At what age would you leave children alone ?

one_hot_minute

brians_daughter wrote: »

DS2 has the devilment of 100 children

Why is it always baby number two who is the absolute terror???:rotfl:

shellsuit

one_hot_minute wrote: »

A workmate was telling me that her twins managed to escape from their baby gate on their bedroom the other morning. Realising they had the run of the house, they put on their wellies, brushed their teeth and filled in her diary with scribbles.

I thought that was very sweet! Obviously two good kids...

Aww lol, that is sweet!!


When I was 3 I woke up and heard my Mum going to work (dad was still in bed). I got my little stool, went to the door, opened it and went for a wander to go and find my Mum.

I ended up at the local sports centre (dunno why, she didn't even work there lol!) where someone phoned the Police, and they took me home.

Mum and Dad were frantic, and said that I was in the back of the car and wouldn't get out because I liked the 'nee naw' car :rotfl::rotfl:

ethelsmum

My two are 5 and 7 and on the whole very well behaved. I couldn't go upstairs and leave them downstairs while I had a sleep but I have snoozed on the settee before with them in the same room as me. I shut the door and if possible get them to curl up on the settee with me and watch a dvd.

I have a shower in the morning while they are downstairs - this morning they were watching tv and hadn't even moved. I can also leave them unattended while I put washing away, tidy the bedrooms etc.

LilacPixie

reading this i must be a lax mummy or maybe its because I live in a flat. I often, leave the kids watching tv and jump in the shower. My2nd one is also an absolute terror but TV seems to be able to mesmorise her for 20 mins before it loses its attraction.

hollyh

I've dozed on the sofa before if i've had a migrane with my 4 year old watching tv / playing in the same room. But, i'm never properly asleep and as soon as he moves anywhere i wake up and check he's ok. I don't think i could sleep in a different room though.

gratefulforhelp_2

Alikay wrote: »

Maybe your hearing and layout of house means that works for you, but I don't hear the phone ring when I'm in the shower so I certainly wouldn't hear what a child was doing! I do have to be hyper-vigilant as a foster carer and would never take chances with someone else's children.

This is admirable. The whole thing comes down to whether you are prepared to take the potential consequences and how likely those are in your view.

Clearly (and maybe wrongly) a foster carer is more vulnerable to criticism if something goes wrong than another parent.

Buttonmoons

I live in a small flat, have no shower so always been baths and I can't remember when I started going for baths alone but its been ages - probably about 2 and a half years! DD is 4 btw, I honestly don't ever have to worry about her, I know she would never go and take a lighter, or get a knife ,scissors etc. I leave the bathroom door open anyways and she usually comes in and has a chinwag with me, whilst stinking the room out by having the loo at the same time.

I've napped on the sofa before and she is cuddled up to me lying watching a DVD or whatever. Every child is different and requires different amounts of supervision though.

I used to babysit my 1 yo sister when I was 7 for 2 hours every weekend :eek: Can you imagine! I used to be sent to the Morrisons (bus ride away) to get some of my mums shopping at age 7. I was very responsible as I had no choice though, probably some form of child abuse nowadays I reckon hah!

mishkanorman

Thanks guys, its nice to see opinions arent all that varied !

I do have 2 very sensible boys, my eldest was screaming blue murder sunday when me and oh were both home, went flying into the kitchen to find he had grabbed a tea-towel off the side and knocked a lighter onto the floor. He was screaming for us as he knows he isnt allowed to touch them and he wouldnt pick it up !

Its happened twice now that ive slept upstairs whilst they are down, the first time we were all in bed watching a dvd and i fell asleep, they both came downstairs to play without fuss.

I always manage to doze on the sofa and will continue to on the very rare occassion i need to sleep, i was asking more because my mum and OH dont think its all that big a deal to leave them while I sleep but i felt so wrong doing it !


mishka

ailuro2

Our DD is 11 and still goes to the childminder when her Dad is sleeping on nightshift. Only in the last year have we left her to her own devices while he slept upstairs, and even then that was only when she had a bit of a tummy bug and we didn't send her to school but I had to go to work. We still wouldn't leave her alone in the house yet - it's not that she couldn't behave, but what if there was a fire (electrical problems start housefires, not just kids trying to be helpful with candles) how would she get out etc. I'd never forgive myself.

As for planning to sleep while two young kids were left to look after themselves - it just would not happen in this household, another way would be found - after school clubs or a childminder, or whatever it took to have them supervised to let the nightshift worker get a decent sleep. It's not just for the kids either, DH operated machinery and not getting a decent sleep could leave him at risk at work.

clairec79

I think I've done it with my eldest when she was 8 - dh took the younger two out, she didn't want to go so he left her with instructions to wake me up at whatever time or before if she needed anything - she made herself some 'bread and jam' to eat as a snack then when it got to lunch time woke me up to make lunch, asking for a jam sandwich!

Have slept on the sofa with all of them watching a DVD when they were younger.

I think it depends on the child to be honest, From about 4 or 5 all of them have got up before us in the mornings at times and gone downstairs to watch TV, then would come and wake us up when they wanted breakfast. From about 6 they poured themselves cereal to eat