Do you leave your baby "unattended"?

[SilverFish]

I was just wondering about this.

We live in a small, secure apartment building (16 units, locked floors) and so we have street parking, garbage out at the back, mail in the basement, etc. I've left my 3 month old asleep in her bed a few times to do things like take out the garbage, pick up the mail, grab something from the car, and I never actually thought twice about it. It only really occured to me that maybe I was doing something odd when my husband called me at 10 am because we forgot we had to move the car for street cleaning AT 10am. We've already gotten a ticket or two for forgetting this, so I ran downstairs and got in the car, but had to drive around our block twice to find a spot (stupid one-way streets). I still was only gone for about 10 min, but I dunno, I feel weird now if I need to do something outside the apartment.

So:
yes,
never!
only for a real emergency, not routine things.

[Chamomile Girl]

Well, I do not live in a very secure place, and I don't have a place I can put the baby that he cannot crawl out of, so I never leave him alone. I even feel strange going into the back yard with the baby monitor on. But there are just too many things he can hurt himself on...even in his room. Plus he has already fallen/crawled out of bed once (and down the hall, and almost over the heater grate in the hallway..EEEK!..that was very hot because the heater was on. I swooped him up right in time. He has a gate on his room door now).

So I vote never.

[mamazee]

Mail, garbage, yes, if the baby were sleeping, otherwise I'd just carry the baby with me I suppose. Oh wait, in the winter I might put the baby in a safe spot while i quickly did something in the cold. I wouldn't move the car around the block or anything that would take that long though.

[JamieCatheryn]

While sleeping, in a safe spot that he'd be ok if he woke without me, I'll mow the lawn, checking in every chance I got. Never leave the property though.

[Catubodua]

i have when i think it's needed.

for instance, when it's pouring rain out i'll leave him sleeping in his bassinet or playing in his chair while i take the dog out the back door into the yard for a potty break. i am required to be out there with her / her on leash per my HOA rules.

i can't see any value in bringing him out in the rain / in the cold when i just need to be out there for a few moments.

the way i think of it is, i don't stand there at his bassinet while he's sleeping - i'm running around the house and sometimes i'm down two floors in the basement doing laundry. i'm no farther away from him standing on the deck while the dog does her thing.

[Grace and Granola]

I don't see anything wrong with it, except for the driving the car part. I don't know where you live or what the traffic is like, but what if something happened like an accident? Even if you're only driving slowly and you get rear ended by someone...sure you're fine, but you have to deal with it, and what do you say, "Sorry I have to go get my baby...?"

Believe me, I have a 3 and 4yo and I live about 1/4 mile from a grocery store...the thought has crossed my mind to just run up there while they're sleeping to grab some milk, but sheeesh! I couldn't live with myself if something either happened to me or them while I was gone. Not the same as your scenario, but the car situation is what gives me pause.

[veganfox]

Since DS sleeps in his crib for his naps, I feel he's pretty safe so I will run out to get the mail or put out the laundry, but never leave the property. Sometimes I will work outside in the garden with the monitor attached to my belt (DS takes long naps...like 2 hours so I can get some planting done).

[jennybear]

Never off our property and only for a max of 1-2 minutes (enough time to grab something from the car).

[Marsupialmom]

Driving the car no, for the other things yes.

[Drummer's Wife]

When we lived in apartments - yes, I'd leave a sleeping baby while I took the trash out or checked the mail or grabbed something out of my car. I wouldn't have drove anywhere, though.

[Jaesun's Dad]

I haven't. DP has admitted "to run down real quick for laundry" and I believe she probably literally did run, and he was strapped securely into a bouncy chair so I don't think he was really in danger, but I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the apartment even for that while he was in there.

Not to be alarmist but worst case scenario Now, after reading the article you'd probably get the idea that the mother in this scenario wasn't exactly a very responsible person to begin with. I get that feeling too, but it does give me that sinking feeling of "what ifs" you never thought could ever possibly happen actually happening. We are in an apartment also, and it's very secure, but we also have a dozen neighbors or so as well and I must not forget that in regard to protecting my child I'm responsible for their actions as well as my own. The candle in the story could be my neighbors.

[nola79]

Yes, but only on my own property,like mail, laundry, backyard with ds but only if she's sleeping in a safe place.

[sugarpop]

DH and I just agreed on this one...60 seconds or less and not a minute more! If I had a baby monitor and was going in the front yard sure...no different than being in another room.

Just another what if http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/166626/...-arson-finding

This mother left her three children home, oldest may have been old enough to "care" for the children...but not old enough to get them out of the fire. The mother was gone 15 minutes, ran to the bank. The result, her children dead and her sentanced to death for their murder.

She didn't murder them...she made a bad decision!

Anyhow, sure the three month old is "safe" from falls but what else could happen while you are away and unable to protect?

So: NEVER!

[mamakaikai]

No, Never. But I also never felt comfortable leaving an infant to sleep in a seperate room.

If your instinct tells you it is wrong to be away from your baby, I would certainly trust that.

[Icehockey18]

Originally Posted by mamakaikai

No, Never. But I also never felt comfortable leaving an infant to sleep in a seperate room.

If your instinct tells you it is wrong to be away from your baby, I would certainly trust that.

this. Ds sleeps in my arms still... Plus, one time when my mom was watching ds she went in the back yard to pick a mushroom that the dog seemed way to interested in... Well she strapped ds in a bouncy and went out. The dog got excited, jumped up on the door, and locked it! So my mom ran next door (our neighbors are our best friends) to see if they had a key. They didn't, so she got a hammer and broke in through the window. Ds was about 5 months and didn't even cry, but my mom felt AWFUL!!!! Even if I'm getting the mail, ds comes with me, but I also can't even leave the room, even if ds is in a 'safe' room, I just worry too much!

[Kmama2]

I leave the room.. for example he can be crawling around playing in the playroom and Ill be in the kitchen doing dishes.
Or if he is sleeping upstairs in his crib Ill be outside ( with the moniter ) with my 3 year old. Never left the property or drove anywhere or anything. I won't leave the property because I worry that their would be a fire or something.

[SilverFish]

yeah, it was driving the car that gave me pause...

i don't go in much for worst scenarios, really, but a fender bender would be a big enough problem... thanks for pointing that out, i hadn't thought of it.

[reignbelle]

I let the baby sleep while I play outside with my 2 and 3 year old. I have a moniter that works about 3 house away from my house so we sometimes pace in front of the house back and forth across the 6 houses. I wouldn't go around the. block or out of listening range.

[texaspeach]

I do laundry frequently during naps, the laundry room is about 10 steps from my front door. if ds is in a safe place I don't worry about it.

I park on the street too - if I had to move my car I'd ask my neighbor to hold ds or take him with

[omelette]

If ds is sleeping I will garden in the yard but I can peek at him through the window and I have the baby monitor with me. That's as far as I'm comfortable to go.