WWYD - regarding leaving LO in house alone

Mason&Mama · March 2012

I live in an apartment in a quiet family neighborhood. My apartment is on the second floor of a large house (old mansion) with 6 apartments inside. The surrounding homes are all single family homes.

We have only been here since December, but I know that during the nice weather, all of the neighbors spend the evenings outside by the firepit. I have met all of my neighbors, and they seem like great people.

Here is my question, and I haven't quite decided if this is "no big deal" or a complete "no-no". My thoughts are somewhere in the middle, so I figured that I would ask for your opinions.

The monitor works in our backyard. Getting from the firepit to my baby would require walking about 15 feet and up one flight of stairs ... I could be there in less than a minute. Even though it is an apartment, you could compare it to any other single family backyard.

Would you ever leave your baby in the house and sit by the fire with the monitor by your side? Do you feel like that is "leaving the baby alone" or just "spending time in a different part of your home"? The situation has not come up yet, and I don't even know if it will come up, but it crossed my mind today. I had no clear-cut answer.

What would you do?

IlliniQT · March 2012

I've gotten flamed before for admitting to leaving my baby in the house alone when I was outside. If I have the monitor, I honestly think it's NBD. If you lived in a 3 story house, would you always remain on the same floor as the baby? I personally, would not.

So I say, go for it, and have a good time!

Rob & Tori · March 2012

As long as you have the monitor with you I would think it would be fine. I will work upstairs while Zoey snoozes downstairs all the time. I have the monitor to hear if she cries.

Saltina11 · March 2012

I'd take the monitor outside with me, NBD to me. Like you said its the same as people with SFH's sitting out on their decks or porch.

bonitatinabina143 · March 2012

As long as you lock the door and aren't getting wasted by the fire I say go for it.

AmandaP678 · March 2012

bonitatinabina143:
As long as you lock the door and aren't getting wasted by the fire I say go for it.

this!

Mason&Mama · March 2012

Thanks for your opinons. It was my gut feeling that it was okay, but I didn't want to look like I was leaving my baby alone. I imagine there will be nights when I want to socialize outside when I know that my socializing outside of the house has become limited.

It's funny how you never know how people are going to judge something. I was thinking that I might get totally flamed.

Mason&Mama · March 2012

bonitatinabina143:
As long as you lock the door and aren't getting wasted by the fire I say go for it.

I can't get wasted??? I kid, I kid!!!

jk4ever · March 2012

I also think its NBD. If you have the monitor and can get to him quickly, is there any difference than just being in a different part of the house? I don't think so. Last summer we visited family in MI, we have a fire pit in the back yard there as well, we went out to enjoy the fire several nights and just took the monitor. it was a win-win-win: she got the sleep she needed, we got to socialize and it turns out, the one time we took her to the fire, she HATED it! Hated hated hated the smoke!

PinupMomma08 · March 2012

NBD to me either with the monitor.

doubleOmommy · March 2012

bonitatinabina143:
As long as you lock the door and aren't getting wasted by the fire I say go for it.

This! Also, bonitatinabina143- My daughter's name is also Olivia Nicole!! Great name:)

hecallsmecat · March 2012

NBD, go for it. You deserve a little time to socialize. Monitors work wonders in situations like this!

AsOctoberFalls · March 2012

hocus:
I wouldn't do it. If you had a private house and were in your own yard I might be OK with it.

This. I sit out on my front porch with the monitor... but I'm right in front of the only entrance to my house that's open. If you're in an apartment, people (other residents or their guests?) could be going right by your place and you wouldn't know it. I would not be comfortable with that.

mainemommy · March 2012

I live in a house, but if we're outside I dont even bring the monitor usually unless we have enough of a party that its loud. We check do check on them though so they dont get ignored.

But heres my question, would you do the same thing if you were going to a neighbors house in the building to visit?

LnR70707 · March 2012

I kind of agree with others about not knowing who else is in the building. Unless you have a locked entrance, I'd be a little too paranoid to do it. I've gone out in our own yard with the monitor though, so obviously it depends on your comfort level with who is coming and going.

jdm7 · March 2012

I'm mixed on this, mostly because it's an apartment situation versus a house.

I have gone outside of my house, with a monitor and sat by the chimenea and drank with either DH/friends. BUT - this is my house and the front door is locked and bolted. Garage door is locked. The only way in is the back where we are sitting.

That being said - you're in an apartment and while there is part of me that thinks "Yea, not a big deal. Up one flight of stairs... it probably takes you as long to get to your kid as it takes me to get to mine." but the other part of me is thinking if there is traffic that passes by your apartment.

So I don't know... I mean, we were running into the house every 30 minutes and whoever went in would check in on the baby. But that was more because we were drinking and broke the seal.

aesf · March 2012

LStorms:
I've gotten flamed before for admitting to leaving my baby in the house alone when I was outside. If I have the monitor, I honestly think it's NBD. If you lived in a 3 story house, would you always remain on the same floor as the baby? I personally, would not.

So I say, go for it, and have a good time!

This.

I know some monitors have crazy lengths now. So dont go to the corner store, but the yard? Thats ok by me.

awisern · March 2012

I've been out working in my yard with the baby monitor. But it's my house and I know who is in it and I was within eyesight of the only open intrance.

I'm torn on your situation though. Do you know the people that live in the other apartments? Do you think it they had guests over that you would be able to trust that?

I'm not sure what I would do in your situation...sorry, I'm not much help!

Nevtali · March 2012

awisern:
I've been out working in my yard with the baby monitor. But it's my house and I know who is in it and I was within eyesight of the only open intrance.

I'm torn on your situation though. Do you know the people that live in the other apartments? Do you think it they had guests over that you would be able to trust that?

I'm not sure what I would do in your situation...sorry, I'm not much help!

Not picking on you, but a few posters have said this. I'm not sure how this makes an apartment that different from a house. My door locks and bolts, although I usually just lock it, since I live in a secure building. Even without that, I would see it as safer than a house since there is only one way in unless you literally climb a wall. Being alone in a house used to freak me out because there were so many windows and doors. Would you really notice someone trying to get in on the other side? (I've since realized this is a highly improbable scenario and thus a silly thing to worry about.)

I leave my daughter in a safe spot in the apartment to run to the laundry room or our garage all the time.

maiken1027 · March 2012

I'm torn as well. It would really depend on my comfort level with the neighbors. I've lived in apartments that I would do this in and ones I would not have felt comfortable having people know my baby was alone in the apartment. I would absolutely lock the door.

dairygirl19 · March 2012

As long as it's a safe area and you seem to know your neighbors I'd be fine with it.

LO spends a lot of naptime alone in the house. We live on a farm and that's my time to work. Also if I have to get up earlier to get stuff done and she's not up..I leave her until her normal wake up time. Same in the busy season after she goes to bed.

I'm fine with it. I also don't own a monitor.

But I live waaayyyy out in the sticks. No one is coming after me or my baby and I can see directly into our driveway/house so I don't worry about it.

yeladim · March 2012

I also live in an apartment in a private house but my neighbors are a young couple with an 11 month old daughter, so I have no concern of anybody coming into our apartment while DS is sleeping. My concern is with his safety and health, that if something were to happen in his sleep and I wouldn't be nearby. I don't own a monitor, so the farthest I've been with DS asleep was downstairs to the laundry room. My concern in your situation would be that it may be loud outside and hard to hear the monitor. I know I never hear my phone ringing when I'm outdoors.

isacdimi10 · March 2012

If the monitor works its NBD in my mind.

DH and I left both kids asleep in the house during the fall last year and went and sat in the hot tub, Our monitor reached the hot tub (it was at the very end of our yard).

We also had a 5 minute fuss rule if they're awake and not screaming like someone is beating them they get 5 minutes to settle down on their own before we go check. So on the first fuss one of us would get out and go stand by the door.

MilMom2B · March 2012

LMAO... oh dear I didn't even think of this as a potentially bad thing at all. How is it any different than say being in the basement while the baby is on the 2nd floor?

I live on 6 acres and I have a lot of outdoor maintenance (both yardwork and tending the animals) that just HAS to get done. So I bought an awesome monitor and when she's napping I do all the work I can as far as the monitor will reach.

And, yes, I have sat out at our bonfire pit at night after I put her to bed. If the monitor battery is fully charged it makes it all the way out there. If the battery is weak it only makes it to the fig tree, so I clip it to a branch, and the sit by the fire, but I can both see the monitor light up and hear it if she stirs awake.

ETA: Now that I've read the other responses I can see where other people are coming from. But, the way you described your apartment building (er, house/mansion) and the neighborhood it sounds like you very much do feel safe in your situation and with your neighbors. As long as your door is locked, I still don't think it's an issue.

ksulli · March 2012

I fully expect to leave LO sleeping in her room & sit on the deck this summer. It's a single family, but I also would bring the monitor and have a drink on the neighbor's deck (less than 15 yards away from my back deck).