Today’s Debate: Baby Monitors

Well, leave it to me to spark a Facebook debate over when parents stopped using baby monitors. What I got was great back-and-forth conversation, but what surprised me is how upset people got over other people's opinions.

Yesterday afternoon I was in the kitchen doing dishes while my 2-year-old son Easton was upstairs napping. I brought his monitor into the kitchen so I could see him and know when he woke up. I have a two-story house (our room is downstairs, my kids are upstairs on the opposite side) that is well insulated, so it is hard to hear. I couldn't help but think to myself: When will I feel the need to not use this anymore?

So, I posted the question to Facebook and I didn't expect to get what I got. If you do not use a monitor that is great, and if you do use one that is awesome, too. But what is not OK is shaming a parent for doing either or.

One Facebook user went as far as saying I was "hiding behind a screen." I am unsure how having a constant eye on our kids makes us bad people. It was beautiful to see people defending using monitors and making the point that parents who are using them are using the technology available to them. The same debate could be had for, I don't know, screen time on the TV/ tablet. What suits one parent may not be what is best for you. But to each their own.

I have decided from all of this that I will know when the time is right to remove it from the boys' room -- which very well may not be until he is 12. And you know what? That is 110% acceptable because ... it's my house.