When to stop using baby monitors

[Flo22]

Hi all, my DD is 4 and is a brilliant sleeper. I will read her stories at night and then she gets herself off to sleep and will stay in bed until morning. HOWEVER I do like to keep an eye on her with the monitor. I mentioned this to my friend who thought it was weird I still had the monitor on. What's everyone thoughts?
Thanks

[10ThousandSpoons]

I stopped just before little one was 2 but I sleep nearby and she was good at coming to find us if she needed us

[boomingaround]

Wow yes that's very late to me. We stopped using it probably around a year. Basically when they can stand up/move around the cot and you can hear them cry and shout easily. I don't feel the need to be able to see their exact movements all night.

[Oblomov23]

After a year, I think.

[EndoEnd]

My dd is 16mo and is a wonderful sleeper but never makes a noise when she's awake, she just lays there playing with her bunny or sucking her thumb. So I plan to use it until she's able to get up and come wake us up. Probably another 12 months.

[YetMoreNewBeginnings]

I think everyone is different.

with my eldest two I kept their monitor on until about 3 as one had night terrors and if you could get in quick enough the other twin didn’t wake.
With DS he had his even longer as he has only (still at 13) ever slept for five hours at a time at most. So it was important to know if he was moving around the house at daft o’clock.
younger DD ditched it at around 2 as she slept through reliably and on the rare occasions she didn’t would come to us.

[GreatGateauxsby]

before 1 year...

Dd is almost 2 and we miiiight put it back after she moves into her "big bed" but prob not.

[InTheRainOnATrain]

Stopped using it regularly at around 1 but would use it somewhere unfamiliar like a relative’s house until about 3 when I knew they’d properly understood where they could find us. I don’t get what purpose it could be serving with a 4YO in their own bed??

[Flo22]

@InTheRainOnATrain

Stopped using it regularly at around 1 but would use it somewhere unfamiliar like a relative’s house until about 3 when I knew they’d properly understood where they could find us. I don’t get what purpose it could be serving with a 4YO in their own bed??

Thanks for response

Purpose for me is that I keep an eye on her as she is going to sleep and likes to chat to her teddies! So I can listen and then make sure she is asleep.
When I go to bed I turn my bit of monitor off but when I wake up I put it on to check to see if she's awake or asleep. (Her door is closed and mine is open?

[mynameiscalypso]

We have a DS of a similar age and we still use a monitor. He's a great sleeper but it's useful to check if he's fallen out of bed or wrapped himself up like a burrito in his duvet so we have to unwrap him. He also doesn't get out of bed in the morning so we use the monitor to determine whether he's awake or not.

[InfiniteUsernames]

I stopped when mine were aged 4&2 or 5&3 - after one evening when I was out and DH was asleep on the sofa and didn’t hear DC2 being sick, DC1 came downstairs to tell him.

So they must have been 5&3 actually if the stair gate wasn’t up.

[Leakyattic]

My 6 and 3 year olds share a room and I still use one.
They sleep on a different floor to us and I keep all doors closed after I go to bed for fire safety.
I put the monitor on when I go to bed. I want to make sure that I can get downstairs to the three year old before she wakes her brother up if she wakes in the night.
She doesn't get out of bed and come looking for me. Thank goodness.

I really don't think that there is a right time. Whatever works for your family.

[FabFebHalfTerm]

Houses are different (thickness of walls, distance between rooms etc) & children are all different.

There's no right or wrong & you have years before it's weird & inappropriate.

[Flo22]

@mynameiscalypso

We have a DS of a similar age and we still use a monitor. He's a great sleeper but it's useful to check if he's fallen out of bed or wrapped himself up like a burrito in his duvet so we have to unwrap him. He also doesn't get out of bed in the morning so we use the monitor to determine whether he's awake or not.

Thank you. That's why I do it. Makes me feel better that you do the same

[Jules912]

Used one with DS until about 5 as our room was on a different floor and couldn't hear him didn't want to risk him falling down the stairs if he came to find us.
DD was about 3 as we'd moved by then. Didn't do sooner as waited until she'd reliably come and find us if we were still downstairs.

[Oldermum84]

We're still using one for DS who has just turned 4. Like you, I like to be able to check on him. I don't see it does any harm.

[mummyh2016]

We used ours with DD until she was 4 however only when we were downstairs. She decided she didn't like the light on it and wanted it turned off so that was that. She's 6 now and very occasionally she shouts and we can't hear her but obviously she can come down to us. DS is 2 and his is used again whilst we're downstairs.

[Littlegoth]

I still use one with my 3 year old. His baby sister will be sharing his room in a couple of months. We will probably keep using it until she’s 3 or 4. Hoping they will have their own rooms by then.

[Statsinyoureyes]

My kids are 5 and 3. They both, and especially the older one, have bouts of croup which need hospital care. So we still have an audio-only monitor as they can't really cry out when they get it.

[Mamma142526]

I wish I still had mine. I have a 6yo who is a bit restless. Sometimes he can settle himself, and other times he needs me to come in and settle him. If I still had the monitor I would be able to gauge earlier which one it is and come to settle him sooner.