You have been using a baby monitor for quite some time, and you are wondering when to stop using it? Well, as a parent and through experience, there isn't a unique answer to such a question. Most of the recommendation reviews suggest that you can turn it off say after six months, but as we dig deeper into this review, you will realize that the baby monitor can be used for years. There are, however, some reasons why a parent may opt not to use a baby monitor, some of which be discussed as we go on with this review.
To begin with, the right time when to stop using baby monitor is when the baby can sleep the whole night without waking up. We assume that at this time, the baby is around six months old, and at this age, the kid is loud enough to be heard in the house if he needs your assistance in the night. It, however, doesn't mean that you can dispose of your baby monitor for good because you might need it in a specific situation.
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what age to stop using baby monitor ?
No rule explains what age to stop using a baby monitor for your kids in the house or anywhere you go with your kids. Some parents might stop using the baby monitor when their kids turn six months while some might decide to stop at the age of two years. A baby monitor isn't a necessity in our lives, but it simplifies everything at night when you have a baby in the house. Our grandparents never used baby monitors, and yet most of us are living. To better understand the best time to do away with the baby monitor, we need to have reviews from different baby monitor users to know how long they have used them.
Babies below six months:
For babies who are under six months, a baby monitor becomes handy to check the safety of the baby the whole night. This is fundamentally important during the first few weeks and months that follow after. It makes a lot of sense, especially when parents and kids begin to sleep in different rooms. Most parents prefer babies sleeping in separate rooms, and the best thing to do is to make the room comfortable and a convenient night. A baby monitor is the first assurance that your baby is okay and that he is safe and sleeping sound.
Many pediatricians recommend the use of baby monitors as they are the third eye to a parent. They can sound an alarm whenever there is something wrong in the room the baby is sleeping. Baby monitors are essential because they are designed to offer a great way of monitoring the behavior of your baby while sleeping. You can use a baby monitor to monitor your baby so that she/he doesn't flip over on a stomach or how she/he is breathing when you are away from the room. You can also use a baby monitor when you are at work and have a babysitter taking care of the baby. Baby monitors also allow other people who have access to log in and monitor the baby even when they are in another state or city. Therefore using a baby monitor when your kid is below six months is very handy.
Children who are over six months:
It is believed that when babies are six months old, they can sleep the entire night without waking up. There are also chances that at six months, babies have grown old enough to be able to raise a voice for help loud enough for a parent to understand. When the kid has grown and can increase the sound that can be heard clearly across the bedroom, then it is recommended to stop using the baby monitor. The baby monitor is stopped at this time to help the baby develop a good habit when sleeping. The parent can monitor the behavior of the baby for a series of a week or two. If a week elapses without the baby waking up, then it is the right time to turn the baby monitor off. The baby monitor should just be turned off and not wholly thrown away, as you might need in certain circumstances. When you stop the baby monitor, it gives you and the baby a peaceful night to sleep without disturbances. It is essentially a healthy sleeping habit for your baby.
Toddlers using a regular bed:
When your kid is ready for his/her grown-up bed, then this is the right time also when to stop using a baby monitor. A toddler at this age is old enough to make it to your room and seek assistance if there might be.
Should you continue using a baby monitor after your child turns a year old?
This is a big debate on whether you should continue using baby monitors when your kid is one year old. Every parent has a different opinion when it comes to using the video baby monitor. Some parents suggest that it is not a good habit for a baby who has turned one year old because new parents might become so much attached to using them all the time. It, therefore, becomes quite hard to help your child become independent as he/she grows up. Some parents have also claimed that it prevents them from getting adequate sleep at night when raising the little one.
On the flip side of the story, some parents have come up with a suggestion that you can use the baby monitor even when the child is two years old. The claim from these parents is that it is necessary to continue having an eye over your child in his/her process of growth. You can use your baby monitor for safety precaution as the baby learns to crawl and walk.
5 Reasons to stop using a baby monitor
When your baby is healthy and is above one and a half years, it becomes unnecessary to continue using a baby monitor. There are a few reasons why a parent should stop using a baby monitor at this stage, and they include the following:
1. All noises don’t need your attention:
As a parent who is bringing up a baby, you will reach a point and realize that not all sounds your baby requires your attention. It is usual for some babies to make noises while they are sleeping at night or during the day. Some other noises are familiar with babies. A baby can snort, cough, sneeze, wheeze, and more. These are some of the sounds a parent should be familiar with unless some of them become consistent like coughing.
This means that when the baby is six months and above, the only sound that might need your attention should be when he/she cries continuously. Some babies tend to cry and then continue sleeping. It is good to observe them with such sounds because they can be dreaming and not crying.
At this stage, there is no need to continue using a baby monitor, not unless you have enough time to wake up and monitor them. When you rush into the room because of the strange little noise might make the baby wake up. In a situation like this, when you aren't quite sure what then the matter is, and you are still using a baby monitor, use a video baby monitor. It will help you monitor the baby without going to the room.
2. If the bedrooms are near to each other:
It is entirely unnecessary to use a baby monitor if your bedroom and that of your baby are close to each other. When the bedrooms are close to each other, you can be awakened by a cry or any commotion of your baby at night, especially when she/he is over six months old. At six months, the baby is grown enough to make a sound that will demand your attention. At this point, you can stop using a baby monitor.
3. Continuous use of baby monitors may create anxiety and sleep disorders:
When you continually use a baby monitor for a more extended period, you can quickly become so obsessed with every sound that is made in the kid's room. Anxiety will cause you to check the functionality of the baby monitor at all times. When anxiety becomes so intense, you can end up having some sleep problems.
When using baby monitors, it is essential to differentiate between trusting your baby or the baby monitor. When you believe using a baby monitor to take care of your baby than yourself doing it, you might end up becoming tired and depressed. The best thing to do at this stage is to stop using the baby monitor, listen to the sound of your baby, and be able to determine which one requires your attention. It is healthier not to be programmed to the baby monitor, and if it does more harm than good, it is better if you do away with it.
4. You can become addicted to watching:
It is a beautiful idea to have an eye over your baby using a video baby monitor. This creates a sense of comfort, knowing that your baby is safe without going to the room to check on him/her. However, if this is taken as a daily routine, it becomes a habit, and as a result, you will develop an addiction that your mind will not be at peace until you have checked on your baby before sleeping.
As it is easy to monitor without necessarily going into the room physically, it is comfortable doing it in after a few minutes. You can decide to check on your baby anytime you feel like at night to find out if something is happening in the room, even though you haven't been alerted by the baby monitor. If you are experiencing such a situation, then it is the best time to stop using a baby monitor.
5. A baby monitor can make you become a spy:
The best time to stop using a baby monitor is when you realize that you are using the baby monitor to spy on your baby than monitoring him/her. It is a good thing to check on your baby when they are playing or interacting with others when you are away. However, this might be a curiosity with most parents who will end up using a baby monitor beyond its use. This is a habit that develops and becomes part of you, and it is hard to do without a baby monitor in your house. The baby monitor now becomes a camera used to spy over your children even when they have grown beyond the age of using baby monitors.
It is a good thing to be a spy, but it can backfire because when kids grow, they learn very many things. When they realize that you are spying on them using the baby monitor, they will change their actions while at home.
Do you need a baby monitor ? What are the reasons to continue using them?
Do You Really Need a Baby Monitor? Is there any general rule in this regard? No, baby monitors have no general rules for using, but parents have the option of stopping or continue using them. Below are some of the reasons to keep the baby monitor:
To train your toddler to sleep:
A baby monitor helps a parent to monitor the baby in his/her room. When the baby grows, it is necessary not to continue using it. However, some situations will demand you to continue using the baby monitor like your toddler how to sleep. Children might not understand the importance of sleeping and at what time they should be sleeping. A baby monitor will reveal what is happening in the room and help you train them.
If you are leaving in a large house:
Parents who live in a large house will prefer to continue using baby monitors. If your rooms are on desperate floors, it is also necessary to use baby monitors because it is difficult to hear from the child or know what they are doing. If you are used to sleeping heavily, and the house is quite big, then you can continue to use them until the appropriate time.
If you're looking for the best baby monitor based on real reviews from birth parents. You should check out this list I created of the Best Long Range Baby Monitor in 2020
If your child has nightmares:
Nightmares can be experienced with children who are old enough. Children with such experiences in the night need to be monitored. With the aid of a baby monitor, you can be able to tell the situation and to give out an assurance that everything is well. Having nightmares is a terrifying thing in children, and if you are leaving in a big house where a call from children cannot reach you, then you need to keep a baby monitor for a while.
Sleepwalking children:
Baby monitors can be used by a parent in the kid's room even when they are beyond the age of being monitored under certain circumstances. One of them is when you realize that your baby is a sleepwalker. Sleepwalking can sometimes be a dangerous habit because sometimes the noise cannot be loud enough to walk you up. A baby monitor can pick up even the slightest movement in the kid's room and alert you when such an event happens so that you can attend to it appropriately.
Children with health conditions:
Parents with children that have health conditions will prefer to continue using baby monitors. This because, in case there is an emergency, and the child is unable to make any sound to alert the parent, the baby monitor will pick up any slight movement or monitor the breath of the kid and inform the parent.
Situations when the baby monitor is still useful
A parent who had stopped using a baby monitor for a while might find it necessary to start using it when the kids are sick. This is the reason why you should not completely throw away the baby monitor when you feel the time for using it is out. When the kid is not feeling well, it is convenient to initiate a baby monitor so that you can reach out to him before he/she can vomit and take them to the bathroom on time. It makes a big difference in cleaning up the mess in the room than rinsing the sink in the bathroom.
Another reason why you might find a baby monitor useful is when friends have paid you a visit in the evening. When we invite friends over for an evening dinner, sometimes the dinner can go beyond bedtime. Kids might become sleepy and go to bed, and during this time, there is a lot of movement and noise in the house. Because of the actions and the music, it is quite hard to hear kids call. This is the moment you can use a baby monitor.
A baby monitor also becomes very helpful when you travel and have a sleepover away from home. Because it is not easy sometimes to understand the configuration of the new place you are lodging at, a baby monitor becomes handy.
You should check out this list I created of the Best Portable Baby Monitor for Travel.
Final Notes
Because there are no general rules as to when to stop using baby monitor, it is up to the parent to be cautious about the baby and him/herself. A parent can decide to continue using the baby monitor in certain circumstances that require its use. If there are no situations that demand you to use the baby monitor, then it is necessary to switch it off for your benefit and that of the kid.