For those with Lo's that sleep on first floor

wheelsonthebus · May 2011

Do you open their windows at night to sleep? I have a friend that has alarms on her child's windows even though we live in a small town. It's hot here tonight and DS is in his room with his windows open and now I'm thinking....am I the only one? When his windows are closed, I lock them, but it's just so hot here tonight.

mrsfirefly · May 2011

When I was visiting my mother, DD and I slept in a room together on the first floor. I kept the windows open and the monitor on until I'd go to sleep, at which point I'd close the windows. I don't normally use a monitor because I could certainly hear her cry in the living room, but I was paranoid about someone breaking in through the window and getting her and that monitor picks up every sound imaginable! Then I'd open them again around 4 a.m.ish (whenever DD would wake up which she did every night around that time while we were visiting) and keep them open until we woke up. I'm not comfortable with first floor windows open with DD even if I'm sleeping in the room, too. But then again, I live in Baltimore so maybe my paranoia just follows me wherever I go.

jacobs32 · May 2011

We have first floor bedrooms, but never open our windows. We all have allergies, so we usually always have the AC running once it gets warm. (We're in Florida, so a good chunk of the year.) I wouldn't be comfortable if everything wasn't locked up at night anyway.

laney75 · May 2011

I would probably be ok with it, but I know my husband would not be. He is more paranoid than I am.

susanmosley · May 2011

Holy crap! No WAY would I open my kid's 1st floor windows at night to sleep. You should see how big my eyes are thinking about that!! But I guess WHERE you live makes a difference. We live in Dallas. A few short miles from bars, strip clubs, liquor stores, sketchy hang outs, etc. NO WAY. I literally think people possibly roam my neighborhood looking for homes to break into at night...at least I approach it that way to make sure we are as safe as possible in here - with windows locked and alarms set. And we live in a fine area...but not a small town. So maybe things are different in a small town, but I am seriously getting freaked out thinking that people do this!

wheelsonthebus · May 2011

susanmosley:
Holy crap! No WAY would I open my kid's 1st floor windows at night to sleep. You should see how big my eyes are thinking about that!! But I guess WHERE you live makes a difference. We live in Dallas. A few short miles from bars, strip clubs, liquor stores, sketchy hang outs, etc. NO WAY. I literally think people possibly roam my neighborhood looking for homes to break into at night...at least I approach it that way to make sure we are as safe as possible in here - with windows locked and alarms set. And we live in a fine area...but not a small town. So maybe things are different in a small town, but I am seriously getting freaked out thinking that people do this!

haha I'm having a similar reaction to your post! I live in rural Massachusetts. I ALWAYS slept with my windows open and never gave it a second thought. It wasn't until this other mom I know said she has ALARMS that I started to get paranoid. None of the houses around here have central air, yet it gets hot in the summer. It was almost 90 today. I just don't know how DS could possibly sleep with the windows shut, but of course I'm kind of paranoid now!

susanmosley · May 2011

Hold the phone - I'm not freaking out that your parenting is horrible or even not great - my outburst isn't personal, wheels! I just am having a moment realizing that there must be a lot of people out there who live in much safer communities than us. I am seriously pretty confident that if I left a window open at night here each night for a week, there is at least a 90% chance that we would have an intruder. It just WOULD happen...or maybe I am even more paranoid than I thought. Hmm. More to ponder.

KarBear · May 2011

Well, DD stays on the 2nd floor, and I would never open her window either. I just have a huge fear of her falling out. They stay closed, locked, and the braces out.

laney75 · May 2011

More thoughts on this:

- Overall, violent crime is down in the United States. Period. We all have fears that things are worse and less safe than when we were children. In general, this is untrue. (obviously there are areas that have gotten worse)

- Put a fan in his room

- Get screens for the windows that are secure, yet safe in case there is a fire. He will still get a breeze with an open window, but the screen cannot be removed/opened from the outside. (Yes I know technically someone could just cut through it, but do you really think you have burglars in your area?)

susanmosley · May 2011

wheelsonthebus:
haha I'm having a similar reaction to your post! I live in rural Massachusetts. I ALWAYS slept with my windows open and never gave it a second thought. It wasn't until this other mom I know said she has ALARMS that I started to get paranoid. None of the houses around here have central air, yet it gets hot in the summer. It was almost 90 today. I just don't know how DS could possibly sleep with the windows shut, but of course I'm kind of paranoid now!

lol I am literally giggling in amazement at how different our situations are...yes, I get that sounds really dumb - of course I am different from people on here. No one here DOESN'T have an alarm - that would really be a bad idea!, and if we didn't have central air we would all die.

Rural Massachusetts sounds like a dream!

MainelyFoolish · May 2011

Yes, we leave the windows open at night on the first floor - living room, DD's room, kitchen, etc. We even (gasp) sometimes leave our windows open when we aren't home. It's actually pretty common around here, since most people don't have central air conditioning.

Is your friend worried about someone breaking into the child's room or worried about the child falling out of the window? I don't usually keep DD's window open more than a few inches because I wouldn't want her to lean on the screen and fall out.

ETA: I live in a large town in Maine. It's not rural but I'm in the last house on a dead-end street and we don't get much traffic here besides residents, garbage trucks, and UPS (because I love to shop online!). Smile

penguingrrl · May 2011

We always slept with our windows open growing up and never thought about it. We did end up getting broken into, but my mom had forgotten to lock our back door that night (went into a fenced backyard) and they came in through the door, not a window.

After that she opened the windows each a few inches then drilled a small hole in the frame to put a nail in. At night or when we were out she would put the nail in so the windows were open enough to let a breeze through but were still effectively locked.

We were in NJ, so no central air (more common now, but back then nobody had central air) but hot summers, so leaving your windows closed wasn't an option! Now we're in NYC and the only window closed at night is the one with the fire escape. I wouldn't take a first floor apartment, though, because of the break-in risk.

chicsub · May 2011

This reminds me of when we went to visit ILs in FL last year when DS was 17 months old. They freaked when we came out of the room and left DS sleeping in there. BIL was afraid of sex offenders and alligators!

Alligators?!?

JCM · May 2011

Our master & DD's rooms are on the 1st floor. It may just be me but I just wouldn't even consider it. Now, that being said I grew up in Texas so we always have had A/C. I think I've watched too many Forensic Files to not be super paranoid. I also feel like there's someone just waiting to break into my house at night. Door's dead bolted, alarm on & taser by my bed. I even hate to let the dog out at night. I live in a suburb of Dallas. I grew up in San Antonio & our house was robbed 5 times in the span on 3 years! Luckily we were never home. I'm sure that adds to my paranoia too!

JCM · May 2011

susanmosley:
Hold the phone - I'm not freaking out that your parenting is horrible or even not great - my outburst isn't personal, wheels! I just am having a moment realizing that there must be a lot of people out there who live in much safer communities than us. I am seriously pretty confident that if I left a window open at night here each night for a week, there is at least a 90% chance that we would have an intruder. It just WOULD happen...or maybe I am even more paranoid than I thought. Hmm. More to ponder.

I feel this way exactly! I wonder if it's a Dallas thing?

BobbiJanay07 · May 2011

JCM:
susanmosley:
Hold the phone - I'm not freaking out that your parenting is horrible or even not great - my outburst isn't personal, wheels! I just am having a moment realizing that there must be a lot of people out there who live in much safer communities than us. I am seriously pretty confident that if I left a window open at night here each night for a week, there is at least a 90% chance that we would have an intruder. It just WOULD happen...or maybe I am even more paranoid than I thought. Hmm. More to ponder.
I feel this way exactly! I wonder if it's a Dallas thing?

I think it is, I grew up northwest of Ft Worth Amd have lived in the Dallas stead for 5 years and could never dream of leaving my windows open. And I grew up with all the windows open.

susanmosley · May 2011

BobbiJanay07:
JCM:
susanmosley:
Hold the phone - I'm not freaking out that your parenting is horrible or even not great - my outburst isn't personal, wheels! I just am having a moment realizing that there must be a lot of people out there who live in much safer communities than us. I am seriously pretty confident that if I left a window open at night here each night for a week, there is at least a 90% chance that we would have an intruder. It just WOULD happen...or maybe I am even more paranoid than I thought. Hmm. More to ponder.
I feel this way exactly! I wonder if it's a Dallas thing?
I think it is, I grew up northwest of Ft Worth Amd have lived in the Dallas stead for 5 years and could never dream of leaving my windows open. And I grew up with all the windows open.

Man, Dallas is hard. lol

wheelsonthebus · May 2011

susanmosley:
Hold the phone - I'm not freaking out that your parenting is horrible or even not great - my outburst isn't personal, wheels! I just am having a moment realizing that there must be a lot of people out there who live in much safer communities than us. I am seriously pretty confident that if I left a window open at night here each night for a week, there is at least a 90% chance that we would have an intruder. It just WOULD happen...or maybe I am even more paranoid than I thought. Hmm. More to ponder.

No, No, I know you weren't attacking me. I was just marveling at how different things are in our areas! :-)

JOEBunny · May 2011

rmj80:
Personally, I wouldn't open ANY windows on the first floor while we're sleeping...I've never lived in a small town though.

Our bedrooms are on the second floor and ocassionally we will open our bedroom window overnight, but never any of the other windows while we're sleeping.

This. We have air condition and we use it. We don't even have screens on our windows. We do have a screen porch and can open the door to that if we want "fresh" air.

wheelsonthebus · May 2011

laney75:

More thoughts on this:

- Overall, violent crime is down in the United States. Period. We all have fears that things are worse and less safe than when we were children. In general, this is untrue. (obviously there are areas that have gotten worse)

- Put a fan in his room

- Get screens for the windows that are secure, yet safe in case there is a fire. He will still get a breeze with an open window, but the screen cannot be removed/opened from the outside. (Yes I know technically someone could just cut through it, but do you really think you have burglars in your area?)

I agree. It just feels like things are more dangerous as a whole because of the media these days I think. Obviously it depends on the area.

We have still metal screens on each window and DS still sleeps in a crib, so I'm not worried about him coming through it. I think it is more an intruder issue. Which, there are virtually NO break ins in my area. My GPS got stolen out of my car last year (doors unlocked and keys in haha) and everyone FREAKED out. haha They actually caught the kid that did it.

littlemermaid · May 2011

No I turn the air on at night since the kids bedrooms are not near mine. Our windows are large and they start at knee height so I totally would not be able to sleep knowing they had their windows open. Too many freaks out there.

sophie206 · May 2011

Last summer was my first as a parent, and DD slept in our bedroom on the 1st floor. I'm not sure what we'll do this summer! I am NOT comfortable leaving her window open. We leave our windows cracked with the lock on while we sleep in the summer, so it would be difficult to get in before we notice. We're in Seattle where most people don't have AC. We do have one little AC box we could put in her window, but again I'd worry about break in. And while we don't get as hot here as a lot of areas, 85 degrees + without AC gets pretty miserable

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