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Original poster

To think a three year old can’t do this?

232 replies

shakemyheadatyou · 27/09/2024 16:40

Ds finishes preschool at 3. I don’t get home until 4.

DH thinks ds can just watch tv and entertain himself (dh wfh Fridays) I think he’s too young, what do others think?

OP posts:
StarSlinger · 27/09/2024 20:47

For one hour? Yes I'd say that's possible. Stick the TV on. Kids don't need to be entertained all day every day.

AgainandagainandagainSS · 27/09/2024 20:45

Oh OP please let him try it for a week and learn the hard way that it won’t work (obviously remove any obvious dangers)

110APiccadilly · 27/09/2024 20:45

My three year old would do this tbh. She has "rest time" every day in her room with books, colouring, jigsaws, etc and amuses herself for about an hour - sometimes I go in to say rest time's over and she asks to stay longer.

But she may be exceptional, I obviously can't say whether your three year old would take to this system!

Nottodaythankyou123 · 27/09/2024 20:44

Franjipanl8r · 27/09/2024 20:41

Ignoring young kids whilst WFH is the ultimate shitty parenting thing to do. Get some proper childcare, you only get one chance to raise a child.

It’s an hour once a week…

housethatbuiltme · 27/09/2024 20:43

Franjipanl8r · 27/09/2024 20:40

No we haven’t forgotten. Most of us are living with the fall out of all the behavioural issues now. Kids need attention. 3 year olds need attention every waking minute.

Show quote history

They really don't... psychology has long show kids benefit from independent play time.

Are there really parents pretending to spend 24/7 super glued to their child? Thats beyond helicoptering, its batshit signaling.

Tripleglazed · 27/09/2024 20:43

Husband in the house for an hour? Yeah, as long as he has his eyes on him from his laptop. It's only an hour a week. Maybe bring out the big guns and stick him on the iPad. Unless he is a total menace I think it would be fine.

Franjipanl8r · 27/09/2024 20:42

Ss32 · 27/09/2024 20:40

This would be my 3 year olds dream come true, especially if left with snacks. Would be fine in our house

And you wouldn’t care about choking leaving a 3 year old unattended eating?!

Franjipanl8r · 27/09/2024 20:41

Ignoring young kids whilst WFH is the ultimate shitty parenting thing to do. Get some proper childcare, you only get one chance to raise a child.

housethatbuiltme · 27/09/2024 20:41

What do you mean entertain themselves?

Sit and watch tv while dad sits in the same room (or even an adjoining room with open doors etc...) on the computer? absoloutly fine and really pretty normal.

Sit all alone in the house until you get back 30 minutes later? no, thats insane.

Ss32 · 27/09/2024 20:40

This would be my 3 year olds dream come true, especially if left with snacks. Would be fine in our house

TheKeatingFive · 27/09/2024 20:40

Freshersfluforyou · 27/09/2024 20:38

Has anyone forgotten 2020, when hundreds of thousands of people with 3 year olds (and younger!) were expected to do whole days of work from home with them there.....

I haven't forgotten, no. It was fucking awful.

RandomMess · 27/09/2024 20:40

Leave the mess for your DH to clear up after his work

Franjipanl8r · 27/09/2024 20:40

Freshersfluforyou · 27/09/2024 20:38

Has anyone forgotten 2020, when hundreds of thousands of people with 3 year olds (and younger!) were expected to do whole days of work from home with them there.....

No we haven’t forgotten. Most of us are living with the fall out of all the behavioural issues now. Kids need attention. 3 year olds need attention every waking minute.

Whitewolf2 · 27/09/2024 20:39

No way even at 5 years old my kids would have left me alone long enough to take proper work calls! They’d want snacks, drinks, get bored, want to play, see what I’m doing etc. If he’s planning on working in another room I think it’s pretty dangerous, kids can choke pretty quickly and silently or injure themselves if left to their own devices.

Gotosleep91 · 27/09/2024 20:39

It obviously depends on the three year old. Mine will happily sit and watch Frozen back to back for as long as we'll let her.

Whether or not it's a good idea to rely on telly for childcare is different....

Freshersfluforyou · 27/09/2024 20:38

Has anyone forgotten 2020, when hundreds of thousands of people with 3 year olds (and younger!) were expected to do whole days of work from home with them there.....

Chuzzle · 27/09/2024 20:37

Your DH is at home, and says your child can come home? And you're out until an hour later?
So long as your DH isn't completely inept, go for it. He will very quickly find out whether it's going to work.

Melodysmum12 · 27/09/2024 20:36

If he can be watching over the child with the tv on I don’t see an issue. Alone in a room… no!

Button28384738 · 27/09/2024 20:36

My DD was 5 during the first covid lockdown and WFH with her around was SO hard, I don't think it's going to be possible with a 3 year old.
Won't his work let him take an hour out to look after DS for an hour and make the time up later, or start an hour earlier? That's what I would do

NoHeavenNoMore · 27/09/2024 20:36

My 3 year old would be absolutely fine and would relish an hour of tv after a week at nursery

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 27/09/2024 20:35

Yes my ds could do that

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 27/09/2024 20:35

Mine could once a week pretty easily.

Depends on the 3 year old:

Viperoil24 · 27/09/2024 20:35

Get him a paper round?!
It'll tire him out and earn him some pocket money
Joking obvs

confusedlots · 27/09/2024 20:32

Clearly this is an awful idea. So what are your other options? Can DH take an extended lunch and make the time up somewhere else? Or can you change your working hours? Or do you have any childcare options? My DH often seems oblivious to lots of parenting things that I think are just obvious, but I don't think he'd ever suggest this!

HRTQueen · 27/09/2024 20:28

Ds could have with a snack especially after nursery he was often very tired but more likely want to be cuddled

I know quite a few children who at that age would have happily watched tv for a few hours

Other definitely not really depends on the child