To have people comment I'm paranoid continuing to use 'baby' monitor

[Gemma273]

My wee one is nearly 3 and I still religiously use baby monitor every night, I don't think I'd settle without it, it's rarely needed as wakening up at night is very rare but I've had a few comments from family/friends that I'm being ridiculous and far too over protective. It's really annoyed me to be fair, any alone else still use their monitor for older kids?

I can't see what the problem is if they are only 3. I didn't have one because DS slept in my room until he chose to move out. I was a single mum.

I didn’t use one at all, but our house was only small and I’d hear them if they woke. If I was in the house I live in now I may have used one when they were babies. Probably not at 3, but you do you. It doesn’t really matter so long as it’s not causing you to develop anxiety around them sleeping.

We stopped using one at 1ish, my kids are all loud enough to let the whole street know when they are awake!

I don't use one and my kids are 6,4 and 9 months. I sleep lightly though, if I was a deep sleeper I would use one for the baby. I also don't drink so am not worried about not hearing. If I had a town house or three storey home I would use one otherwise I'd be constantly up and down stairs, to be honest that's why I wouldn't buy one. You do you, be confident in your own parenting. Different people will have their own ideas, let them crack on.

It seems a little odd to me to still use a baby monitor once your child is capable of getting out of bed and coming to find you if they need you.

It's a long time since mine were babies, but I stopped using a monitor (audio only - I don't think there were video ones back then) once they transitioned to a bed. I never needed to know if they were taking a while to fall asleep or if they woke up in the night. They knew that if they needed anything they could come knock on our bedroom door.

We still use one. Dd is 5. Been dry for 2yrs and sleeps all night

it’s For peace of mind. We may be down stairs and if tv on I don’t think l we would hear her if was crying

if friends babysit they like seeing her knowing she is ok

i work night so dh likes seeing her on monitor

dd likes it. Will say morning mummy qbs look at comes if wakes before we wake her

if she didn’t like it we would stop

obv will one day but for the moment all concerned happy so will carry on

@AperolWhore ditto. We used angel till dd went into a high rise bed

she was in cot bed till almost 5 aa was a huge one and stopped when changes as obv thick mattress

@toomuchlaundry when dd doesn’t want us to

I never used one because I could hear them from downstairs.

What are you expecting OP. Yes it seems a bit OTT, so peoples reactions are normal. Rise above it and just say 'well it still suits me'?

My DD is 4.5 and we still use one. Not so much for checking when she’s asleep etc although she does talk to us down it like a walkie talkie sometimes if she can’t get to sleep. I find it useful if she’s playing in her room whilst I’m doing jobs. Easier to check she’s not swinging from a light fitting, climbing a windowsill or getting up to mischief!

I think it's really odd. Aren't 3 year olds entitled to be alone? Even at night in their beds? Our 3 year old will shout out or come and find us if there's anything wrong. As for school age children, I would go as far as to say it's outright wrong to have a monitor in their room. Isn't being watched all the time going to make them anxious? Gives me the creeps. This thread has really surprised me as I had no idea people monitored their children to this extent.

That's quite a strange viewpoint, to be frank.

Aren't 3 year olds entitled to be alone? It is pretty weird for a 3yo to be alone, really. It is only in modern developed economies that children get their own rooms.

I agree. I find modern surveillance really creepy. But then my view is i6s healthy for kids to have their own lives, we don't own them.

We still use one for our three year old too, wouldn’t hear them calling from downstairs or our bedroom otherwise. We actually have two cameras for ours and when our six year old is ill we pop a camera on in their room too so that we hear them calling or throwing up etc

Don’t know why I said camera, it’s not a camera just an audio thingy.

I use one for my nearly 3.5 yr old. It just means I can tell if she really needs me or not. Also if we spend a summer evening in the garden I wouldn't hear her. It's none of anyone's business what you choose to do, ignore the judgy ones who claim to have put their weeks old baby in a room on their own with no monitor and they survived...

Each to their own really. I never had a monitor, and the DC's always slept in a separate room.

I would say this was abuse. She needs privacy.

My DD is about to turn 4 and we still use hers for when she's sleeping overnight. It's just an audio monitor. I wouldn't go to bed without it on but she does still have a baby gate on her bedroom door so she can't come and get us if she needs us. So obviously important that we can hear her clearly.

I agree, but didn’t like to say so. This thread is very odd to me.

Every time your family comment about it, adopt the blandly concerned expression of a slightly exasperated saint, & tell them "don't worry, nobody's asking you to use the baby monitor" & change the subject.

If you use that phrase - or pick one you like better - EVERY time they will soon get the hint. And if they are doing it to get a rise out of you, your response will become boring, so they will quit.

Can your six year old not come get you if they need you?

Well, how do they know? & why do they even care? Just don't over-share to judgey people