To not want 3 year sleeping in garden sleep-out

[NameChangedForThis2025]

We’re about to visit my parents who live overseas (looong distance). We’ve been once before since our son was born but he was still in a cot and the 3 of us could easily fit in their small spare room. Now he’s bigger and sleeps in a single bed they won’t fit all 3 of us in there and in any case my sister is now living there.

We’d been going to sleep in their garden sleep out, but it’s occurred to me just now there will be several hours each evening when he goes to bed before us that he’ll be there alone. It’s got a fairly solid lockable door and we’ll put their puppy cam in with him and they live in a sleepy town but it will be middle of summer so he’ll need windows open and nonetheless it’s a separate building in the garden 15m+ from main house.

I’m suddenly feeling uncomfortable about it.

My parents are in their mid to late 70s and I obviously don’t want them giving up their room.

YABU - he’ll be fine
YANBU - I wouldn’t do this

Could you put him down in one of the indoor rooms and carry him out when you go to bed?

The obvious answer to me is that you or your DH be in there with him once he goes to bed - can he stay up a bit later than normal? Or fall asleep inside initially, and one of you carry him in once you got to bed.

Or take it in turns to sit with him!

How big is he? Would he squeeze in a travel cot in the house then transfer?

That’s probably the best alternative option we have other than one of us going to bed at same time. Good suggestion thanks.

It would very much depend the set up of the garden for me and whether we could see it from where we are.

I'd rather keep him with me until we went tbh, most little ones will sleep anywhere. Or could you socialise in the garden if it's a warm country?

Is a garden sleep out like a summer house? (Apologies, I’m really tired).

An old garage converted in a very rough and ready way into an outside room.

I would take it in turns to go to bed with him each night. Or one can sit with him 7-8.30 and the other 8.30-10 or something. (I'd be very grateful for the opportunity of a couple of hours alone time anyway!)

Either socialise in garden or put him to bed in the house and move him.

People have massive houses and are definitely over 15m away form their kids rooms.

Yes, if I were visiting in laws I'd very happily head off each night at seven to read a book in peace for a few hours. Maybe with the occasional delivery of wine and snacks.

That’s true 😆. We can hear everything from everywhere in our house!