Would anyone else leave a sleeping baby home alone - or am I overreacting?

busiscoming2

It's wrong and it's not worth the risk. What about the day the child discovers he CAN climb out of the cot? It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it. Some people don't deserve children.

gingin_2

an9i77 wrote: »

By your logic, does that mean people shouldn't leave their kids in their car when getting petrol at a garage?

I never did. I always took them in with me, awake or asleep

clearingout

sulkisu wrote: »

Far from being a young, naive woman - she's a professional in her late 30's. She has a good job, a big house and could easily afford a babysitter.

with all due respect, you are describing your relationship with the woman concerned as a 'casual acquaintance' so I would question how you could judge what she is/isn't able to afford. I am in my 40s, a professional single mum, my house is bigger than most in the immediate area. I can't easily afford a babysitter although perhaps to 'outsiders' it would seem that I should be able to.

I wouldn't leave a baby alone in the house (or my children, other than to nip next door for something). But I have no qualms about leaving 3 children (7, 5 and 2) in the car parked by the door to the shop I intend to go into to purchase a loaf of bread or pint of milk. It's all about risk and whether you're prepared to take it with your children and, possibly, have to live with the consequences. I co-slept with my third child as a baby which is an NHS advice no-no - and I knew that - but that was the decision I made because it suited my circumstances at the time. I did careful research - plenty of other parents will take a sobbing baby into their beds to get a couple of hours sleep. Mine was a calculated 'risk', the parents of the sobbing baby are taking far greater risks by acting on impulse...

I would contact Social Services in this instance because like everyone else I feel it's a step too far but I also recognise that it's probably not up to me - it's up to the mother and it's her who will have to live with the consequences (assuming there are negative ones). Comments such as 'I couldn't live with myself' simply serve to introduce an element of hysteria and mob mentality into the mix which I'm not sure are helpful. I suspect, rightly or wrongly, Social Services wont' do anything (assuming mum isn't already known to them).

jojo_2012_2

I think 11 months is possibly the worst age to leave a child alone. My son could have climbed out of his cot at that age easily. In fact it was around this age he managed to climb onto the washing machine before he could even walk!! As a single parent you do have to leave kids unattended more than most (showers, baths etc) so are quite used to babyproofing. But not being home full stop is awful.

I remember there was some party girl mum across the road to us growing up. Her kids were about 2 and 4. She went out and left them. While she was out they escaped the house because they were scared and went and knocked on the neighbours door. So the gig was up you should have heard the bollocking this woman gave the mother when she got home!

I do leave my 9 year old on his own, sometimes for up to half an hour if he doesn't fancy coming, say to pick someone up, quick trip to the shop etc. He's got the phone to call me and he's mature enough to get on with it.

samuelsmommy

an9i77 wrote: »

The car was literally just outside the newsagents. By your logic, does that mean people shouldn't leave their kids in their car when getting petrol at a garage?

I never have or would. I know people do but I wouldn't. The difference between what you described and a petrol station is you would be able to see the child at all times and if something did happen to you then plenty of people would see/help/rescue your child. No newspaper, tin of beans, or petrol would ever entice me to put my child at risk

gingin wrote: »

I never did. I always took them in with me, awake or asleep

quite rightly too :beer:

newcook

shebangs wrote: »

you cant leave a child who is 13 for longer than a couple of hours so an 11 year old !?

from 8 I was walking to school by myself and I used to stay at home on my own in the day from about 10 if it was school holidays or I was poorly and my mom was at work.
by 13 I was too old for a baby sitter - in fact I used to babysit a 6 month old every saturday night!

POPPYOSCAR

newcook wrote: »

from 8 I was walking to school by myself and I used to stay at home on my own in the day from about 10 if it was school holidays or I was poorly and my mom was at work.
by 13 I was too old for a baby sitter - in fact I used to babysit a 6 month old every saturday night!

Yes things have changed a lot. I also used to go to and from school on my own at a young age but I have never let my children do it. I also used to have a little job babysitting on saturday nights when I was 13. My OH is also very wary about being away from home for too long and leaving our 15 year old at home alone. We do seem as a society on the whole to not want to leave our children alone now.

missmontana

That's made me feel quite sick to be honest! I wouldn't dream of leaving a baby on its own, I've only just started leaving my son on his own while I nip to the shop at the top of my road, he's 9.

He does walk himself to and from school, buts its the next block and he only has one road to cross with the crossing lady!

TimBear

FatVonD wrote: »

I've always been under the impression it's illegal to leave a child under 11 home alone?

According to direct.gov.uk, '
There is no legal age limit for leaving a child on their own, but it is an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’ (Children and Young Person’s Act).'

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Yourchildssafetyinthehome/DG_070594

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

an9i77 wrote: »

The car was literally just outside the newsagents. By your logic, does that mean people shouldn't leave their kids in their car when getting petrol at a garage?

Nope. You seen the damage done when a car crashes into parked vehicles? Or read the stories in the papers when a car is stolen from the petrol station and there is a kid inside?

p-pincher wrote: »

... I was horrified, she explained it was the 70's and peoples thinkings were completely different. ...

No it wasn't. That's trying to make excuses for something she now realises was completely wrong. Kids got left in prams with canopies out in the back garden for some fresh air whilst sleeping and mum got on with cooking or cleaning, not dumped indoors while someone went to get their other kids.