Listening in...

[cheekyfunkymonkey]

What age did you stop using the monitor? I have one dd 2.5 and another due imminently. Will I need another monitor? Obviously baby will be in with us initially, but will move to his/her own room by the time dd is 3. Just thinking ahead, what was your experience?

Just stopped using monitor dd 3.5 but I know many parents stop much earlier....

Stopped with DS1 when we moved him from the cot in the nursery to his Big Boy Bed in Big Boy Room, which was at 2.5. By then he could easily shout loud enough to get our attention if he needed us, whether we were downstairs or asleep just across the landing!

Once they can get out of bed or shout for you I think it's not necessary. Our two are 3 years apart and we swapped it for the younger when she went in her own room.

Dd is nearly 13 months and I have recently stopped using the movement part of her monitor as she kept setting it off wriggling round her cot.

I currently only use the monitor now when she first goes down at night and I go downstairs, just so I can hear her stirring. Our walls are paper thin and I wake when she first starts crying at night so don't need the monitor for that.

I'll stop using the monitor when she stops waking early evening, or when she can shout loud enough to be heard over the tele!

I think it depends on your house. We stopped using one with dd at about 12 months because I can hear her if we are downstairs or in our bedroom. I still have a monitor though for when we go away to other peoples houses just because I'm less confident that I'll definitely hear her.

Thanks. It's still a way off but reassuring to hear others stopped at similar age. We can definitely hear her from our bedroom but room with tv is more difficult.

My husband still uses his when my DSD stays. She's 8 next week!
Our evenings are often punctuated by a tinny 'daaaaaaaaad'! And then some excuse about why she can't sleep. They use it like a bloody walkie talkie!