am i wrong? baby sleeping outside

[Llyra]

My neighbor is all on my case claiming that I'm putting my twins (11 weeks) in danger. The argument is because I usually put them to sleep outside during the day. Either I set them down in their stroller once they've nursed to sleep, or sometimes I put them both in the stroller awake and push them up and down the walk until they're sleeping and then leave them to sleep. It's HARD to get two babies to sleep at once, and this works well for us so that I have some time to spend with my older daughter. I find that the babies sleep much longer and more soundly in the fresh air, and sleep better at night for having been outside during the day. I keep them dressed for the weather, and shaded from the sun, and I am never further away than just on the other side of a screen door. But I'm wondering if this is really such a weird thing to do, to leave them to sleep outside (in my own front yard, far back from the road, in a quiet safe neighborhood) because my neighbor is HORRIFIED. He's a busybody old man anyway, but still.

Would you do this? Do you think I'm doing wrong?

[Satori]

Honestly? My immediate reaction is I agree with your neighbor, you need to be out there with them in plain sight. It is so easy to steal a baby when something like that is done. Yes you may think you would hear someone come up but you might not, especially if they are sneaking up. There's a lot of sick people in this world and well, leaving them outside alone is not a good idea..

[SandraS]

That's fantastic! If you're here in the US, that's why your neighbor is spouting that... it's a shame our Western civilization has made childbirth and childrearing so different than nature intended...

[fek&fuzz]

You should tell him that it seems like he has a pretty close eye on him so they should be safe.

In my neighborhood that would be fine, too. I think it depends on where you live.

[mothragirl]

if you feel it is safe than it probably is. i wish i could sleep outside!

[pumpkinhead]

My mom used to do this with my brother and I even in the dead of winter (provided it was a nice sunny day). She'd bundle us up snug and tight and put us on the door step to sleep in the fresh air.

I think as long as you can see them and they're protected from the elements, it's an awesome thing to do .

[Satori]

I guess it didn't eat it

[stacyann21]

I thought it sounded perfectly fine...until you said you leave them sleeping outside and go inside

[Ruthla]

Honestly, I'd be more afraid of the nosy neighbor calling CPS on me than I would be of kidnapping. For that reason alone, I'd stop leaving the babies out front unless I was outside with them.

Could you put the stroller in the BACK yard while they nap?

[Momma Aimee]

i would ONLY allow my son to sleep outside if i was RIGHT THERE sitting by him. Not ont he other side of a screen door -- or anything.

Now if he was alsleep on the pourch and i was weeding the flowers by the pourch ok or watering trres right in front of the house...but i would go no furhter. I would not go inside and i would not go around back or even thesides of the house out of visual range.

I will leave his asleep in his carseat when we get home -- ALL CAR DOORS open while i clean out the car or do stuff on the drive way .. but that is it. I do not go int eh house (I put packages on the door step only)

I can appercipate the babes sleeping better outside -- then you and DD should find an outside activie -- play ball or side walk chalk or whatever so you are right there with the babies -- with in constant sight of them, and where YOU can constantly be seen by anyone who can see the babies....

call me over protecivte

JMO

[TypingMarie]

I personally wouldn't do it on the front yard, simply because I live in an "upscale" (aka, nosy yuppie) area. My little guy does nap very well outdoors, though. I set him up in the side yard and bring out some tea and a book; it's nice for both of us

Our side and back yards are behind a locked fence, so I have no problem going inside for a minute to go to the bathroom, etc. I can see him the whole time.

Not sure how your house is laid out, but could you possibly set the twins up in your back or side yard? That way they're still getting a nice outdoor nap, and your neighbor can bug you about something else?

[Flower of Bliss]

I don't think it's weird to let them sleep outside. I do think it's dangerous if you aren't outside with them. Maybe you could sit outside and read while they nap or push the stroller inside with you once they are fast asleep. I can't imagine having twins. Of course you are doing the best you can to take care of your two tiny ones.

[Tilia]

I live in a very small town of 1500 people and I never leave my baby outside alone. I just couldn't! I don't understand why you can't be out there too. Your babies are probably used to the noise level of your other children. They could play outside while the babies are sleeping. But I also believe that each family should make choices that work for them.

[hlkm2e]

When my ds was a little baby last spring and summer, he slept the best outside also. He slept all the time in his bouncy chair on our covered porch. It was in our backyard with a privacy fence, so if I needed to run inside he was pretty secluded. I would probably try to keep them in a more secluded place, but I agree the fresh air somehow helps them sleep.

[junipermuse]

I think its great that the babies are getting to sleep out in the fresh air. I think that is really healthy. The front yard would concern me though. I am barely comfortable leaving my stroller out in the front yard. Our neighborhood is safe too, we almost never lock our doors. In a back yard with a fence and a gate would seem safer to me. That being said it probably SEEMS more unsafe than it actually is. True stranger-child abductions are extremely rare. If your gut tells you its safe then I would do what you think is best.

[North_Of_60]

My daughter LOVES sleeping outside. However, she's on the back porch, inside our fenced, gated, and locked yard. Plus, the back side of our house is all windows and doors, which are usually all open if she's outside. When she was tiny I would put the swing on the back porch and she's sleep for at least an hour.

Now I have the deck gated and she plays outside for hours while I work inside in the kitch or living room (all off the deck by way of a window or door - she is never out of site).

In eye sight I see nothing wrong with it, but I don't think I'd be comfortable leaving her on the front porch like I do out back.

[edamommy]

freak things happen all the time... and what would you do if, in the ten minutes they were outside and NOT in your plain vision, they disappeared? Who would you blame???? It may be totally unlikely that that would happen. But, it could. And it's my opinion, that our jobs as mothers, is to make sure THOSE things do NOT happen. And the only way to do that is to not leave your babies alone outside!:

[Momma Aimee]

freak things happen all the time

yep

I have learned to ask myself -- if somethign BAD happens -- even if it is not directly connected to this decision -- am I going to blame myself??? ig YES then I do not do it or another one i like --w hich DH says is mena spirited "if another parent did this, and something bad happened, woudl i think they were stupid for taking the risk" if YES, then it is a riski do not take.

It is like co-sleeping -- SIDS can, though rare, happen ina faimly bed -- if you will feel gilut of the family bed inthat ohhh so rare case -- don't have a family bed.

this is how i view all parenting --

personally if something did happne to the babies out side, I'd never forgive myself, so i'd not leave them.

JMO

AImee

[5thAttempt]

My baby likes to sleep outside too. Provided that his 'outside place' is a screened porch with a locked door to the back yard. I live in a very quite place where there is not traffic. I do have a baby monitor set up on top of the stroller and it is so sensitive that I can hear the baby breathing and kids playing 200 yards away and bird singing and airplane in the air. I definitly would hear if someone decided to open the door to my porch to 'steal a baby'. Besides, I can see this porch from my home office (where I usually sitting where baby is sleeping since I am a working mom) or my kitchen.

With that said, provided that your environment is 'safe', I think that this is an great thing to do - to expose kid to as much fresh air as possible. My baby takes 2-3 hour naps and wakes up happy, refreshed and ready to play. He did it even during very mild winter days - he was properly dressed and I would check his nose every 20 min or so to make sure he is not cold. He never had a running nose.

That said, my neibor who had a baby 2 month later decided to try it and she claims that this is the only place where her baby will nap during the day (on her own porch of course!).

[rzberrymom]

Nothing strange about it--most of northern Europe does this.

It makes me so sad how fearful the U.S. is--we live in one of the safest societies in the world (despite what the media wants us to believe). It sounds like you're doing great!