Neighbour neglectful? Or overreacting?

[Anon19]

Over reacting?

So today I came home with kids and they wanted to play in the garden & next doors pram was in the garden, I was in the garden for about 2 hours playing with my son and his cousins then next door comes out & lifts her 7 month old baby out of the pram just wearing pjamas, and a really thin blanket I know it's thin coz we have the same one. Bassicly the baby had been napping in her pram in the garden for at least 2 hours in the freezing cold (all our kids had snowsuits on with boots hats gloves and loads of layers!!) with their back door shut she never came out to check on her once!! I can't believe it I really can't am I over reacting here? Should I say anything to her im fuming the babys tiny I was freezing never mind her :-/ I don't know her well by the way it's a new estate and everyone just moved in a few weeks ago so I've never spoken to her.

In Scandinavia where it really is freezing, this is the done thing. Albeit, very wrapped up. Agree the baby would have cried if cold. I don't see an issue, fresh air is good for them and helps them sleep.

I've often left mine park out in the pushchair to finish snoozing after a walk. Parked under the kitchen window with the window open, I can hear and see them easily. Enclosed garden though. Maybe if the baby had a vest on and was out of the wind in her pram, she was cosier than you imagined op. As others have said though, if you are genuinely concerned maybe keep an eye from now on. FWIW I don't think leaving the child to nap outside is at all neglectful, however they should be properly dressed for it.

I would not be concerned about the baby being too cold, particularly, as much as the fact that it might have woken and been upset and presumably its parents couldn't have heard it.

Could they see it from the window or something OP?

It all really depends on the set up, as to whether this was neglectful.

I would think the blanket does sound rather inadequate but hard to tell.

Mainly - I'd be happy to leave my child asleep outside in the garden, safe in a pram, and covered aequately, but only if I could see and hear them properly.

I used to let mine sleep for a while outside the front door, which was a side door a long way from the pavement/public access and I did it only with the door open so I would hear if he woke.

Door closed, not visible or audible = neglect IMO.

If the family really does have no idea about looking after a baby then this will not be the last example, and you will gain a fair idea of the problem in the coming weeks or months.

If there are other things that concern you obviously don't hesitate to act on them.

This seems like a difficult call though as a one off iyswim?

The only reason I wouldn't leave my baby in the pram outside the door is because I would be afraid my neighbours would think like you!
The weathers still mild and bumping him up the steps to the front door always wakes him up.
My mum didn't leave us outside but only because we stayed in flats as children. My gran always had the pram outside the back door. I think it was the norm and still is with lots of people. I have never ever heard of anything bad happening to a baby in their own garden however I'm sure you're not alone in thinking like this. My neighbours certainly wouldn't mind their own business if they spotted baby outside!

I'm glad I have normal reasonable neighbours! OP what do you think is going to happen to the baby outside the back door? It's a genuine question, just wondering if there's a risk I haven't thought of.

I always preferred to leave my babies outside to sleep, much better for them to breathe in fresh air. I wouldn't have gone out to check on them and risk waking them up unless there was a reason to but I would have been watching from the house and they would have been dressed/wrapped appropriately. They would definitely have cried if they weren't happy.

I still prefer to have the DC outdoors as much as possible whereas a lot of my friends are happy to stay indoors all the time. I wonder if there's any correlation between people who let their babies sleep outdoors and those who are 'outdoor' families?

Maybe star. I'm definitely a 'wrap up and get outside' type of person.

Is your neighbour foreign? As pp have said it's still common practice in scandic/eastern European countries.

I'm in south East and meet my friend yday for lunch. She had her 5 month old in a snowsuit, my 3 month was in a woolly cardigan. Each to their own

Was it a doll or one of those re born lifelike baby/dolls.

Not over reacting.

So the baby was peacefully asleep and didn't wake up crying because he/she was cold?
What exactly is the problem here?

And your lot in snowsuits? Ok. I live in a town in the hills in Scotland and haven't come close to needing those yet, but if you're sure.

Um...I'm going to say don't worry about it. The baby was fine. If he/sh wasn't you and mum soon would have heard about it.

this has been done for years. I don't see a problem. you just peek out the window to check on them. if baby was uncomfortable she would have cried. you'd hear that even with a door shut.

and a 7 yr old heeds a monitor in the garden ? really? many kids play out at that age

Golly, I am very old. Mine used to sleep in the garden, as did all my nieces and nephews and indeed, me when I was a baby.

I am sure if the baby wasn't happy it would have made its feelings known.

I know I am about to get flamed, but I think children are rather mollycoddled these days. (Runs for cover).

Jeez. Pretty much the whole of Scandinavia put children outside for naps. Also outside shops etc. (Reminder: it's bloody cold in Scandinavia).

How is is neglectful to give your children some fresh air?

Surely the baby would have cried if he was too cold? And no the mother should have not checked on the baby in the space of two hours. Is this the only thing about this family that's made you wonder about neglect?

Yeah, aside from the cold issue - and I think we're now agreed that the child would have cried if it was cold- I am also genuinely curious as to what awful fate could befall a baby in a pram in its own garden with parents (presumably) a few feet away. I'm baffled. V

I'm really shocked at the mums on here rather a peaceful life for yourself than caring about your baby? After a long walk in the fresh air why leave them outside in the cold? Easier for you? I don't care what anyone says that is wrong on so many levels you sit back in the warm with your feet up and watch 'doctors' in peace but leave your kid in the garden haha omg I'm gobsmacked

Wow...so many assumptions!!!

Well done to the OP for taking an interest and expressing concern. She could be wrong but she could be right. She's not 'judging' she is expressing concern. Except all she did, during her "concern" was nothing & then she came onto here to tell us all about it...she didn't actually do anything!!

Sleeping outside = good
Baby too hot/cold = bad

I'm in the ne, jumper and jacket weather maybe, but snow suits?

7 month olds are not known for being backwards in putting their viewpoint the forward.
If the baby was cold, you would have heard it screaming, crying or at least whimpering. You didn't. So presume comfortable.

Mine spent hours sleeping outside. 100% for certain they would have woken if I brought them inside so it was the only way I got peace for a spell.

Were you not a bit concerned your own DC and cousins may have been too hot and their play a bit restricted by the snow suits? It is a tad early for these, playing warms you up considerably. Certainly not neglectful, but you may wish to consider your attitude to weather.

I have never heard/experienced babies being left outside in prams, because of this I would have been a bit shocked. Now I see it's common not so much.

You learn something new everyday.

Both of my children napped outside whenever possible, unless it was really stormy or torrential rain. I really do not see the problem with it and we are in Scotland. I would have heard them if they woke up and cried and could see them from both the kitchen and livingroom.
I am a bit puzzled by the snowsuits though. My son was out playing in a t-shirt, jeans and a thin hoody with a big group of kids ranging from about 4-10 yesterday and we are much further north and quite exposed.