Is it safe? | Imamother

amother

Powderblue

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:34 pm

I have a 12 month old and I am pregnant. I live in a building with laundry across the hall from my apartment. I am having a harder and harder time carrying the laundry and the baby (who does not walk) when I need to move the loads. Is it safe for me to wait until the baby naps and leave him alone in the apartment and go do laundry without him?

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:39 pm

I wouldn't. Have him nap in a bassinet with wheels. Wheel him along with you, as you wheel the laundry cart in there.

Leave him where you can see him as you do laundry.

Maybe cover the bassinet loosely with a cloth while you are in there, to give him some darkness to sleep, and give him a pacifier. He should sleep through the whole thing.

MamaBear

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:44 pm

When I had this issue I just put the laundry and detergent in a laundry bag and dragged it (versus a hamper that has to be picked up). But Target has one with wheels:

http://www.target.com/p/steril.....57137

Thank g-d the laundry is just a few feet away, right?

gp2.0

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:55 pm

I would say it's safe, based on what I read from your post:

1) OP is in the same building, on the same floor, while doing laundry. This is not very different from doing laundry in a basement while baby naps upstairs. Or cleaning garbage in front of the house while baby naps inside.
2) OP will not stay with the laundry the entire time, just to move loads back and forth. So we're talking what, 5-10 minutes to load or unload laundry.

amother

Crimson

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:57 pm

gp2.0 wrote:

I agree. If it's on the same floor, and you're not gone more than 5 minutes, then I'd do it. I wouldn't do it if it were for longer than 5 minutes though.

amother

Aquamarine

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 4:05 pm

I agree with gp and crimson, but just keep in mind if you do this, make sure never to forget your key! My mom says she once went to take the garbage down the hall while I was sleeping but locked herself out, so that 2 minute trip down the hall ended up taking 30 (and BH the super was around and able to take care of her that fast, it could have been even longer). I slept through it, and we both came out ok, but you bet she didn't ever forget her key after that!

abaker

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 4:18 pm

Yes my apt was right across from the laundry. I use to run and switch loads when baby was in safe place such as crib pack and play or exersaucer. Always brought key and cell phone in my pocket, even though my door did not automatically lock. Also at times I'd bring him in stroller with me,mand he sat and watched sometimes.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 5:11 pm

Hide a key outside the door so if you forget your key you can still get in. You might lock yourself out.

Hide it VERY well. There are ways. Don't talk about it. Use duct tape, perhaps.

amother

Seagreen

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 5:31 pm

I did this once and locked myself out, even though I thought I always checked to make sure I had the door unlocked or a key with me - obviously one time I messed up. Sad

kids were ok in the end....horrible memory....

zaq

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 5:58 pm

never, ever, ever, ever, EVER leave a baby alone in an apt. not even to knock on the next-door neighbor's door. Tragedy can strike in an eyeblink. Put the baby in the carriage and the laundry in a bubby cart and wheel both to the laundry room. Or throw the laundry into the storage basket under the stroller, or tie the laundry basket onto a skateboard and tie the skateboard to the stroller and wheel both together, or get dh to do laundry or have him watch the baby while you do laundry after he comes home. There are many creative ways to get the job done without putting your baby at risk and without your having to carry heavy loads. The wheel was invented a million years ago.

gp2.0

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 6:14 pm

What kind of tragedy are you referring to, zaq? If there's a fire, she would hear the smoke detector go off - she's across the hall on the same floor.

I am reminded of that friends episode where rachel freaks out after she gets locked out of the apt with the baby inside and is like "did I leave the window open...did I leave the water running...did I leave the stove on...she won't be safe" and ross is like "yes, I'm sure an eagle flew in, landed on the stove and caught fire. Seeing this, the baby leaps to the eagle's aid. But the eagle interprets it as an act of aggression. Meanwhile the apartment fills with water while baby and eagle are locked in a struggle over the whirlpool of water..."

and rachel is like, "boy are you gonna be sorry if that's true!"

My point being...it's not OK to leave a baby in the house while you go to the grocery store, but I really can't think of anything that would go wrong while you are across the hall. Actually, if I did this I wouldn't close the door or lock it at all. (It's good advice to always have the key and cell phone with you.) But I would actually keep it propped open.

Beyla

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 6:31 pm

I'm with gp20. I would leave the door open (of course if nobody can come in). But if the door is open and laundry room on the same floor it's the same distance than within the apartment.

amother

Red

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 9:21 pm

When baby is sleeping, I'm cooking and I have to go borrow an ingredient from a neighbour I'll text first to check if she's home and has it, then I'll run across the hall door not shut fully with keys, phone and monitor to get it.

If laundry is across the hall from me I might consider doing the same thing, provided it is all sorted and literally just needs to be dumped in and turned on I might do as you suggest.

Anon because I don't want to be bashed...