What age were your kids when they got up alone in the morning?

[hidinginthenightgarden]

DS just turned 6. I could have had an extra half hour in bed if I didn't need to get up with him. I am wondering how long until I get such luxuries? (DD is only 3 so will still have to get up with her but she only just woke).

Actually, now I think about it, I can't imagine staying in bed while the kids are up. I would be awake (I hear everything) so I'd be lying there listening to what they're up to. Might as well get up!

Has this changed over the years????

I got myself up & dressed from around 3 and from the age of 2 my brother joined me. I was a very early riser (5am!)so I don't blame my very hardworking parents for getting some extra sleep.

The worst things that ever happened were spilling a massive bottle of milk & making a mess painting my brothers nails. I have happy memories of sitting at my little table drawing & watching television.

My 6 year has just started getting up without me but lasts no more than 20 mins without getting me which I think is fair enough. And I tend to be awake in my bedroom anyway as I'm a light sleeper.

So come on. Have our expectations of what children can manage changed over the years or were (my) parents just neglectful in the past?

I'm not sure it's either of those doctorbarbie, just differing styles of parenting in my mind. We got up alone as kids, but my cousins were never unsupervised.

Ours got up alone from when dd1 was 6 and dd2 was 4.

Around 4.5. Ds1 has always woken up a few mins after 6. I need more sleep than that! He is very well trained now - he creeps downstairs and watches cartoons on Netflix until I get up around 6.50. iPad goes off when I come down.

His younger brother wakes up around 0640 and creeps into our bed for a cuddle which I quite like and won’t last long now I shouldn’t think!

We lived in a flat when mine were younger, but from 2 I would get up and put the tv on and then go back and laze in bed. I could hear everything as our room was next to the living room. We now live in a house with stair but aged 3-8 they are all able to get themselves up and get breakfast.

DD1 from about 4. She could pour milk and make cereal or toast but mainly she just got up and put the tv on. DD2 from about the same age, maybe a little younger but by that time DD1 was 8. Now they're 10 and 6 and DD1 is never up early and DD2 is up with the lark. She feeds the cats, gets her breakfast and watches tv till she gets bored.

Ironically none of this happens on school days

5 and 3 year old get up alone. Only for about half an hour

The 5 year old will get both of them some cereal and milk, pop it on the table and then they both watch a bit of tv

They have done this for a while joe and not had a problem

About 5/6.
Tiny childproofed house. Small orange carton in the fridge for them to drink and the TV locked onto cbeebies.

Mine knew that they had to come into my room when they got up. I had a big tub of Lego and a brio train track in there, so they used to play on the floor whilst I dozed.

Once DS discovered cards, he would sit next to my pillow and play pontoon with me- except he took all my goes for me .

Around 3.5-4. We live in a small flat so I can hear everything he's doing. He fixes himself a bit of breakfast and watches TV. I used to lay out most of the stuff for him in the evening like bowls etc. In the beginning I also poured the cereal ready for him and put some milk for him in a separate bottle to make it even easier.

Recently we have created an arrangement where the nearly 4 yo and 6yo get themselves breakfast on Saturday. They have a variety pack of cereals and a small jug of milk. They still aren't great at managing it though. It takes some training!

About 3. They can eat a banana or a yogurt and watch TV or play.

They are so lucky, my sister and I used to watch the test card or ceefax and eat drinking chocolate or butter!

Aged 6 and 4, i had a horrific cold, and DH was working away.
I told them they couldn't get up before 6, would leave breakfast on the table, and they coukd watch tv. I just needed to sleep a bit more. They were fine, and gutted the Sunday morning when i didnt do it. So it has continued since then. I can hear what is going on, but frankly, i hear them from about 5am when they go to the toilet, but i really do like staying in bed past 6am occasionally! Im usually up by 7am.

My 5 year old and nearly 7 year old asked if they could go downstairs to play this morning. We said yes. When I came down my older dc had made them both breakfast and a drink. The youngest was busy playing and the oldest was drawing a map for an 'easter egg hunt". They had also let the dog and cat out and the other cat in.

DD was nearly 6 and DS was 4 when they started getting up on Saturday mornings. They would get their own breakfasts, though I did buy those small packets to save DS pouring cereal everywhere and a pint bottle of milk as that was more manageable than a 4 pint bottle. It was worth it, not to clear up the mess they made, or the soggy tea towel if they tried to clear up by themselves. After they eating they would watch TV. I loved that extra hour in bed.

Since fairly young...we have a townhouse so our bedroom is on the same floor as the living room.

Unless there's a safety issue or they're very young obviously, I never understood why you need to get up at 5.30am with them. Surely they'll only be playing quietly or watching the tv anyway?