Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine. I mean, you'd go to any part of the house with a monitor, out in the back yard with a monitor, why not across the street if the monitor works?

I know, right? There's totally no difference between being in another part of your house and being in someone else's house at a party! I mean, it's not like the kids ever get up out of bed or anything. And the monitor picks up absolutely every little noise so even if they did I would definitely know and hear it on the monitor right away even though I'm at a party!

I think it's fine. I mean, you'd go to any part of the house with a monitor, out in the back yard with a monitor, why not across the street if the monitor works?

Anonymous wrote:I would apply the "would I be arrested if caught?" test.

I like to apply the "what would the headline read" rule for times when I have questions like this. Mom arrested for leaving children at home while she parties is a tough one to live with. That being said I could see myself doing this and not thinking twice until reading these responses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear OP double teamed it and was able to get out for some adult time and nothing happened.

Anonymous wrote:Whoever took the little McCann girl was likely watching her parents and figured out they had left the children alone. How well do you know your neighbors? You never know when someone decides to take advantage of a situation where your children are vulnerable because an opportunity suddenly presents itself and the idea comes into their sick heads. I am generally pretty laid back but wouldn't take a risk like this regardless of how infinitesimally small the chances are that something bad could happen.

This. Plus, have you ever been in a house fire? My MIL's house burned down due to a battery charger that overheated in the garage. The garage interior was fully engulfed when my FIL who was home heard a weird bleep (it was the alarm system melting.) He went to open the garage door to the house, got a backdraft in his face that burned off his eyebrows. The house was reduced to a pile of ashes in less than 20 minutes. Now imagine if something like that happened and it was your 7 year old who opened the door.

+1 million. [b]This is why you should never garden, nap, or work out in the basement while your LO one is sleeping. Monitors provide a false sense of security and I am surprised they haven't already been banned considering they patently promote negligence[/b].

I can't tell if this is a joke or not!

We live on a small culdasack , my next door neighbors yard and my yard combined is smaller than the size of my yard growing up ( width wise). With both our front doors locked we will sometimes sit in one of our backyards, have a glass of wine and catch up. Our husbands travel for work frequently, and this is a week night. Both of our kids are asleep ( in cribs) and the video monitors easily reach--if in her yard or my yard we can see both kids windows. I have never thought anything of it--usually it is in my backyard as the mosquito's seem to love her yard more ( strange) ---however when I do venture over to her yard, her table is about 15 feet from mine...again I could be in the back part of my yard ( towards our shed) and farther from our house than when I am at her table.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to babysit for a family that did this with their neighbors. They lived in a condo building. They would let the kiddos sleep and then just drink/hang out in the courtyard.
I would say that across the street is just too far.

Even if I have the monitor?

If you have a monitor, then it would depend on their ages since it is only across the street and your house is visible. If your kids are older, then it would probably be OK since you will be monitoring and probably watching the house and could also let a few people know this and they could help monitor, too.

a) it's illegal to leave minors alone in the home in most states
b) you can't hear a fire on the monitor until the screaming starts (are you nuts? I call troll)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear OP double teamed it and was able to get out for some adult time and nothing happened.

Anonymous wrote:Whoever took the little McCann girl was likely watching her parents and figured out they had left the children alone. How well do you know your neighbors? You never know when someone decides to take advantage of a situation where your children are vulnerable because an opportunity suddenly presents itself and the idea comes into their sick heads. I am generally pretty laid back but wouldn't take a risk like this regardless of how infinitesimally small the chances are that something bad could happen.

This. Plus, have you ever been in a house fire? My MIL's house burned down due to a battery charger that overheated in the garage. The garage interior was fully engulfed when my FIL who was home heard a weird bleep (it was the alarm system melting.) He went to open the garage door to the house, got a backdraft in his face that burned off his eyebrows. The house was reduced to a pile of ashes in less than 20 minutes. Now imagine if something like that happened and it was your 7 year old who opened the door.

+1 million. This is why you should never garden, nap, or work out in the basement while your LO one is sleeping. Monitors provide a false sense of security and I am surprised they haven't already been banned considering they patently promote negligence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This happened in the movie the Neighbors, and i know it's a comedy, but it just pissed me off so much I couldn't enjoy it at all.

i think op saw the movie, too, and just wanted to rile people up.

I think you are right, no one could be a parent and that dense.

Anonymous wrote:This happened in the movie the Neighbors, and i know it's a comedy, but it just pissed me off so much I couldn't enjoy it at all.

i think op saw the movie, too, and just wanted to rile people up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don't even take the garbage downstairs in our condo building if I'm alone with DD. I wait until DH is home. And my monitor works down there too. There are just too many unknown potentials.

How is this different from taking your garbage can to the end of your driveway, especially on a big lot?

I live in a condo building, I have an infant and a dog. If DH is away and the dogs needs to pee at 10pm, I'm not waking my DD up to take the dog out for 5 minutes to quickly pee.

How do people think single parents do basic things like this?

Everyone has a different comfort level with leaving their child alone for a few minutes.

I would take the trash out or go outside with my dog for a few minutes, but going to a loud party and leaving 3 children at home alone who were 3, 5, and 7. That's stupid.

This happened in the movie the Neighbors, and i know it's a comedy, but it just pissed me off so much I couldn't enjoy it at all.

You hire a babysitter because of the ages of your children.

Swirl it around any way you want, it's illegal and negligent.

I'm really blown away that you are really that cheap and care so little for your children.