the end, she sat by the open door on a chair and had her coffee there.

I am just wondering, is she right? Am I paranoid?

For the record, we live in Birmingham. It's a nice area where families live, but with any bigger city, it has bad areas just adjacent to ours.

My toddler was strapped in, but I'm worried that an opportunist was going to snatch him.

[quote Blossom97]The mirror have posted this thread!

www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mum-furious-gran-leaves-toddler-26719248.amp[/quote]
Lazy bastards haven't even tried to write an article - just a shit load of copy and paste.

Lazy bastards getting paid for nothing. Mirrors only a rag of a paper anyway.

What a crap paper. No talent, no writing talent. Just copy and paste from Mumsnet without permission, and there's a story

I saw an old lady leave a pram outside a shop, it felt really odd to see nowadays! In the 70’s we were probably all left outside unattended but the world has changed a lot in 50 years, unfortunately grannies don’t always realise this

YADNBU
Yes the likelihood is slim but why would you (SHE) want to risk it and become one of the sad statistics.

They're your DCs so always follow your instincts and not hers.

Statistically it's not that unsafe. However, I personally wouldn't leave a sleeping child in a pushchair in the front garden as it's an unnecessary risk. I do, however, leave my sleeping child(ren) in the back garden quite happily. I also do the reverse and do jobs in the garden while the children nap in the house (front door is always locked).

@Poppins2016

Statistically it's not that unsafe. However, I personally wouldn't leave a sleeping child in a pushchair in the front garden as it's an unnecessary risk. I do, however, leave my sleeping child(ren) in the back garden quite happily. I also do the reverse and do jobs in the garden while the children nap in the house (front door is always locked).

So Madeline MCCann and other snatchings or attempted snatchings are just a statistic?? Why would any responsible person leave a child unsupervised. Especially if young enough to have naps during the day. Granted older children may be ok with checking on them every now.

Crystalvas, sorry if I was unclear, however I stated that I think leaving a sleeping child in a front garden is an unnecessary risk (albeit a small one - but not worth it for the reasons you point out). We're in agreement!

Personally, I don’t believe it’s generational.
My child was born early eighties, and I wouldn’t have dreamed to leave them in such a vulnerable place.
I believe it was more common at one time, but more like the 50s, if any decade.
I’m in my mid sixties and I try to have respect for the way todays mums treat their toddlers and babies.
I do struggle to bite my tongue tho, if I witness little ones inadequately covered up in cold weather, especially when the parent is well bundled up, and has the advantage of walking to keep warm, whereas the child may be too young to let the adult know they are too cold.
It’s a bit off to say all us 80’s mums were remiss in minding our children…
No offence meant or taken… it’s just my opinion.

It has been almost 40 years since I had my first kid and 20 since I had my last. I had 6 all up. So what I am saying is that I am old. I never ever left any of my children unattended, especially in places easily accessed by strangers. I did "duck in and out" of where they were inside the home while doing other things, but never to "have a coffee" or do something leisurely. I always had them where I could see them in those cases, while they were little of course.

I was born in Argentina and I am scared by my own experience. Back when I was 5 and my sister 7, I was left at the front door while my mum went to close a window inside the house. A stranger approached us and started to talk to us. It was very traumatic for me and, even that was "in the safe times of 1967", it set my mind to the mode of "never leave a child unattended where a stranger can get to them"!!!!!!

I am a few days short of 60yo now and expecting my first grandchild. I would never even dream of not following my daughter's rules when they come no matter if I agree or disagree with her and my son in law rules!!!! They are not my child, I am not the child's parent. THEY ARE!!!!

Back garden yes. Front garden no. I call bullshit on anyone saying the back garden is no longer safe in 22, when it was in the 70's.

It's our perception that has changed because of social media

This is true, I think. It’s vanishingly unlikely that a toddler would be abducted from outside your house; there’s in all likelihood a similar probability of his being injured while in your house from, say, a light fitting falling on him. So it’s not about actual risk - it’s that you have a different perspective from your mum. He’s your son, though, so you need to feel comfortable with where he is. She wasn’t unreasonable to do it, but should accept going forward that you’re not comfortable with it and refrain from doing it again.