Would you do this?

[AngelUK]

Yesterday I went to get a coffee at a cafe that is about 200 yards from my house, my OH was home with the boys. At the cafe I met a lady I know from the playground at the park. She has a little girl about the same age as my boys and she lives about 100 yards away from the cafe in the other direction. We got chatting while we were waiting to be served and I found out that her little girl was at home napping. There was no one at home with her. The mother said since she is such a good sleeper and the cafe so close she was not worried to pop out to just get a quick take away coffee and cake. I was stunned and didn't say anything and then she was being served and after that went home but I think she realised how shocked I was cause she was a bit short after that.
We were not in there for more than 10 minutes. But still, it is not something that would ever have occurred to me to do. I would never leave my boys home alone. Am I being too uptight about that?

 

[AngelofTroy]

Wowwww! No way would I do that! It just feels completely wrong to me! Did she have a monitor with her or something so she would know if her LO woke up or something? Gosh. I'm pretty sure that's illegal isn't it? I guess if she can see the house? I don't know. Reading that just made me very uncomfortable but I'm not sure exactly why.. maybe she should get a coffee machine!

 

[JessyG]

Wow 😲. It wouldn't even cross my mind to do something like that. IMO that is downright irresponsible.

 

[aimee-lou]

It's not illegal until something happens to the child but its judged case by case i guess. Its about risk and whether or not you put the child at risk. I only found this out a few months ago. Shocked me a bit. I wouldn't do that myself....i have once left my 5yo as he was too poorly to move and i had run out of milk and bread so i took the babies with me and left him sleeping in front of the TV. I had tried to bring him with me but he threw up as soon as he stood up. I was gone all of 10 mins and was petrified the entire time. I'll never do it again if I can help it......but my lo was 5 and i left him the phone and showed him how to speed dial me if he needed me. I wouldn't leave any of my children until much older as a routine thing..... Thinking probably double figures.

 

[Scout]

No, I would never do that! I think it's completely irresponsible.

 

[biglebowski]

Its not something I would even consider doing. Especially for something like a coffee, that you can make in your home. Shes obviously done it before and lo has always been fine, so shes become a bit blase about anything going wrong. Lo could wake and climb out of cot / bed, and a frantic lo looking for mummy could get in all sorts of situations. Maybe your reaction will make her reconsider what shes doing. Hope so!!!

 

[Eleanor ace]

Wow, no. This summer I left my LO's in the house alone because I saw lots of smoke coming from the back of a house along the lane. Both children were asleep and I could see the house from where I was (it would have taken me 30 seconds to run back to the house). I went into the house as the door wasn't locked and afterwards I felt awful thinking about what would have happened if the house had been on fire (it wasn't, the fire was in a building at the back and the owner was back there moving his vehicles) and I'd got badly hurt and not able to get back to my LO's and no one realised they were alone . I felt horrible about it for ages, I can't imagine leaving them for someting so unimportant as getting a coffee!!

 

[lau86]

I am quite relaxed about this kind of thing normally, but I wouldn't. It only takes someone dodgy to know that she's leaving her child and something terrible could happen. I especially don't understand to leave and get coffee, not worth the risk at all.

Eta I don't leave my two alone together even in another room, my oldest can be horrible to his brother

 

[AngelUK]

Well I am glad I am not the only one who is taken aback by this. I am not sure she could see the house from the cafe as I am not sure which is her house. But she certainly couldn't see it from inside the cafe. And I doubt a monitor would have worked at that distance, ours is dodgy even just in our back-garden unless I put it right up against window. At any rate she didn't have one with her, just her purse. And I couldn't say if she had done it before or not as I really don't know her other than from hi and bye in the playground.
I love getting cappuccinos from Starbucks or Caffe Nero et al and I do understand that making it at home is not the same. But I can honestly say that I never needed one so badly that I had to get one when I am in sole charge of my boys.

 

[CloverMama]

No way! I'm uncomfortable even stepping into the front yard to do some gardening while the girls nap!

 

[steele]

It's a bit strange but maybe she sees it as no different to pegging the washing out in the back garden or standing having a chat with the neighbour. I've done those things while my son has napped but I am constantly worried he'll wake so would never go any further. She could have just waited for the coffee, I'm addicted to costa chai lattes but I wouldn't put my son at risk for one?

 

[sequeena]

No I would never leave my son alone in the house for any length of time. It would be so easy for me to pop out when he's napping as there is a corner shop at the end of my street it's a 2 minute walk but anything could happen in the 5 minutes that I'm out.

Thomas is a massive danger to himself so can't be left alone and the thought of someone breaking in makes me feel ill.

 

[AngelUK]

Yeah I know, I have pegged washing and mowed the lawn while the boys were napping but I had the monitor on the window sill outside and glanced at it at every turn and it only takes me 5 minutes to mow the miniature lawn of ours anyway. But I think that is different cause if you hear them cry youd be with them as fast as you would if you were just in another room. And yes 100 yards is not far and I am guessing she would have been quicker had she not chatted with me but still... I wouldn't have had the peace of mind to chat at all. I would be a shaking mess and probably run home half way to the cafe lol

 

[Button#]

No never. I've been nervous just popping next door to grab a parcel and that's just a few feet from my own front door. Certainly not just to get a coffee.

 

[kissesandhugs]

Ehhh no. Not Ok. Can't imagine doing that.

 

[MrsPear]

No personally I wouldn't. I live about, I don't know, thirty seconds walk from a post box and before now I have considered going to post a letter when Joni is asleep, but I decided against it. How can you just be certain that that is not the moment something 'bad' is going to happen? Or your key is going to snap in the lock? It's just not worth it.

I'm sure nothing bad will happen and she probably is a great mum and just using her judgement so I don't judge what she's doing (and I honestly mean that because I can think of dozens of worse stuff to do and I guess it's really low risk in reality), but I reckon she's in the minority on this one.

 

[AnneD]

No. I've got a crap sleeper and I'd hate for my child to wake up, freak out, look for me, fall off the bed. Or find something dangerous to climb on, choke on, or wrap around the neck. Or open the door and fall down the stairs. We've baby proofed as much as possible, but anything could happen.

 

[_jellybean_]

Wow. Nope. I wouldn't do that. Ever.

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

Oh heck no! I've handled property claims though, so I've heard so many things that go wrong quickly in a house. Especially fires!

It's actually against post regulations here to leave young children unattended. I've watched the MPs (military police) stop a young boy riding his bicycle and told him to go home and find his parents. I actually don't mind it; it encourages me to get out and about with her too.

 

[minties]

I would have called the police and been more than just short with her. Omg!

I definitely go outside while Sophie is napping, but we have a tiny ground level flat and I'm usually outside the bedroom window she's sleeping in anyway, just playing with Thomas.

I would never leave the house and wander off down the road!