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I went to get the mail and took the dog out in the backyard. I was paranoid about it though and my trips were super short. I would take the monitor with me just in case, too. The first 3-6 months, I was the most paranoid.

Backyard and front yard. That's enough for me to get something from the car or take the dog out. Our mail box is down the street and I won't leave baby alone to go get it.

A few people I know leave their sleeping child at home while they go out to a movie. Leaving the monitor with a neighbour. They also go over to other peoples houses on the street and take the monitor while baby is home alone.

I'd never do that!!!! I started a thread about it and everyone agreed.

I think going outside or something to garden with a monitor is okay.. But I wouldn't want to let my house out of my view.

ETA: I'd always stay on my property... which is a 50 ft by 140 ft so not very big!

My Mom used to put us down for naps then go for a jog around the neighborhood. She would basically make a big lap then come in and check on us then go back out and make another. I think that's totally fine since she was never more than 10-15 minutes from checking on us. I mean you don't stare at the monitor constantly when the baby is asleep. Plus there were a ton of other SAHM's in our neighborhood in surrounding houses so there were lots of people watching for signs of danger like an intruder or fire.

I'll go in the front and back yard, but if it's anything for more then a few minutes I'll bring the monitor out there with me.

@Foodnerd81: Yeah, I would definitely do close things, like if the trash shoot was in our hall or if we had friends in our hall. But I live in an elevator building, so I wouldn't go all the way down to the first floor (we're on the 29th floor). but I would go to a friend's apartment on the same floor as me.

When we move, the gym will be just 4 doors down from me on the same floor, so I've already decided that if baby is sleeping and the monitor works that far, I'd go that far. In terms of space, it's no different than a person in a 3000 sq ft house going to a further away room in their own house.

I wouldn't leave my property. If I were outside more than 2 minutes I would bring the monitor. I'm not against doing yard work, or something outside if I have the monitor. We live in a house though so it's easy in and out access.

I wouldn't leave my property, except to get the mail (have to walk across the street and up one house, one of those community mailboxes). I do a lot of yard work while she's sleeping (only time I can really do it!), and keep my monitor with me.

@Foodnerd81: It sounds so crazy, but I guess when you think about it, it's no different than being in another room in your own house... something about it being a different apartment just seems so weird though!

@Bao: Ditto!

Just our yard. I usually leave her window open and go out in the backyard and lay out/tan if it's sunny out. that way I can hear her with the open window.

we are in an apartment so I never leave the apartment without her.

We have a 2 story home and her crib is upstairs. I will only go out to let the dog out with the video monitor. And sometimes he takes so long I still get nervous leaving her.

If I have her in the carseat/car and need to run back inside, I only do it if my car is parked in the garage with the door closed...I'd never leave her even for a second in the driveway in my car...That Madeline story haunts me...

I will run out to the car or grab the mail but that is about it

I'll water the plants, get the mail, bring in groceries. I will also leave her downstairs in the swing if I'm upstairs, with the monitor near me. When I water the plants, I don't bring the monitor. I just come inside and take a peek before going to the front of the house

I got locked out of the house while babysitting with the young kids inside when I was a teenager, so my limit is more or less, past a locked door

Our monitor doesn't reach that far, so I'm pretty much limited to inside the house, but I've gone out on the back patio if they're sleeping a long time....but I only shut the screen, not the glass door!

My next door neighbor's yard is the farthest I've gone. With monitor in hand and a full view of my house.

If I lived in an apartment building I would not leave the apartment (other than an attached balcony) without my baby.

I live in an apt building (on the 6th floor) and the farthest I'll go is to the recycling room right next door to our apt. I won't leave our little part of the hallway.

I'm in an apartment and I've left LO in the apartment while I change a load of laundry in the communal laundry room. Honestly, I think it's safer than bringing her with me. When she's with me in a carrier I'm nervous about tripping on the stairs with a laundry basket, hitting her with the laundry basket or hurting her or my back reaching to the bottom of the washer. When I left her I was gone 4 minutes. But DH asked me not to leave her so I won't do it anymore.

I'll still get the mail, get something from the car, or let someone in the complex which are all a trip down a flight of stairs - two flights from her room.