Monitor or babysitter...what would you do?

[Maudy]

We are going round to our neighbour's house on fri night and haven't got a babysitter. I was thinking of putting the DS2 to bed (DS1 is at sleep over) and then taking the monitor with me. neighbour is actually next door but one so can't hear house through the walls. I know the monitors range reaches as I have done this once before. Last time it was summer and all the windows were open and we were sat in neigbour's garden so I new I could hear them anyway. DS2 NEVER wakes up once asleep but I could be over in 30 secs anyway if he wakes up.

Would I be wrong to do this? Is it against the law to leave a child in thehouse alone? BTW DS2 is still in a cot so there is no chance of him wandering around.

I believe its illegal to leave kids on their own till about 13? Could you take DS with and put him down on one of their beds? Would be far safer.

I would personslly take DS2 with you and put him to sleep in this pushchair, or get a babysitter.

It is illegal to leave a child in the house by themselves. i defo wouldn't trust the monitor if i wasn't in the same house.

I went to a party next door (other half of semi)when ds1 was about 10 months and I got a babysitter. Wouldn't have been comfortable otherwise.
otoh I recently left the house for 10 mins while ds2 was napping to have a quick look around next door (the other side) before it went on the market.

As far as I know it's not illegal - it's whether your behaviour would be classed as reasonable or not. I did this with dd1 during the day once - went over the road to neighbour's barbecue with the monitor. I heard every snuffle (and so did everyone else) but she didn't wake up at all. Could also see my house from neigbour's garden, I popped back every 15 minutes or so and peered through the window (she was asleep downstairs), and it was only for an hour or so.

Do you have a working smoke alarm? Have to say that though I would be tempted, I'm not sure that I would do it. But on the other hand that's the principle on which hotel monitoring arrangements work - the rooms are often much further away than your arrangement.

PS. Can perfectly understand why you don't want them with you - I would rather get a babysitter than have the hassle of trying to get them to sleep in a stange house in a pushchair etc. The bedtime routine is very important in our house. Plus I like the freedom that not having the child there gives - you don't quite get that if you're having to monitor them.

That is exactly it JudeTO. I don't really want the hassle of putting him down in another house as he is being a real pain about going to sleep in his own cot and is picky about having the light on, door open etc.
Yes, we do have a working (and very sensitive) smoke alarm and I would still pop over every so often to check he is ok.
The main reason i don't want a babysitter is that we have no heating at the mo. DS's room is warm as we heat it up with a heater before he goes to bed and then take it downstairs for us to use. I don't think it would be fair to ask a babysitter to sit in a cold house. Maybe that's just an excuse.

I'd get a babysitter. Tempting not to I know, and the chances are nothing would happen, but you'd never forgive yourself if something did. If you have a babysitter, at least you can relax while you're out and enjoy yourself and if there are any problems, the babysitter will be able to reach you very quickly. Tell her/him about the fact that your house is a bit cold at the moment and to bring an extra jumper! I'm sure she/he won't mind for some extra cash.

I'd get a babysitter

I think a babysitter would be quite OK about a cold house if warned. COuld you borrow a heater from somewhere - then you can't use that as an excuse

I would get a babysitter if I possibly could.

But, I wouldn't necessarily think you were an evil mother for doing this, especially if you make sure he's asleep before you leave.

My SIL once left our two youngest while we went next door to a party. We took a monitor, they were both asleep and it was only for 30 minutes. We still felt pretty guilty about it though. It's definitely not legal.

i would get a baby sitter too

Errr. I was in a similar situation last week, but I have older children too. We went next door for an hour and a half to a (noisy) party, leaving dd (10m) asleep in her cot. We brought the monitor, confident we were within range, also brought my mobile phone so that eldest dd (11 years) could ring us. We also have a 9yo and a 7 yo. The 7yo was asleep too. I did think they would be perfectly safe, but tge baby did have the back up of big sister in case the monitor failed. We thought it was really no different to being outside in our own garden having, say, a summer barbecue. Not sure we would have felt the same if dd had been by herself though.