Police nabbed us for only checking baby alarm every 5 mins

[nuparents2]

We went away for a couple of nights to a B&B on the south coast. We booked at a place which had it's own bar (as we always do) so that we can sit in the bar with a drink and the baby alarm. Unfortunately being so small they didn't offer a babylistening service (where you leave the rooms phone off the hook and staff listen in every 10 mins or so).
We found that the bar was closed but fortunately there were public bars in two hotels either side a couple of houses away.

We checked that the baby monitor worked at one of them before we put Jack to bed (13months)and once he'd settled down (he's a good sleeper) we went to the bar.

The monitor worked perfectly but unfortunately the clientelle of the bar started to get a bit "rough" so we went to the other bar.

The baby monitor was noisy here so we took it in turns every 5 minutes to walk up the road until the sound was crystal clear to check on him.

After half an hour 2 policement came up to us saying that someone had complained about us.
He said that we should be there and that we would have to have an interview with our local social services about the way we are looking after our son.

We were both gobsmacked very upset and although we would never have set out to be in this position we were mortified to think that we could get in such trouble with the authorities.

Be aware - never go outside of the best range of your monitor - it does not matter to them how often you check on your baby - you cannot be out of range even for a moment.

well, i have currently locked myself into study, and dont want to know what kids are doing. if something bad happens, im sure ill hear them scream.
call the social services someone.

still doesnt sound like much fun

Sorry if I have not followed the right etiquette, yes I'm a newbie, yes it's genuine, no have not had the interview yet - and are worried about what to expect.

Yes it was a stupid thing to do.. but it seemed to happen in stages we wouldn't have decided to go out to somewhere just out of range.

We wouldn't ever do this again but they are not to know that.

When are you seeing them?

Next tuesday,

I hoped that we wern't the only people in the world that had been so bad.

After seeing all your reactions I'm really worried now.

are you annoyed because you were caught and people are now interfering

or are you annoyed at yourself because now you think it wasn't the best thing to do?

I left my kids in a B+B without me, on holidays. They were both asleep. But I told one of the people running the B+B what I was doing, and I just went to the cash machine, so I was gone about 15 minutes.

I don't think I'd go for a drink out of monitor range, although I would go if I could hear the monitor or see the lights. (A fire alarm would set off the lights.) We always have digital monitors, which tell you when you're out of range, IYSWIM.

hmmmmmm.....

sounds like a crap night out, having to go up every five minutes to check. Whats the point in that? better off in future just getting a few bottles in the room, no danger of being nabbed by the police or SS - what an ordeal.

would agree with tired emma what is the point in going out only to be seat hopping every five mins. Would never leave my ds alone especially in a strange place, besides the fact he is a tinker, if something happened couldnt forgive myself.

It seemed to me that nu was just posting a warning - along the lines of "if you would ever consider doing this, don't, because this could happen to you."

Doesn't seem like a post designed to stir up trouble IMO.

does anyone remember the news story in the summer of the little boy who wandered out of his hotel room in menorca and drowned in the swimming pool??? its stories like that that would put me off, id love to go and sit in a bar with DP for a few drinks, but i wouldnt relax.

that said, i have no problem with other people choosing to do it, im far to neurotic to even comtemplate it.

Troll.

Hi,
I'm new as well although have posted a couple of times ... do people seriously actually start threads just to cause bother? I'm obviously v naive, i'm amazed by that (how sad they must be!).
Nuparents, I wouldn't do what you did, but I'm sure I do other things that you wouldn't do ... none of us are perfect, and at least it's one mistake you'll never make again! Definitely a few bottles in the room next time like tiredem said!

noone wants to talk to me ... i'll just go and throw myself at the mercy of another thread ... it's hard being new. dramatic sigh

Hello poglepuss. I would love to talk to you, but I have to go now and feed my poor starving wretches! Carry on posting and if I see you about I shall hijack you completely and bore you rigid!!

hurrah! i'm acknowledged!

poglepuss, people do start threads just to cause bother. I don't think this is one of those, but I'm not convinced either way.

One thing I'm confused about (you may be, too): who complained about you?

From what I know, by the way, it's not illegal to leave your child unattended at any age - but it's not recommended before 12 during the day and 16 overnight. If something happens after you've left a child, you can be charged with neglect, rather than specifically with leaving a child unattended.

I think this is probably a troll. The police do not turn up for you leaving a baby alone, because it is not illegal to leave your baby alone.

It is not a criminal matter unless the child comes to harm. And whenever the police are called, they take three hours to turn up, by which time everyone would have been safely tucked up in bed.

theres absolutley nothing wrong with getting pissed in a hotel which is not your own whilst you leave a smal child in bed alone. everyone does it

Caligula

Helloooooooooooooooooo

You had your own thread earlier, did you see it ??

I disagree about it not being illegal until the child comes to harm. It is true there is no law about what age you may or may not leave your child unattended, but it is not the case to say that you can legally leave them, if no physical harm comes to them. We have all heard about kids left home alone - the police and SS certainly are interested and do act in these cases.

Yes but that's usually people who are doing it habitually frannyf, so much so that neighbours are concerned and report it. And in this case, with someone on holiday, it's highly unlikely that a fellow-holidaymaker would report someone - after all, how would they know if the baby had been left alone? I'd simply assume that they'd sorted out a babysitting-type service, or had a monitor in their handbag. That's why it strikes me as an unlikely story.

it isn't illegal to leave a child alone

various people quoted this from various sources on QoQ's thread.

If you're a troll, it's past your bedtime. Go back under your bridge.

If not, sorry but I never get these baby listening things, let alone a monitor. i'd never leave my kids like that. Takes far less time to choke / wander off if older child / fall.