Man Calls His Sleeping Wife Every Morning When He Sees Their Toddler Is Awake Via Baby Camera App
Parents ultimately know what is best for their child.
Helena Lopes / Pexels Parenting can be a difficult task, both for parents who work outside the home and those who stay home. From long nights spent soothing a sick child to tough mornings trying to feed them, being a parent is no easy feat.
While most two-parent homes split responsibilities, one father showed how quickly one partner can overstep boundaries and become a bit controlling in matters of the children.
A man revealed that he calls his wife every morning to wake her up after seeing that their toddler is awake via a baby camera app.
The man posted his story to Reddit, revealing a recent argument with his wife about their son.
He began by sharing that he and his wife have a 20-month-old son, and that she's a stay-at-home mom while he works six days a week outside the home and is usually gone for 12 hours.
However, he's sure to check in on his son while he's at work via a baby camera app. "I always check in on my son remotely via our nursery cam app and he's always awake in the mornings around 8:00,” he added.
charlesdeluvio / Unsplash
The man mentioned that his son has a "great sleep routine" where he's able to put himself to sleep in his crib and stay asleep through the night. Unfortunately, when he checks the baby camera app around 9 or 10 a.m., he sees the same thing each time: his son awake in the dark, with his wife nowhere to be found.
"Every time I look, though, he's awake in the dark and standing in his crib just waiting," he wrote. "When I see this, I immediately turn on the brightest night light the camera has and speak to him through the camera app. I always tell him good morning and I love him and he usually laughs and says 'Dada.'"
When he sees that his son is awake, he phones his wife to tend to their child.
"I usually have to call three to four times, and when she finally answers, it's obvious that she just woke up and only because I called," he said. "I tell her that our son is awake waiting for her and that she needs to get up to start their day."
One morning, he called his wife and asked if she was going to get the baby after using the bathroom. She said she would prepare breakfast first and then get their child from his room.
The man suggested that she get their son after she was finished in the bathroom, but she "flipped out," according to him.
"She told me it [makes her angry] that I call EVERY morning to tell her how to be a mom and that she has a routine," he wrote. "I retorted with, 'Well, your routine sucks because he's been awake for an hour and you'd still be asleep if I hadn't called.'"
He wrote that it "bothers" him that their baby has to wait for his mother to wake up and get him, and that he most likely needs his diaper changed, is hungry, thirsty, or wants to play. The man then asked if he was wrong for his actions.
MART PRODUCTION / Pexels
Some defended the man for calling his wife every morning, while others called him out for micromanaging her.
One commenter said that leaving a child who is "wet, hungry and thirsty in his crib for an hour or more" isn't the right thing to do. Another added, “She leaves him in the crib awake for hours in the morning. That’s not cool. I couldn’t watch that as the other parent either.”
However, others believed that the man should not be getting involved in his wife’s routine, suggesting to hire a nanny or helper instead of micromanaging her.
He added a follow up to his story, sharing that his wife suffers from postpartum depression and chronic fatigue, which could be a factor of not getting their baby earlier. He also mentioned that she doesn't have narcolepsy.
Despite his daily calls, he still believes she's not a negligent mother: “My wife is an amazing woman and an amazing mother. My son is just so happy all the time, he's super smart, full of energy, and extremely healthy... There is absolutely nothing wrong with what my wife does during the day, I just wish she'd start her day earlier for my little man.”
Most parents agree that there's no harm in leaving a child in their crib after they've woken up.
For many parents, especially mothers who often take on the role of "primary parent" or are stay at home moms, sleep is something that often eludes them. That means they may want to doze for another hour while their toddler sits patiently in their crib waiting.
It's a positive thing that the man and his wife have a child who is able to put himself to sleep and then remain sleeping throughout the night. As many parents can attest, getting a child to stick to a sleep schedule can be a difficult task.
Though there are no specific studies on the benefits or drawbacks to leaving a child in their crib after they wake up, parents know what is best for their children.
For this mother, leaving him in his crib for another hour or so after he wakes up seems to work best for their routine. After all, it’s not like she’s letting a screaming or crying baby remain alone; rather, the 20-month-old seems to be doing just fine hanging out in his crib.
On multiple parenting forums, moms have admitted that they, too, leave their toddlers in their cribs once the child wakes up, using that time for themselves to eat, tend to household chores, and get ready for the day ahead.
“My kid is 15 months. She almost never wakes up crying… I take my time and go pee, make coffee, make her milk, let the dog out before I get her from her crib. She just lays there and chills until someone gets her. I say, if they're OK with it, then let them be for a little. They will certainly let you know when they're not,” one mom commented on a thread.
“Please don't get upset at yourself. You are not alone. I see no harm in leaving your child in the crib for a while. They are safe and if they are playing and happy why bother them?” another mom said in a separate thread.
The one thing these commenters all have in common: their child is content.
There's no "correct" way to parent, but as long as the child isn't in danger or crying relentlessly, there's no harm in letting them spend a little more time in bed.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.